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Cheltenham Jazz Festival will go ahead as a virtual one-day festival to be streamed for free this Saturday, 9 May 2020 via Cheltenham Festivals You Tube Channel. 

Cheltenham Jazz Festival @ Home will recreate the essence of the Festival for a unique one-day celebration, with a selection of some of the top acts set to perform at this year’s Jazz Festival. 

Cheltenham Jazz Festival 2018

The Festival will feature exclusive sets from Irish singer-songwriter Imelda May; cultural pioneer Nitin Sawhney; award-winning trumpeter Laura Jurd; ambient improvising trio Chris Mapp and Stillefelt, the 16-piece Electric Lady Big Band, the TC Quartet ft Denny Ilett; soul/rocker Roachford; beatboxer Shlomo; and Showcase sessions with two rising stars from last year’s Free Stage: Rosie Tee and Amahla.

Throughout the day the best of the Festival’s Westons Sessions, filmed over the past seven years, will also be streamed. Sponsored by partners Henry Westons and curated by Cheltenham Jazz Festival, these intimate performances have been filmed behind the scenes at the Festival and feature an eclectic mix of established artists and emerging talent. At 8pm the Festival hands over to BBC Radio 2 for a special show from Jamie Cullum with highlights from the past 10 years of Cheltenham Jazz Festival followed by another chance to hear Randy Crawford in concert from her 2018 Cheltenham appearance, introduced by Jo Whiley. 

BBC Four have also joined in the celebration by making the Jazz 625 broadcast created at last year’s Festival available to view for 21 days from 8 May.  This was the first live BBC black and white TV programme broadcast since the 1970s, reviving the iconic 1960s BBC show Jazz 625 for one night only.  Broadcast live from Cheltenham, it featured a house band - led by pianist Robert Mitchell - with special guests including Joshua Redman, Jean Toussaint, Shirley Tetteh, Jacqui Dankworth and Gregory Porter. And an exclusive recorded performance from legendary Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts. 

Dave Gaydon Head of Programming for the Jazz Festival said “We’d like to say a huge thanks to all of the artists who have supported us in making this happen.  To be able to create a virtual Festival in three weeks has been amazing. We are delighted that we can offer a flavour of the Festival to those who, like us were disappointed by the cancellation due to COVID 19 and hope that Jazz lovers join us on their smartphone, smart TV or laptop and on BBC Radio 2 on Saturday 9 May as part of their Bank Holiday weekend plans.” 

Cheltenhham Jazz Festival @ Home Line Up - Saturday 9 May 2020

Rosie Tee

3:00 – 3:15pm

Rosie Tee is a Birmingham local known for her textural, atmospheric blend of electronica and jazz, grounded by alt-pop sensibilities. With a sound dubbed ‘poised & elegant’ by BBC Radio 6’s Tom Robinson, her contemporary approach to songwriting fluctuates between classical orchestration, jazz-infused grooves and electronic samples.

Amahla

3:15 – 3:30pm

A new name for British soul, Amahla has garnered over 1 million streams, sold out two headline shows and received widespread critical acclaim for her distinctive voice and powerful songwriting. Fresh off performances at The Royal Albert Hall, Jazz Café and Ronnie Scott’s, she now storms the Cheltenham’s virtual stage.

Shlomo

3:30 – 3:45pm

Sonic superhero and award-winning beatboxer Shlomo joins the festival for a one-off genre-defying performance using just his mouth and a mic. Expect 15 mins of pure musical mayhem.

Roachford

3:45 – 4:00pm

One of the most compelling and consistent pop and soul artists the UK has produced now finding renewed success with current single High on Love the 3rd most played record on Radio 2 in April brings three tracks recorded from home in lockdown.

The Best of Cheltenham Jazz Festival’s Henry Westons Sessions

4:00pm – 4:30pm

Catch a compilation of some of our favourite Henry Westons Sessions from over the years.

Chris Mapp / Stillefelt

4:30 – 4:45pm

Usually performing with his trio Stillefelt, Chris Mapp performs solo this afternoon with an astonishing and beautiful set of improvised bass playing and undulating electronic soundscapes.

Laura Jurd / Dinosaur

4:45 – 5:00pm

Mercury-nominated trumpeter Laura Jurd presents a world premiere of a new live video recording of her British jazz super-group Dinosaur. Featuring some of the finest UK jazz musicians, they explore Laura’s distinctive yet ever-evolving music with playful abandon and technical prowess.

The Best of Cheltenham Jazz Festival’s Henry Westons Sessions

5:00pm – 5:30pm

Catch a compilation of some of our favourite Henry Westons Sessions from over the years.

Imelda May

5:30pm – 6:00pm

Performing from home, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Imelda May will perform Otis Reading and Bill Withers covers alongside her own material around the kitchen table with guitarist Niall McNamee.

The Best of Cheltenham Jazz Festival’s Henry Westons Sessions

6:00pm – 6:30pm

Catch a compilation of some of our favourite Henry Westons Sessions from over the years.

Nitin Sawhney

6:30m – 7:00pm

One of the most distinctive and versatile musical voices of his generation, cultural pioneer Nitin Sawhney brings a set of acoustic piano tracks to the festival.

The Best of Cheltenham Jazz Festival’s Henry Westons Sessions

7:00pm – 7:30pm

Catch a compilation of some of our favourite Henry Westons Sessions from over the years.

The TC Quartet ft Denny Ilett

7:30m – 7:45pm

Astonishing New Orleans based vocalist Tricia Boutté teams up remotely with guitarist Denny Ilett, bassist Sebastian Girardot and Adrian Cox on clarinet to bring a unique collaborative lockdown performance.

Electric Lady Big Band

7:45 – 8:00pm

It was quite a feat to bring 16 of the UK’s leading jazz musicians together from their homes for this incredible performance of Denny Ilett‘s big band arrangements of Jimi Hendrix’s 1968 masterpiece Electric Ladyland but it has been achieved for this explosive @Home finale.

From 8pm the show continues on BBC Radio 2.

Jamie Cullum

8:00 – 9:00pm

A special show presented by Jamie Cullum with highlights from the past 10 years of Cheltenham Jazz Festival.

Randy Crawford from Cheltenham Jazz Festival 2018

9:00 – 10:00pm

Tune in for another chance to hear Randy Crawford‘s memorable Cheltenham Jazz Festival concert, introduced by Jo Whiley.

Follow the Cheltenham Jazz Festival @ Home online

#cheltjazzfest@home @cheltjazzfest 

www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/jazz 

Festival Partners  

In Association Partner: BBC Radio 2 

Principal Partner: Henry Westons  

Everything you need to know about the Cheltenham Jazz Festival... 

Cheltenham Jazz Festival is one of Europe’s leading jazz festivals, featuring international headline acts, cutting-edge jazz and unique collaborations. 2021 will see the 25th anniversary of the Festival which will take place over the May Bank Holiday, featuring 50 concerts over six days, free music and pop-up performances in Cheltenham’s streets and bars. 

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