The Love Supreme Jazz Festival is a three-day greenfield music festival held annually on the first weekend of July in Glynde Place in the South Downs of East Sussex. It includes a spectrum of musical styles adjacent to jazz, such as funk, soul, blues and hip-hop. Love Supreme comprises five stages: The Main Stage, which focuses on broader styles of R&B, Funk, Soul and Blues; The Big Top, which plays host to the biggest names in Jazz and its neighbouring styles; The Arena, which hosts contemporary and progressive acts in the jazz sphere and The Bandstand, which hosts up and coming acts as well as local performers. The latest addition is Bands & Voices, which showcases a range of spoken word, dance and cabaret. Since its launch in 2013, the festival has hosted artists such as

Hugh Masekela Hugh Ramapolo Masekela (4 April 1939 – 23 January 2018) was a South African trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, singer and composer who was described as "the father of South African jazz". Masekela was known for his jazz compositions and for ...

, Herbie Hancock,

Ms. Lauryn Hill Lauryn Noelle Hill (born May 26, 1975) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. She is often regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, as well as being one of the most influential musicians of her generation. ...

Earth, Wind and Fire Earth, Wind & Fire (EW&F or EWF) is an American band whose music spans the genres of jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, big band, Latin, and Afro pop. They are among the best-selling bands of all time, with sales of over 90 million reco ...

, Grace Jones,

Van Morrison Sir George Ivan Morrison (born 31 August 1945), known professionally as Van Morrison, is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose recording career spans seven decades. He has won two Grammy Awards. As a teenager in t ...

Gladys Knight Gladys Maria Knight (born May 28, 1944), known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer, actress and businesswoman. A seven-time Grammy Award-winner, Knight recorded hits through the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s with her family group Gladys K ...

, Laura Mvula,

Jamie Cullum Jamie Cullum (born 20 August 1979) is an English jazz-pop singer, songwriter and radio presenter. Although primarily a vocalist and pianist, he also accompanies himself on other instruments, including guitar and drums. He has recorded nine stu ...

The Cinematic Orchestra The Cinematic Orchestra is a British nu jazz and downtempo music group created in 1999 by Jason Swinscoe. The group is signed to independent record label Ninja Tune. The Cinematic Orchestra have produced four studio albums, ''Motion'' (1999) ...

George Benson George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist. A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the 1960s, play ...

, Chick Corea, Steve Winwood, Nile Rodgers, Louie Vega,

Esperanza Spalding Esperanza Emily Spalding (born October 18, 1984) is an American bassist, singer, songwriter, and composer. Her accolades include five Grammy Awards, a Boston Music Award, and a Soul Train Music Award. A native of Portland, Oregon, Spalding ...

, Elvis Costello,

Brad Mehldau Bradford Alexander Mehldau (; born August 23, 1970) is an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. Mehldau studied music at The New School, and toured and recorded while still a student. He was a member of saxophonist Joshua Redman's Qua ...

Robert Glasper Robert Andre Glasper (born April 6, 1978) is an American pianist, record producer, songwriter, and musical arranger with a career that bridges several different musical and artistic genres, mostly centered on jazz. To date, Glasper has won fou ...

Mahalia Mahalia is a given name and may refer to: * Mahalia Barnes (born 1982), Australian singer-songwriter *Mahalia Belo, British film and television director *Mahalia (singer) (born 1 May 1998), English singer, songwriter and actress, better known by th ...

Gregory Porter Gregory Porter (born November 4, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter and actor. He has twice won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album: first in 2014 for ''Liquid Spirit'' and then again in 2017 for '' Take Me to the Alley''. Early l ...

Lianne La Havas Lianne Charlotte Barnes (born 23 August 1989), known professionally as Lianne La Havas ( ), is a British singer-songwriter and record producer. Her career began after being introduced to various musicians, including singer Paloma Faith, for wh ...

Tom Misch Thomas Abraham Misch (born 25 June 1995) is an English musician and producer. He began releasing music on SoundCloud in 2012 and released his debut studio album ''Geography'' in 2018. In 2020, he released his second studio album '' What Kinda Mu ...

, Mavis Staples, Pharoah Sanders and many others. Love Supreme has also been a crucial platform for younger and less established acts to develop their audiences, especially new jazz acts. Love Supreme is produced by Neapolitan Music and U-Live, and was founded by former lawyer and record executive Ciro Romano.

History

2021

The 2021 edition of Love Supreme Jazz Festival is scheduled to take place between the 2nd and 4 July 2021.

TLC TLC may refer to: Arts and entertainment Television * ''TLC'' (TV series), a 2002 British situational comedy television series that aired on BBC2 * TLC (TV network), formerly the Learning Channel, an American cable TV network ** TLC (Asia), an A ...

