Corinne Bailey Rae curated her first Cheltenham Jazz Festival this year, taking over from Gregory Porter as guest curator for its 30th anniversary. The lineup reflected her expansive definition of jazz, which she described during her headline set as “everything,” spanning from commercial pop powerhouse Jessie J to emerging purists like Emma Rawicz. That breadth is far from a drawback. One of the festival’s most appealing qualities is its lack of snobbery, despite its setting among Regency façades and caryatid-lined rooflines.
First on my weekend agenda was the legendary Tinariwen at DEYA Arena, a darkened brewery space alive with energy. Pioneers of desert blues, the band arrived fresh from their critically acclaimed tenth studio album, Hoggar, which returns to their roots: campfire-side intimacy, stripped-back production, and wise, weathered Tuareg vocals. The record also reflects the political turmoil in Mali, including the impact of the Russian-backed Wagner Group, which forced the band from their homes in 2024. That tension carried into the performance, which felt both celebratory and sombre, captured in the joyous energy of “Sastanàqqàm” and the more restrained, reflective “Toumast Tincha.”
The centre is in Montpellier Gardens, but the activity ripples across the town. Wandering through the streets, there’s a palpable buzz in the air: buskers play crowd favourites from Miles Davis to Duke Ellington, and even Wetherspoons joins in the festival spirit. I ended up there, Blue Lagoon in hand, catching my favourite DJ from last year, Dan Cooper, who holds a nightly residency before stepping onto the free stage on Monday. We spent the evening weaving between barroom jam sessions, absorbing it all before finishing at the effortlessly elegant Hotel du Vin, where an electrifying five-piece carried us deep into the early hours.
By Sunday, the sun made a brief but welcome appearance, lifting spirits at the free stage. A standout moment came from the Latin-infused Fonda, led by the effortlessly charismatic Molly Graham, who opened in a mock-posh voice, a playful nod to the festival’s genteel reputation. Their sound is bright, pop-leaning and unmistakably optimistic, with “Mamas in the Kitchen” a clear highlight. Set for release in July, this joyful ode to cooking has all the makings of a carefree summer hit.
Corinne Bailey Rae’s Big Top set on Sunday was unmissable, drawing on her genre-blurring career and reaffirming both her icon status and her curatorial instincts. She spoke of the two movements that shaped her most, punk and jazz, and, despite their sonic differences, argued they share a common spirit: “Punk is people who wanna get free but don’t really know how to play their instruments. Jazz is people who really wanna get free, but they’ve been practising.”
Grungy tracks like “New York Transit Queen” from her 2023 Mercury Prize-nominated album Black Rainbows sat effortlessly alongside her jazz-inflected soul staples, showcasing the full breadth of her artistry. For the moment everyone had anticipated, “Put Your Records On,” she expanded the song into a sprawling ten-minute finale, complete with scatting and vibrant audience participation. Despite the limitations of the Big Top, a fully seated venue that leans towards a more introspective atmosphere, she still managed to lift the crowd to their feet, a true testament to her magic.
