The long-running Cheltenham Jazz Festival has been reconfigured this year into a free-to-view two-day digitally streamed event over the UK May Bank Holiday weekend. In addition, there will also be a series of ticketed in-person gigs scheduled for July.
Cheltenham’s Bank Holiday weekend performances will be hosted by BBC 6Music presenter Cerys Matthews and the Festival’s Artistic Curator Gregory Porter. The award-winning American soul-jazz singer will also perform as part of the Sunday, May 2nd lineup along with West End stage star, singer Marisha Wallace, British vocalist Cleveland Watkiss and sibling piano/woodwind duo, Zoe and Idris Rahman. The day before, on Saturday May 1st, jazz fans have an opportunity to see performances by saxophonist/rapper Soweto Kinch, noted London-based percussionist Sarathy Korwar and UK R&B legend, Steve Winwood.
David Gaydon, the festival’s Head of Programming, said: “This weekend reflects the breadth that Cheltenham Jazz Festival offers, giving a platform to some fabulous young upcoming artists as well as international stars, and with more exciting announcements to come.”
The artists booked for the proposed July concerts (by which time lockdown restrictions are predicted to have been eased) will be announced in May
Cheltenham Jazz Festival 2021
Timings and line-up are subject to change
Saturday May 1st 2021
15:00 – Rite Of Trio
15:30 – Leïla Martial
16:00 – Soweto Kinch with players from Birmingham Conservatoire
16:30 – Tomorrows Warriors
17:00 – Quiet Man
17:30 – Yelfris Valdes
18:00 – Chris Montague’s Warmer Than Blood
18:30 – SK Shlomo
19:00 – Sarathy Korwar
19:30 – Steve Winwood
Sunday May 2nd 2021
15:00 – Faye McCalman
15:30 – Rise Up
16:00 – Arnie Somogyi with players from Birmingham Conservatoire
16:30 – Tomorrow’s Warriors
17:00 – Cleveland Watkiss
18:00 – Marisha Wallace
18:30 – Lara Jones
19:00 – Gregory Porter
19:30 – Zoe & Idris Rahman