The Isley Brothers The Isley Brothers ( ) are an American musical group originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, that began as a vocal trio consisting of brothers O'Kelly Isley Jr., Rudolph Isley and Ronald Isley in the 1950s. With a career spanning over seven decade ...

& Yussef Dayes, Sister Sledge, Candi Staton, Nubya Garcia,

Kokoroko Kokoroko (stylised as KOKOROKO) is a London-based eight-piece musical group led by Sheila Maurice-Grey, playing a fusion of jazz and Afrobeat. In February 2019 they were named "ones to watch" by the Guardian, after their track "Abusey Junction" ga ...

The Brand New Heavies The Brand New Heavies is an acid jazz and funk group formed in 1985 in Ealing in west London. Centered around songwriters/multi-instrumentalists Simon Bartholomew and Andrew Levy, the core members of the group since its founding, Brand New He ...

Cory Wong Cory Wong (born c. 1985) is a Grammy-nominated American guitarist, bassist, songwriter, podcast-host, and producer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has released many works as a solo artist and in partnership with others. His background spans ...

and MF Robots with more to be announced.

2020 - Postponed

The festival was postponed in 2020 as a result of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

. Before postponement the festival was due to host Anita Baker for her first UK show in 13 years as well as featuring performances from The Roots,

and

& Yussef Dayes amongst many others. All tickets were transferred to 2021 or customers could claim a refund.

2019

The most recent edition of Love Supreme was opened on Friday by performances from

Sampa The Great Sampa Tembo (born 9 August 1993), known professionally as Sampa the Great, is a Zambian singer, rapper and songwriter. Between 2014 and 2020, she was based in Australia. Note: this source was an agency for the artist. Her debut solo album, '' ...

and GoGo Penguin. Headlining the Main Stage on Saturday was

and the festival was closed on Sunday night by Ms. Lauryn Hill. Also on the Main Stage were

, Jimmy Cliff, Mahalia,

and Louie Vega & The Elements of Life. The Big Top hosted Chick Corea: Spanish Heart Band,

Snarky Puppy Snarky Puppy is an American instrumental band led by bassist Michael League. Founded in 2004, Snarky Puppy combines a variety of jazz idioms, rock, world music, and funk and has won four Grammy Awards. Although the band has worked with vocalis ...

Kamaal Williams Kamaal Williams (born Henry Wu, 1989) is a British musician and record producer. He began his career producing House music, house and broken beat music as Henry Wu, but rose to prominence with drummer Yussef Dayes as Yussef Kamaal, releasing the ...

, Madeleine Peyroux and a special reinterpretation of Van Morrison’s ‘Astral Weeks’ by Orphy Robinson. Steam Down and Makaya McCraven headlined the Arena stage on Saturday and Sunday, with Theon Cross, Maisha and Joe Armon-Jones also playing across the weekend.

2018

Love Supreme 2018 saw Earth Wind and Fire and Elvis Costello headline the Main Stage on the Saturday and Sunday, with George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic,

Level 42 Level 42 is an English jazz-funk band formed on the Isle of Wight in 1979. They had a number of UK and worldwide hits during the 1980s and 1990s. Their highest-charting single in the UK was " Lessons in Love", which reached number three on th ...

and Mr Jukes also performing. The Big Top had Mavis Staples, Steve Winwood, Pharoah Sanders,

Dave Holland David “Dave” Holland (born 1 October 1946) is an English jazz double bassist, composer and bandleader who has been performing and recording for five decades. He has lived in the United States for over 40 years. His extensive discography r ...

, Chris Potter, Zakir Hussain and Tony Allen performing across the weekend. Nubya Garcia and Ezra Collective returned to the festival in the Arena stage, which was headlined by Portico Quartet and Moonchild.

2017

In 2017 the first ever completely sold out Love Supreme was held from 29 June to 2 July. The Main Stage headliners were

The Jacksons The Jackson 5 (sometimes stylized as the Jackson 5ive, also known as the Jacksons) are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana, and for most ...

on Saturday and

closing the festival on the Sunday as part of a line up that included Nao,

Corinne Bailey Rae Corinne Jacqueline Bailey Rae (; born 26 February 1979) is an English singer and songwriter. She is best known for her 2006 single "Put Your Records On". Bailey Rae was named the number-one predicted breakthrough act of 2006 in an annual BBC po ...

Kamasi Washington Kamasi Washington (born February 18, 1981) is an American jazz saxophonist, usually playing tenor saxophone. Archived July 9, 2015. Career Washington was born in 1981 and raised in Los Angeles, California. He is a graduate of the Academy of ...

and St Paul & The Broken Bones. The Big Top saw Herbie Hancock and Robert Glasper Experiment headline with Laura Mvula,

Christian Scott Christian Scott (born March 31, 1983), known professionally as Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah (formerly Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah), is an American jazz trumpeter, multi instrumentalist, composer, and producer. He has been nominated for six Gramm ...

