Love Supreme’s brilliance is in its diverse programme, which ranges across the three-day weekend. The festival caters for young and old, popular and avant-garde, weird and wonderful – it’s this diversity which keeps audiences returning, bringing people together, and allows different listeners to discover new music. The reason I buy tickets for this festival before the lineup is even announced is because I know I’m going to love whoever Love Supreme introduces me to each year.

Here’s my personal roundup, a selection of four acts I really enjoyed at Love Supreme 2023:

Little Simz

As the Saturday headliner and the artist creating a buzz around the festival, North London born rapper Little Simz had a lot to live up to this year. Luckily, she’s not one to disappoint an energised audience, and as this was one of her first performances of the summer festival season, her excitement and gratitude to be performing for us shone through.

She held the stage solo for the first half of the set, gassing up the audience until she had us in her pocket. The atmosphere was electric, especially as the audience began to sing along to the choruses of her songs louder and louder. There were moments of gritty defiance on ‘Gorilla’ and ‘Venom’, alongside more vulnerable and provoking moments on ‘Angel’ and ‘Broken’.

The set was a triumphant expression of Simz’s victory over struggle, including her own personal battles with the industry. This culminated in the most joyous rendition of ‘Woman’ I’ve ever heard, with the entire crowd celebrating each other and Simz through this song.

Jazzmeia Horn

Moving on to a more classic jazz choice, Jazzmeia Horn and her New York quartet performed an incredible set in the Supreme Standards tent. Unapologetic and daring, Horn is known for her modern arrangements of standards and fiery scat solos. This performance was no different – with the hardest swing I heard all festival, she and her band let rip on tunes such as ‘When I Say’ and ‘Tight’.

Something I have always admired about Horn is her ability to truly liberate herself from fear when performing, and this was palpable during her set. Her song ‘Free Your Mind’ is not just a lyric, but in fact a manifesto for life, which she embodies through all of her performances. Her range – both vocally and stylistically – was amazing to witness, and was truly showcased during the solos in this set.

Jasmine Myra

I had to include an artist who may be lesser known, but who continues to prove her artistry as she continues to grow in the UK jazz scene. Leeds saxophonist Jasmine Myra performed the perfect daytime set at the festival this year, easing us into the day with a beautifully orchestral hour of music. With two flautists, a harpist, drums, keys, double bass, electric guitar, and of course the saxophone, Myra’s 8-piece band created a sense of peace in the tent which brought me to tears. Melodically, Myra’s music is easy to follow, but the arrangements and solos elevate the songwriting to a new level. The combination of electric guitar, flute and harp created a lushness that no other act at the festival could compare to.

The set felt like a serene and healing experience, which Myra herself confirmed when talking about the music’s context as lockdown compositions. Her newest album ‘Horizons’ was created to help others find the strength to face whatever challenges they’re afraid of, and comes from a personally vulnerable place.

Sultan Stevenson

Sultan Stevenson’s quartet must be the honourable mention of this 2023 roundup. Playing under the Jazz in the Round programme on Friday night, the quartet’s late night jazz set was the perfect way to open the festival. With Josh Short on trumpet/flugel, Joel Waters on drums, Jacob Gryn on double bass and Sultan Stevenson on piano, the set was dynamic and experimental, whilst sitting within a tightly controlled groove that had the audience locked in. The set featured original music written by Stevenson, with every arrangement feeling cohesive yet distinctive. Stevenson’s debut album ‘Faithful One’ has recently been released, and the title track alongside ‘Prayer’ were truly special to hear in this live setting. If these emerging artists are the future of the London jazz scene, it’s in very safe hands. 

The post Love Supreme Festival 2023 first appeared on UK Jazz News.

Guitarist and composer Alex Scheuerer will be gracing the Jazz@PizzaExpress stage in Soho this summer, following the release of his second album. Featuring French-Moroccan vocalist, Najwa Ezzaher, La Vie En Soul moves away from the groove-based songwriting of Scheuerer’s first album, instead leaning into the Franco roots the duo share. As Scheuerer describes it, the album “pays tribute to la Chanson Française by rearranging some famous French tracks […] in a modern, trendy jazz/soul/fusion style.” The album features such well-known numbers as “Je l’aime à mourir” and “La bohème”, which the audience may get a chance to hear live during the set this July. 

With soulful vocals, subtle guitar comping, and a dazzling horn section, the album is firmly grounded in the sounds of the modern London jazz scene, whilst adding the beautiful twist of French lyrics and the more traditional soundscapes of chanson. The set in July will also feature five new original tracks in English, as well as some jazz fusion instrumentals from the band. There will be a wide variety of textures, grooves and genres, but all will have a touch of elegance to them. As Scheuerer says, “La Vie En Soul is an invitation to gentleness, elegance and beauty à la française.”

