Review: Cheltenham Jazz
30th April – 5th May 2025
I had a couple of nibbles at this year’s festival—two artists in the Jazz Arena, and a band on the Brewery Quarter stage, a freebie. None of it was jazz; much of it was blues, Americana, and folk (darkly spiced, and with a touch of rock).
The Jazz Arena featured a double billing: The Elles Bailey Band and The Alice Armstrong Band.
Alice Armstrong, fresh back from winning the European Blues Award—an accolade well deserved—is undoubtedly one of the finest vocalists performing in the blues world. Many had bought their tickets to see Elles, such is her profile, only to be hit with both barrels: one of the UK’s leading live performance bands fronted by Elles, and the arguably lesser-known Alice. With both backed by excellent bands, it was always going to be a great evening.
Alice is pure dynamite. With a fabulous, wide-ranging, powerful voice, her music is an explosive mix of Chicago-style blues-rock, spliced with a few beautiful slow-burners, drowning in tears and passion. Her early years are brilliantly reflected in the fiery Upbeat Baby — “I was born a shade of yellow, took two weeks to change my hue” — now every inch of her is most assuredly blue! That’s it: the whole arena is gripped. They may never have heard of Alice Armstrong, but they certainly know who she is now.
At odds with Upbeat Baby, The Life I Chose is soulful, stark, almost sad, but it points to the incredible range of Alice’s music—hang on for the ride. A gorgeous, big slice of pure blues is uncovered when you flip to the B Side; those finely tuned pipes she possesses are well exercised in this superb song. I can’t overlook the awesome power and possession that fills the air when Alice and the band turn to the monolithic, brooding Auto Assassin—a particular favourite of mine, and a real gobsmacker for the unsuspecting newbies.
Elles Bailey commands a stage better than any other artist around—cajoling, inviting, and engaging her audience. You are part of her show. Elles has a lovely husky voice, a great live band, and a back catalogue that would embarrass many more ‘established’ artists. Tonight, the music sits firmly in the Americana camp. The crowd is clustered around the barrier, but plenty of free radicals are ready to Enjoy the Ride, dancing to the groove. A little nostalgia and the reflective 1972 brings a more bluesy, funk vibe. Joe on guitar fires up the pulsating drive of Over the Hill—you have to move to this one.
A few minutes are taken to reflect on memories of the much-loved Matt Long, who left us far too young at 29. Alice had shared the stage many times with Matt and returned to the stage to join Elles in a tribute. A lovely, gospel-tinged song written by Matt, Better Days, was beautifully delivered by the two divas in his honour.
Everyone was up and jumping to the fabulous floor-filler Sunshine City as Elles closed the show. A dazzling duo of blues and Americana in the heart of the Jazz Arena!
I caught up with Saint Senara in the Brewery Quarter—not an ideal setting, with surrounding noise from bars and restaurants, along with passing ‘traffic’, creating an unsettling feel. What Am I Gonna Do seemed an apt start, with Chloe in fine voice and Andrew on resonator guitar. Any conflicting noise was brushed aside in a set where cigar box, resonator, and acoustic guitars were put through their paces. The full-on atmospheric There’s a Storm Coming rewarded all those who stayed throughout the show, regardless of passing Star Wars characters, food delivery couriers, and shoppers making their way through. Saint Senara finished on a high with their recent release, Lost Lisa Marie, with its deep-sea, dark-depth feel, inspired by Andrew’s Cornish background. Undoubtedly, there’s much more to come from this band.
Words & Photography – Graham Munn