, Shabaka and the Ancestors,

BadBadNotGood BadBadNotGood (stylized in all caps) is a Canadian instrumental band and production team from Toronto, Canada. The group was founded in 2010 by bassist Chester Hansen, keyboardist Matthew Tavares, and drummer Alexander Sowinski. In 2016, they w ...

and

Mica Paris Michelle Antoinette Wallen (born 27 April 1969), known professionally as Mica Paris (), is an English singer, presenter and actress. Paris was born in Islington in North London, but moved to Brockley, South London, when she was nine. She rel ...

across the weekend. The Arena line up included Sons of Kemet,

Yussef Kamaal ''Black Focus'' is the only studio album by English duo Yussef Kamaal, composed of drummer Yussef Dayes and keyboardist Kamaal Williams. It was released on 4 November 2016 under Brownswood Recordings. Characterised by its "spontaneity and flow ...

, Nubiyan Twist and Blue Lab Beats – headlined by

The Comet Is Coming The Comet Is Coming is a London-based band who incorporate elements of jazz, electronica, funk and psychedelic rock. The band originally recorded for The Leaf Label, on which their debut EP ''Prophecy'' was released, on limited edition 12" ...

and Jordan Rakei.

2016

In 2016 the festival was opened as usual on the Friday by several new bands in the Arena, one of which was Ezra Collective. Grace Jones headlined the Main Stage on Saturday after performances by

and

Ibrahim Maalouf Ibrahim Maalouf ( ar, ابراهيم معلوف, ; born 5 November 1980 in Beirut) is a French-Lebanese trumpeter, producer, arranger, and composer. In 2022, he became the first Lebanese instrumentalist nominated at the Grammy Awards for his albu ...

. Sunday's Main Stage program featured

Kelis Kelis Rogers-Mora (; born August 21, 1979), known mononymously as Kelis, is an American singer, songwriter and a professionally trained chef. At age 14, she was admitted to New York's Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Perform ...

Average White Band The Average White Band (also known as AWB) are a Scottish funk and R&B band that had a series of soul and disco hits between 1974 and 1980. They are best known for their million-selling instrumental track " Pick Up the Pieces", and their album ...

and

Caro Emerald Caroline Esmeralda van der Leeuw (born 26 April 1981), known for the project Caro Emerald, is a Dutch pop and jazz singer who mainly performs in English. Active since 2007, she rose to prominence in 2009 with the debut single, " Back It Up". Th ...

, headlined by Burt Bacharach.

, St Germain, Scofield Mehldau Guiliana,

Melody Gardot Melody Gardot (; born February 2, 1985) is an American jazz singer. At the age of 19, Gardot was involved in a bicycle accident and sustained a head injury. Music played a critical role in her recovery. She became an advocate of music therapy, ...

and

all played across the weekend in the Big Top. The Arena saw Mahalia, Swindle, Jacob Collier, Kandace Springs, Binker & Moses perform and

Gilles Peterson Gilles Jérôme Moehrle MBE (; born 28 September 1964), better known as Gilles Peterson (), is a French broadcaster, DJ, and record label owner. He founded the influential labels Acid Jazz and Talkin' Loud, and started his current label Brow ...

close the tent on the Saturday night.

2015

The 2015 edition of Love Supreme was held between 3 and 5 July and saw vocalist Chaka Khan headline the Main Stage on the Saturday night. Rag N' Bone Man, a year from his first hit single, opened the main stage followed by Omar and Neneh Cherry.

ended the festival for 2015 headlining the Main Stage on the Sunday night with Candi Staton and

Lisa Stansfield Lisa Jane Stansfield (born 11 April 1966) is an English singer, songwriter, and actress. Her career began in 1980 when she won the singing competition ''Search for a Star''. After appearances in various television shows and releasing her first ...

preceding him. The Big Top stage saw jazz heroes

Terence Blanchard Terence Oliver Blanchard (born March 13, 1962) is an American trumpeter and composer. He started his career in 1982 as a member of the Lionel Hampton Orchestra, then The Jazz Messengers. He has composed more than forty film scores and performed ...

Jason Moran Jason Moran may refer to: * Jason Moran (criminal) (1967–2003), Australian mobster * Jason Moran (musician) Jason Moran (born January 21, 1975) is an American jazz pianist, composer, and educator involved in multimedia art and theatrical inst ...

Joshua Redman Joshua Redman (born February 1, 1969) is an American jazz saxophonist and composer. He is the son of jazz saxophonist Dewey Redman (1931–2006). Life and career Joshua Redman was born in Berkeley, California, to jazz saxophonist Dewey Redman ...

and

play across the weekend. The Bandstand showcased groups Vels Trio and Nerija from the Tomorrow's Warriors program.