Although La Vie En Soul was released last year, it’s the perfect repertoire to be played on a summer’s evening. The horn section really adds a festival feel to the band, whilst the songwriting is perfect for an intimate jazz club. The album will transport audiences to Paris, London, and back again, synthesising different playing styles and genres. Although defying any narrow definition, listeners may detect a combination of the youthful funkiness of Tom Misch with the subtle maturity of Cécile McLorin Salvant.

Accompanying Scheuerer on 10 July is a stellar line up of musicians: Mike Horne on drums, Paul Michael on bass, Freddie Gavita on trumpet, Chris Rand on sax and Chris Jerome on keys. As a collective, the rhythm section has been described as the “engine room” of the band, holding down the grooves which continue to surprise expectations. As soloists, the band members really shine – La Vie En Soul allows each instrumentalist to reveal their individuality and take the listener on a journey. The cool electric piano sounds of Jerome meld well with the sensitivity of Scheuerer, whilst the soulfulness of Rand and Gavita rips through the more laidback pieces. And amidst all of this intense improvisation, Ezzaher’s warm vocals provide a grounding which lulls us back into a beautifully mellow mood.

On the night, audiences can expect all this album has to offer plus more, with a combination of established and new material allowing the band to take risks and “express themselves freely” whilst also retreading old ground. Mainly though, as Scheuerer puts it, this gig will be all about “sweeping the audience off their feet.” For a taste of what’s to come, check out the video below.

The post Alex Scheuerer – ‘La Vie En Soul’ album launch first appeared on UK Jazz News.

Among the London gigs due to take place on International Jazz Day this year is a concert by a fine instrumentalist with a rapidly growing profile, at a venue also becoming known for its original programming: Stanley Arts in Norwood will be welcoming Birmingham saxophonist Xhosa Cole and his quartet on Saturday 30 April.

Cole won BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year in 2018 and recently released his debut album, K(no)w Them, K(no)w Us, in 2021. He has continued to grow as an artist over the past few years, even co-creating the short film Stationary Peaceful Protest over lockdown. (TRAILER HERE). A new album, Ibeji, is in preparation.

Playing alongside Cole on International Jazz Day will be Steve Saunders on guitar, Ben Love on double bass, and Nathan England-Jones on drums, whom he describes as “three very open musicians who are like-minded and up for taking risks, most of which are successful, some of which fail, but when we do end up in tricky situations we always support each other and get out of them, making for a very dynamic performance and exciting experience for everyone involved, the band and audience included.”

UKJazz News: What repertoire will you be playing on 30 April, and what lies behind your choices?

Xhosa Cole: We’re going to be playing the music of Thelonious Monk, the great African-American composer. I feel a strong connection with his music as he grew up around many people from the Caribbean in Harlem. I think his music and melodies resonate with me and I feel like there’s a lot of room for expansion within the template that he has provided musically. I find there’s a lot of freedom within his compositions.

UKJN: Is this your regular band set up, and what do you enjoy about playing with this group of musicians?

XC: This is the latest line up I have been playing with regularly. Three very open musicians who are like-minded and up for taking risks, most of which are successful, some of which fail, but when we do end up in tricky situations we always support each other and get out of them, making for a very dynamic performance and exciting experience for everyone involved, the band and audience included.

UKJN: And you/we will be celebrating International Jazz Day…

XC: For me, every day is International Jazz Day. I am deeply immersed in this music and it’s great to be able to celebrate it with everyone who’s focusing and shining a light on this music. Any chance to play is a great opportunity and we’re looking forward to celebrating the day with you, your venue and your audience.

UKJN: Congratulations on the release of K(no)w Them, K(no)w Us last year! Following this release, do you have any idea what musical directions you’ll be taking in 2022?

XC: At the moment I am still working a lot on developing my sound through experiencing, working alongside, and collaborating with, various musicians from different traditions and backgrounds. I’m learning a lot about different concepts of music-making from the African Diaspora at the moment and have been fortunate to work alongside some very talented musicians as we prepare for the next album Ibeji, which features seven different percussionists from the African Diaspora, and it will be incoming at the end of 2022.

UKJN: How have things changed for you musically since winning BBC Young Jazz Musician in 2018?

XC: The BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year award put life into fast forward for me. It helped open more quickly some doors that may have taken longer to open. It enabled me to connect with lots of different musicians and to work, be challenged by, and be supported by, many different mentors. The main benefits were the opportunity to connect with different people, to put Birmingham on the map and to represent and be represented on that platform and on that stage.

UKJN: Is there anything in particular you want audiences to take away from the gig on 30 April?

XC: We will go in with the same intention as we always do, which is to leave people in a better condition and state than when they arrived at the performance. It’s a sacred opportunity to be able to perform for people live, and to celebrate this music and celebrate life through the expression of the music. I think people can underestimate the capacity that this music has to transform you emotionally and spiritually. We take that task and that job very seriously and we hope to see many toes tapping and faces smiling in bliss from listening to our music.

Evie Hill is Assistant Producer at Stanley Arts

The post Xhosa Cole – Stanley Arts, Norwood first appeared on UK Jazz News.