Cheltenham Jazz Festival

PACPAC
edited May 2015 in Live music
Attended this year with the family and it was a great day out.  The festival is spread across Cheltenham with sessions in the main "big top" and free stage within Montpellier Gardens, Pump Rooms and events at a few various bars, colleges, hotels and open spaces.  The main free event is in the heart of Cheltenham at Montpellier Gardens though and it makes a great family day out with food stalls, a large free stage, drinks tents and large grassed areas for picnickers.

The usual suspects were present from Jamie Cullum (Festival Director) Gregory Porter, Si Cranstoun & Purdy, Natalie Williams, Neil Cowley Trio and many others including some fringe music from World music and Northern Soul genres.  For me, one of the highlights of the Free stage was Saturday with local lad, Remi Harris and accompanying guitarist and double bassist.  Remi's a young (28 in fact) virtuoso guitarist with his roots in blues and rock guitar, but who developed and perfected a style of Gypsy Jazz guitar, not unlike one of his heros, Django Reinhardt.  His talent is quite incredible given his relatively tender age and he already has several successful albums under his belt.  Anyone interested should visit his website for more info and details of how to buy his music.  Highly recommended! 

Comments

  • DocfosterDocfoster
    Thanks Paul.
    I haven't got there this year, so nice to touch base via your review. :)
  • PACPAC
    There's loads going on today in and around Cheltenham RE Jazz festival Ben so not too late to take the family...
  • DocfosterDocfoster
    edited May 2015
    I'm afraid it's The Eastnor Chilli Festival for us today Paul.
    I kept waking up all last night in a cold sweat screaming "chillies or music...don't make me choose...!"
    But chosen I have.
  • PACPAC
    Well I have a treat for you then Ben.  I've grown a wide range of chillies this year and hope to stage a "mini chilli" festival later in the year.  I have one of the world's hottest chilli varieties in the world, the Norfolk Naga (sounds like a microbrewery CAMRA real ale!) and at over 1 million on the Scoville scale, gloves are recommended when handling so gawd alone knows what these will do to anyone daft enough to eat the beggars...!  

    Also growing "Capsicum Twighlight", Chilli Chenzo, "Tokyo Hot""Pepper Cheyenne and a few others.  The Naga chillies will be used to make hot chilli oil and for the odd Masala (to pep things up a bit).
  • DocfosterDocfoster
    I have one of the world's hottest chilli varieties in the world, the Norfolk Naga (sounds like a microbrewery CAMRA real ale!) and at over 1 million on the Scoville scale,.
    You heartless objectivist.

    Seriously, this is great news Paul! :)
    Where can I get a ticket for the Dursley chilli fest...?
  • PACPAC
    Just bribe me with a bottle of wine and we'll have a beer/wine/chilli mini-fest one sunny August afternoon ;-)
  • uglymusicuglymusic
    One year I'll get up to the Jazz Fest. 
  • PACPAC
    Well worth coming for the weekend Dave.  You'd really need to book a hotel or B&B in advance but it would give you a chance to visit many of the different venues and pick an itinerary for the headline acts of your choice.  
  • uglymusicuglymusic
    They have some good stuff at Cheltenham usually. It's a festival I really want to get to one day.
  • DocfosterDocfoster
    Got back from chilli festival.
    Hugely enjoyable. Great atmosphere and plenty of atmospheric live music.
    Tried some sauce at one stall that felt like a cross between a tab of acid and bleach. Certainly the hottest thing I've ever eaten, and almost the most halucinagenic.
    Unfortunately the St. John's ambulance folk stretchered me off before I could get out my wallet and buy any.

  • DocfosterDocfoster
    They have some good stuff at Cheltenham usually. It's a festival I really want to get to one day.
    Yes. It's worth a visit.
    I like the way that Cheltenham have the jazz festival and Gloucester the blues festival. The way each differs in terms of approach and feel says so much about the differences between the 2 neighbours. :D
    Both are good. I prefer the Glaws blues, but then I'm biassed. ;)
  • PACPAC
    Except that the Jazz festival has venues in Gloucester too doesn't it Ben?  Sorry to lower the tone for Gloucester! I like both Jazz and Blues, as long as the Jazz isn't the plinky-plonk contemporary "lets make it up as we go along" noise  :((
  • DocfosterDocfoster
    edited May 2015
    I wasn't aware that the jazz festival comes this side of the M5.
    I agree about some jazz. To me sometimes it seems a bit like modern art.
    Some of the more classic stuff I utterly love.
    It's a broad church, etc.,...
  • uglymusicuglymusic
    Just keep your ears open and you'll get to like it chaps ;-)
  • PACPAC
    I've tried David but all I hear is really annoying noise with contemporary Jazz.  My brain mustn't be wired to make sense or enjoy the noises that contemporary Jazzists make I guess  @-)
  • uglymusicuglymusic
    Yeah. I guess so. I've spent years developing my tastes(?) ;-)


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