2014

The second Love Supreme Jazz Festival began on Friday 4 July. The Main Stage opened on Saturday with Natalie Williams’ Soul Family followed by performances from

Incognito Incognito is an English adjective meaning "in disguise", "having taken steps to conceal one's identity". Incognito may also refer to: Film and television * ''Incognito'' (1937 film), a Danish film * ''Incognito'' (1997 film), an American crime ...

, Laura Mvula and headliner

. Elsewhere in the festival, the Big Top stage, sponsored by Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, played host to acts such as

John Scofield John Scofield (born December 26, 1951), sometimes referred to as "Sco", is an American guitarist and composer whose music over a long career has blended jazz, jazz fusion, funk, blues, soul and rock. He first came to mainstream attention in th ...

Überjam,

’s Prism,

Lalah Hathaway Eulaulah Donyll "Lalah" Hathaway (born December 16, 1968) is an American singer. In 1990 Hathaway released her first album titled ''Lalah Hathaway''. After releasing another album, titled '' A Moment'' (1994), it debuted at number 34 on the To ...

and

Derrick Hodge Derrick Hodge (born July 5, 1979) is a composer, musical director, bandleader, producer bassist and advocate. To date he has been awarded two Grammys, named a Sundance Composer Fellow, received a Motif Award; one of world's highest honors for ...

. On Sunday 6 July the festival was headlined by De La Soul, with performances from

Soul II Soul Soul II Soul are a British musical collective formed in London in 1988. They are best known for their two major hits; 1989's UK number five and US number eleven " Keep On Movin'", and its follow-up, the UK number one and US number four " Back to ...

Courtney Pine Courtney Pine, (born 18 March 1964), is a British jazz musician, who was the principal founder in the 1980s of the black British band the Jazz Warriors. Although known primarily for his saxophone playing, Pine is a multi-instrumentalist, also ...

, Alice Russell,

Christian McBride Christian McBride (born May 31, 1972) is an American jazz bassist, composer and arranger. He has appeared on more than 300 recordings as a sideman, and is an eight-time Grammy Award winner. McBride has performed and recorded with a number of j ...

Trio and Polar Bear throughout the day.

2013

The first Love Supreme Jazz Festival was held during the weekend of 5–7 July. The festival site opened on the Friday with local bands playing followed by the return of club night Funky Sensation. On Saturday 6 July the Main Stage featured performances from Charles Bradley,

Michael Kiwanuka Michael Samuel Kiwanuka (born 3 May 1987) is a British singer-songwriter and record producer who is signed with Polydor Records. His 2012 debut album, '' Home Again'', went gold in the United Kingdom and his second album, '' Love & Hate'', debu ...

, Chic featuring Nile Rodgers before headliner

Bryan Ferry Bryan Ferry CBE (born 26 September 1945) is an English singer and songwriter. His voice has been described as an "elegant, seductive croon". He also established a distinctive image and sartorial style: according to ''The Independent'', Ferry an ...

and

The Bryan Ferry Orchestra The Bryan Ferry Orchestra is a retro-jazz ensemble founded and led by Bryan Ferry. They exclusively play his work in a 1920s jazz style. Ferry formed the orchestra out of a desire to focus on the melodies of his songs, and "see how they would st ...

. Elsewhere on site, Robert Glasper Experiment,

, Marcus Miller,

, Zara MacFarlane, Portico Quartet and Kairos 4Tet all played. On Sunday, the event was headlined by Jools Holland and throughout the day there were performances by

Brand New Heavies The Brand New Heavies is an acid jazz and funk group formed in 1985 in Ealing in west London. Centered around songwriters/multi-instrumentalists Simon Bartholomew and Andrew Levy, the core members of the group since its founding, Brand New He ...

Soweto Kinch Soweto Kinch (born 10 January 1978) is a British jazz alto saxophonist and rapper. Biography Born in 1978 in London, England, to a Barbadian father, playwright Don Kinch, and British-Jamaican actress Yvette Harris, Soweto Kinch began playin ...

, Roller Trio, Neil Cowley Trio and

.Jazz breaking news: Countdown to Love Supreme Jazz Festival
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Other Activity

Love Supreme also hosted a 1-day music festival held in 2018 and 2019 at

The Roundhouse The Roundhouse is a performing arts and concert venue situated at the Grade II* listed former railway engine shed in Chalk Farm, London, England. The building was erected in 1846–1847 by the London & North Western Railway as a roundhous ...

in Camden, London. Love Supreme launched its sister platform Supreme Standards in October 2018 in order to promote more contemporary artists with new a website, podcast and live shows. Love Supreme had planned to launch a Japanese edition of the festival in 2020 but this was cancelled due to the

.https://lovesupremefestival.jp/en/ The Japanese edition of the festival is now expected to launch in 2021.

References

{{reflist

External links

Love Supreme Jazz Festival
Jazz festivals in the United Kingdom 2013 establishments in England