When I wrote about last year’s Cheltenham Jazz Festival, I noted the dearth of old-timey acts compared with its soul, pop, and fusion-oriented headliners. Well it seems that the organizers are avid TST readers and took my critique onboard—that’s what I’d like to think, anyway. Because this year’s event featured much more music for pre-bebop fans to get their ears around, from manouche masters to big bands in the big top.
Spread over another six days of Britain’s very unpredictable spring, this staple of the UK jazz calendar featured as many subgenres as it did weather types. And although the present round-up will stick to only the most TST-worthy performances, I have to at least mention how much fun I had bopping to funkier outfits on the free stage. This welcome addition made what might have been quite a pricey event more accessible to the cash-strapped jazz fan and featured some brilliant rising stars—as well as some of the best local school bands.
Visitors could easily have spent days just lounging around the festival site at Cheltenham’s Montpellier Gardens enjoying this free stage, sampling the many food vans and soaking up the very intermittent sunshine. But those with a bit more spending money had a wide range of concerts to choose from across the Town Hall, Big Top, Jazz Arena, Family and Daffodil stages. Cheltenham Festivals were kind enough to bung me a few
