‘VARIOUS ARTISTS’ – ‘LOVE SUPREME’, GLYNDE PLACE, GLYNDE 4.7.25
Europe’s biggest outdoor jazz festival ‘Love Supreme’ returned to the beautiful Sussex countryside setting of Glynde Place in the heart of South Downs from 4th to 6th July. The annual three-day festival highlights the best of Jazz, Funk, Soul and Blues from both sides of the Atlantic and beyond.
This year’s mixed-weathered event included six-time Grammy-winner and musical phenomenon Jacob Collier who was the festival’s Saturday headliner; Triple Grammy-winning soul star Maxwell who headlined on Sunday night, his first UK appearance for 9 years and his only UK show this year; enigmatic showman Nile Rodgers & Chic, with Nile having written, produced, and performed on records that have sold more than 750 million albums and 100 million singles worldwide; visionary Philadelphia jam band The Roots; Detroit born Smokey Robinson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 and who is currently facing sexual assault allegations from four former female housekeepers and an unrelated fifth woman; and Califonian vocal girl group En Vogue.
The ‘Love Supreme’ lineup also featured Sampa The Great, soul revivalists Thee Sacred Souls, funk and rock trailblazers WAR (of ‘Low Rider’ fame), retro-soul torchbearers Durand Jones & The Indications, the ethereal Grammy-winning Pakistani-American singer Arooj Aftab, US saxophone virtuoso Branford Marsalis, Chicago singer and poet Jamila Woods, jazz fusion pioneer and four-time Grammy-winning bassist Stanley Clarke, 5x Grammy-nominated US saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin, pioneering US vocalist José James, legendary Cuban pianist Chucho Valdés, the genre-blurring US drummer Kassa Overall, psychedelic-R&B singer Ravyn Lenae, and star Israeli trumpeter Avishai Cohen.
A selection of artists from across the UK’s vibrant scene were also in attendance including Mercury-nominated Scottish multi-instrumentalist corto.alto, British-Brazilian singer Liana Flores, hotly-tipped soul duo MRCY, British-Colombian R&B star Sasha Keable, the highly acclaimed, hook-driven Neil Cowley Trio, the powerhouse Daniel Casimir Big Band, rapper, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter & producer Jay Prince, virtuoso drummer Jake Long, bassist Rudi Creswick, rising star singer-bassist Amy Gadiaga, trumpeter Poppy Daniels, sextet Colectiva, funk outfit Atmosfear, Jamiroquai keyboardist Matt Johnson (not the one of The The fame), and 80s disco-soul group Change, who had an international hit with ‘The Glow Of Love’ featuring Luthor Vandross.
You don’t need to be a fan of Jazz to revel in ‘Love Supreme’, there was so much musical choice and something for everyone, no matter their taste and age! I’m sure as you can see that there were literally too many acts appearing for us to cover with a limited team, but we’ve done our best, and so without further ado, here’s our account of the acts that we did see……………
(This article refers to artists who were covered only on Friday 4th July. Part 2 on the acts that performed on Saturday 5th July can be found HERE and Part 3 on the acts that performed on Sunday 6th July can be found HERE).
Friday 4th July:
All festival sites are beautiful before the carnage ensues, but Glynde is one of those special places, nestled in the South Downs. On our arrival we found a sparsely filled arena where the final changes were being laid down as the entering festival goers set up tents and acclimatised themselves.
CHARLOTTE DOWSSON
BANDS & VOICES STAGE 4:00pm – 4:30pm
With the North Downs Stage staying closed for the first day, it fell to the remaining stages to pick up the slack, which they more than did. It is no mean feat opening a festival, usually acts do not rouse the crowds, but a crowd turned out for Charlotte Dowsson’s first set at ‘Love Supreme’. What drew the crowds was the prospect of a vocal from the NW London artists that blended artists including: Sade, Eryka Badu and Victoria Monet.
The artist has enjoyed airplay from influential underground London stations, including Future Hits Radio, Balamii and Reprezents. Joining Dowsson on stage, her band offered the advertised smooth saxophone melodies, grooving drums, and velvety vocals. It was a welcome start to the day. Dowsson’s voice has a formidable range from soft and sultry soul, to full pelt jazz power. As advised if you love Sade, Dowsson will definitely appeal.
(Jess Kemp)
LEN BLAKE
SUPREME STANDARDS STAGE 4:15pm – 4:45pm
Also opening on another stage was Len Blake, an emerging London-based, New Zealand-born artist. On arrival at what last year turned out to be my favourite stage at the festival, which introduced me to several new acts I have grown to love and added to my playlists, we found Blake and her band weaving a dreamy, summer-tinged spell on the gathered audience. Len’s brand of indie-soul music, with jazz and R&B influences, was suited to the heat the sun had brought.
Blake’s accent-tinged vocals are both soft and enticing. The delivery offers a laid-back summer sound, perfect for hot days spent on the beach. The first track of the set, ‘Rich’, comes from her first EP, ‘Honey Blood’. It moves from sun-drenched dreaminess to a more upbeat and catchier chorus, which lifts the track and adds interest. Last year’s single ‘Lost In Comfort’ followed. A catchy chorus that works its way into your head. It is the kind of song that works best when you are losing yourself wistfully while travelling. It was at this point that Blake told the audience that this was their first time playing outside of New Zealand; you would not have known, their music and presentation feel like they have always been part of the collective summer soundtrack.
