5-7 July outdoors festival in Sussex previewed
Love Supreme has announced details of onstage times for next weekend’s inaugural running of the biggest outdoors jazz festival to be held in England since the Beaulieu jazz festival in 1960. That particular gathering ended in a riot and poor old Acker Bilk had his set ruined as fans clambered on to the stage. Acker’s not on the bill this year so there’s no danger of history being repeated in deepest Sussex.
Love Supreme is a three-day mini-Glastonbury jazz gathering with camping onsite. But the action really gets going in earnest on the Saturday. Typically at events of this size there are many difficult decisions for festival goers to make as bands on different stages play at the same time.
There are four main spaces: the Main Stage, Big Top, Arena, and Bandstand, and on Saturday the first dilemma is between hearing a lively Indo-fusion clarinet flavoured set from Arun Ghosh in the Big Top at midday or choosing over at the Arena singer-songwriter Oli Rockberger. In the Big Top 2pm slot GoGo Penguin, the Mancunian piano trio that’s built a strong live reputation over the past year, are on at the same time up against strong alternative Zara McFarlane, one of the leading new Brit-jazz singers with something distinctive in her approach, taking to the stage of the Arena. It gets even more complicated after 4pm with Courtney Pine in the Big Top, much talked about star soul singer Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaires on the Main Stage, and prog-jazz outfit Troyka in the Arena.
Robert Glasper Experiment appearing on Saturday at 10pm in the Big Top
There will be a rush to hear the soulful Michael Kiwanuka at 5.30pm on the Main Stage, and a big turn-out is almost guaranteed for Nile Rodgers at 7pm, although jazz fans will probably prefer nipping over to hear Marcus Miller at 8pm in the Big Top. They’ll probably stay put for the Robert Glasper Experiment from 10pm instead of the Jazz Age set of Roxy Music classics provided by Bryan Ferry, or the later DJ set from White Mink vs Peppermint Candy in the Arena. But you never know where the festival vibe will take the Love Supreme revellers.
Early risers on Sunday have a clear run at hearing stylish singer Gwyneth Herbert hot on the tails of the release of her new Sea Cabinet album at 11.30am in the Big Top, switching over to the main stage at 1.30pm for Soweto Kinch. But the Big Top has the hard bop highlight of the afternoon with Terence Blanchard on stage at 2.15pm. Slightly later Gregory Porter ought to be a significant draw at 3pm back on the Main Stage, and while you’ll miss the start of the Neil Cowley Trio set in the Big Top if you stay to the end of Gregory’s set the trudge over to the Big Top is a must as the NCT are on fire these days after much gigging in Derry where they’ve made many new friends during UK city of culture year.
Singer/bassist Esperanza Spalding is a must-hear at 4.45pm on the Main Stage, and again it’s a case of legging it over to the Big Top quickly for Branford Marsalis and his Quartet towards the end of Spalding’s set. Melody Gardot is the pick of the evening gigs early on appearing in the Big Top from 7.30pm a better choice than Jools Holland and his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra which, let’s face it, can be pretty formulaic. Roller Trio in the Arena is a good way to bring the evening to a rousing close before the partying kicks in later and people begin to think about the trek home. Stephen Graham
Top: Esperanza Spalding appearing on Sunday at 4.45pm on the Main Stage
More at www.lovesupremefestival.com