Star UK Acts Confirmed For Return Of Cheltenham Jazz Festival Live Concerts In July (Press release)

*The renowned jazz festival returns with a series of live in-person concerts featuring Nubya Garcia, Nitin Sawhney, Penguin Café, Emma-Jean Thackray, Poppy Ajudha, Matthew Halsall and more*

 

 

Following the success of their digital event at the beginning of May, Cheltenham Jazz Festival is set to make a much-welcome return to its Gloucestershire home in July with a series of ticketed in-person concerts at Cheltenham Town Hall (government guidance permitting). 

 

Taking place across three days from Friday 9^th to Sunday 11^th July, the programme boasts a variety of performances from some of the leading lights of the UK jazz scene including multi-award-winning saxophonist Nubya Garcia, rising star jazz and soul singer Poppy Ajudha, and one of the most revered artists within the British electronic and fusion scene, Nitin Sawhney. Acclaimed bandleader, multi-instrumentalist and producer Emma-Jean Thackeray will bring her spiritually-minded, dancefloor-angled take on jazz to the festival on Sunday 11^th July, followed by an artist whose music is rooted in Northern England but draws on global inspirations: trumpeter, producer, DJ and founder of Gondwana Records, Matthew Halsall. Closing the weekend’s festivities are Penguin Café, the celebrated modern-day incarnation of Penguin Café Orchestra, who will showcase their eclectic blend of folk, jazz, pop and chamber music influences.

 

July’s event will also feature the return of the festival’s Free Stage, which will host an array of acts in Imperial Gardens across the weekend. Highlights include one of the UK’s finest Americana bands Jaywalkers, dynamic young cellist Leo Popplewell who is joined by flautist Meera Maharaj for a specially created classical music set, twenty first century crooner Quiet Man, powerhouse eight-piece pop-funk band LATIMO, an interactive family percussion workshop from GMizz, all-female ensemble Birmingham Town Hall and Symphony Hall’s Rise Up, Cheltenham based rising stars Yeti’s Breakfast, Maisie Gaffney and Russ Poole, eclectic folk outfit Chris Roberts Band, Bermudian-British songwriter, guitarist and singer Anna Colette and Tomorrow’s Warriors rising star Sultan Stevenson. Bringing the festival atmosphere to the streets of Cheltenham, three bands: Unswung Heroes, 3D Brass and Year Of The Dog will perform roaming sets courtesy of Cheltenham BID.

 

The 2021 programme continues the Festival’s focus on championing women in jazz. One of the first to sign up to the PRS Foundation’s Keychange programme, Cheltenham Jazz Festival is leading the debate on Women in Jazz. Research conducted at the Festival in 2019 by Dr Sarah Raine from Birmingham City University revealed that there is much work to be done to transform the landscape of the music industry in giving equity to female jazz musicians. A link to Dr Raine’s full report can be found here.

 

Cheltenham Jazz Festival is part of Cheltenham Festivals, a charity known for creating world-class cultural festivals and year-round accessible talent development, outreach and education programmes. Over 225,000 visitors a year are inspired by its Literature, Science, Jazz and Music Festivals.  

 

Cheltenham Jazz Festival – July 2021 – MAIN STAGE

Saturday 10^th July – 12:00 – Nubya Garcia

Saturday 10^th July – 16:00 – Poppy Ajudha

Saturday 10^th July – 20:00 – Nitin Sawhney

Sunday 11^th July – 12:00 – Emma-Jean Thackray

Sunday 11^th July – 16:00 – Matthew Halsall

Sunday 11^th July – 20:00 – Penguin Café

 

 

Cheltenham Jazz Festival 2021 – FREE STAGE

Timings and line-up are subject to change

 

Friday July 9^th 2021

 

17:15-18:00 - Jaywalkers

18:15-18:45 – Leo Popplewell and Meera Maharaj

19:00-19:45 - Quiet Man

20:00-20:45 – UnSwung Heroes

21:00-21:45 - LATIMO

 

Saturday July 10^th 2021

 

11:00-11:30 - GMizz

11:45-12:05 – Birmingham Town Hall and Symphony Hall’s Rise Up 

12:20-13:05 – Yeti’s Breakfast

13:25-13:55 – Maisie Gaffney

14:15-14:55 – Chris Roberts Band

15:10-15:55 – De Fuego

16:15-17:05 – Anna Colette

17:20-18:20 – The Roaring Trowmen

18:40-19:30 – 3D Brass

19:50-20:40 – Grupo Lokito

21:00-21:50 - Elles Bailey

 

Sunday 11th July 2021

 

10:30-11:15 – Lilliputs

12:15-12:45 – Natalie Oaks (Music Works)

13:00-13:30 – Russ Poole

13:50-14:40 – Argle Bargle

15:00-16:00 – Bassists with Boobs

16:20-17:10 – Soufian Saihi & Ricardo Ne Noronha

17:30-18:15 – Sultan Stevenson

18:35-19:25 – Year of the Dog

19:45-20:30 – The ShowHawk Duo