Returning to the ‘Honey Blood’ EP, the third track, ‘Buttercup’, had the kind of beat that automatically makes you want to sway along and take in the harmonies under Blake’s lead vocal. It was after this that Blake chose to introduce her band: Ben (piano), Sam (drums), and Mia (her older sister on bass). The rest of the set offered similar, uplifting, laid-back summer tracks, with the exuberance Len and her band brought to the stage, getting the audience on their feet and dancing in the heat of the first day. The final track of the set, ‘Like That’, another catchy tune, was an altogether dancier affair, leaving the audience on a high as they left the stage to the sound of much applause.
(Jess Kemp)
JAMILA WOODS
SOUTH DOWNS STAGE 7:00pm – 8:00pm
One of my favourite things is finding new artists. ‘Love Supreme’ is a rare gem where you cannot help but discover new artists. Jamila Woods is one of those. As soon as the band took the stage, it was clear that we were in the presence of an accomplished performer.
Jamila intersperses spoken words throughout her tracks. An award-winning poet, it would be strange had she chosen to do so. The flow from lyric to spoken word is never jarring. The first track ‘Bugs’ was a prime example of this. Jamila invited the crowd to make some noise for her band, just before the applause kicked in from the audience. The band themselves did not miss a beat, segueing into the next track, ‘Tiny Garden’. Upbeat and catchy, the track details a smaller but no less important kind of love. After the first two tracks, Woods paused to talk to the crowd. “Make some noise if this is your first Jamila Woods show! Thank you so much for coming out. We’re gonna do some more songs from ‘Water Made Us’”.
‘Practice’, was the third track of the set and the previously mentioned album. The lyrics were upbeat and catchy. They had a light touch, exploring love and relationships with skill. Before the next track, Jamila took the opportunity to offer those in the know a clue as to what it would be: “Will you all dance with me real quick, Love Supreme?”. ‘Boomerang’ asked the listener “…if they really wanna dance…” with her, or “have another dance…” with her? Faster than earlier tracks, but still as catchy it swept the audience up.
Breaking in to advise the crowd that there would be a shift in the set, “We’re gonna take it back to ‘LEGACY! LEGACY! Real quick.” Jamila returned to her 2019 album, which celebrates artists of colour. She started with an ode to Eartha Kitt. Next was ‘Basquiat,’ a tribute to the artist. Then, she played a song inspired by Miles Davis. The set closed with a track for Zora Neale Hurston, an American writer, anthropologist, folklorist, and documentary filmmaker. Each made the listener want to learn more about those honoured.
Towards the end of the set, Jamila had won over the crowd, some of whom were shouting “We love you!” to the singer, who responded in kind. The track we left on was dedicated to the poet Nikki Giovanni, a fitting tribute from a vocalist who is also a practising poet.
(Jess Kemp)
MAMA TERRA
SUPREME STANDARDS STAGE 9:00pm – 9:45pm
This was the first band I was taking purely on recommendation, due to the vocal dexterity of the lead singer. I was unsure what to expect beyond that. As I made my entrance, Doug Hough was indulging in an impressive and impassioned drum solo, which grabbed me at once. The assembled crowd also seemed very taken, applauding with enthusiasm from the very start. However, this was nothing compared to the whole band experience.
Band leader and composer Marco Cafolla (piano, vocoder) took the opportunity to thank the crowd for their immediate enthusiasm and tell everyone how excited the band were to be performing their ‘Love Supreme’ debut. Asking the crowd to applaud Doug Hough’s drum solo, he then went on to introduce the rest of the band: Mikey Owers (trombone), Ross Saunders (bass), Konrad Wiszniewski (tenor sax), and Mama Terra herself, Rachel Lightbody (vocals).
The audience continued to cheer and clap throughout the entire time Cafolla talked and thanked them. He then managed to interrupt them enough to introduce the second track, “We’re gonna keep going, this next track is called ‘Last Hour’, this features Rachel Lightbody, thank you”. It was then that I began to get a better sense of what I was in for as Lightbody’s sonorous vocals filled the tent over Cafolla’s piano, before the rest of the band kicked in. Drawing me back to some of my favourite Acid Jazz (they are signed to the Acid Jazz record label) nights down the Jazz Rooms, I was at once sold on the band.
Lightbody’s voice is phenomenal, lifting the roof off the tent, hitting notes that many can only dreamed of. The track not only highlighted her talent, but also Wiszniewski’s on tenor sax. Again, the applause from the audience was effusive. Moving then into an instrumental track (‘Sunday’) with harmonies from Lightbody, the band took hold of the crowd, with Ower’s trombone leading the way. Every solo induced applause from the audience. It was clear throughout the set that the band genuinely enjoyed performing together. Having launched their new album at Ronnie Scott’s, it is no wonder it received a standing ovation.
Cafolla addressed the audience again, “We are mama Terra, Mama Earth, we believe in brining positivity, spirituality and goodness to the world”, the audience responded jubilantly he continued,“Yeah, there’s of a lot of bad things happening in the world, right, let’s celebrate the good stuff, you know. And that’s what we’re here to do. So, thank you all. We’re gonna play some new music for you just now.” The next track, ‘Observers’, was from the upcoming album, which they are currently recording. Staying just long enough to catch this track, I had to take my leave to make it back and be in good form to meet the rest of our team on day two. If acid Jazz is your thing, make a point of catching Mama Terra as soon as possible.
(Jess Kemp)
‘Love Supreme’ will be returning to Glynde Place on Friday 3rd to Sunday 5th July 2026, where they will be taking things to the next level. For the first time ever, the Main North Downs Stage will be open on the Friday – kicking off the weekend with a Friday night headliner and a host of huge names across all three days.
Super Early Bird tickets are on sale now. Find more information HERE.
