‘VARIOUS ARTISTS’ – ‘LOVE SUPREME’, GLYNDE PLACE, GLYNDE 6.7.24
Europe’s biggest outdoor jazz festival ‘Love Supreme’ returned to the beautiful countryside setting of Glynde Place in the South Downs from 5th to 7th July. The annual three-day Love Supreme Jazz Festival highlights the best of Jazz, Funk, Soul and Blues.
This year’s event included headline shows from Olivia Dean, the legendary Dionne Warwick, and the equally legendary Chaka Khan. Also on the line-up for the acclaimed three-day festival were UK artists, Funk Soul Brothers, Mahalia, Joel Culpepper, Joss Stone, Galliano and Alice Russell.
Other artists such Kool and the Gang, Black Pumas, Noname, Hiromi, Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Balimaya Project and Cecile McLorin Salvant to name a few, arrived from different parts of the world adding a global perspective to the festival.
There were too many acts to cover in just one article, so we have split them up in date order. This article refers to artists who were covered only on Saturday 6th July. Part 1 on the acts that performed on Friday 5th July can be found HERE and Part 3 on the acts that performed on Sunday 7th July can be found HERE.
Saturday 6th July:
JOEL CULPEPPER
NORTH DOWNS STAGE 12:30pm – 1:30pm
We missed the Culpepper set due to travel hold delays and hold-ups, which everyone was equally annoyed about. Travel delays would perhaps be the only argument for camping on-site when you live as close as a majority of our team did, but given the weather over the weekend, we all declined to use the Supremium camping grounds. We did however enjoy the catering and hospitality on offer. I have subsequently seen the footage of the Culpepper set and have been kicking myself even more. Culpepper is an electrifying performer with effortless charisma, the catchiest tunes going and the stage presence of a great. Typically, we kept bumping into him around the site for the rest of the day. It should be noted he is a very smiley and friendly man. Make sure to catch him if you have a chance. We won’t be so remiss to miss the next available opportunity to see him.
www.instagram.com/jculpeppermusic
CHRISTONE ‘KINGFISH’ INGRAM
NORTH DOWNS STAGE 2:15pm – 3:15pm
It’s not often that I am blown away by a new act, but this was one of those times.
The Grammy award-winning guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Christone, “Kingfish” Ingram has been named the voice of blues for his generation, at 24 years of age this might seem like a heavy weight to carry, however he takes it all in his stride with little obvious strain. The Mississippi native has travelled the world bringing blues wherever he lands and headlining a variety of national tours with acts including ‘Vampire Weekend’, ‘James Isbell ‘and ‘Buddy Guy’.
Arriving to international recognition in 2019 he has received no less than ten Blues Music Award nominations, winning them all. The renowned U.S. music press arbiter Rolling Stone declared that “Kingfish is one of the most exciting young guitarists in years, with a sound that encompasses B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix and Prince.” No small praise.
His set lived up to every superlative and award received by Ingram, it was a phenomenal set, featuring incredibly flawless old school Blues solos, and the kind of guitar and bass licks and riffs that just feel good in your belly. The third track of the set featured… a down-and-dirty bluesy sound.
It was during this track that Ingram descended from the stage and behind the photographer pit barriers, walked casually around to stage right, disappearing with only the sound of his guitar to confirm he hadn’t just walked off stage altogether, only to reappear, back on stage, all the while playing searing blue’s guitar as if it’s the most natural thing in the world. If that wasn’t impressive enough, he then started to play the guitar with his teeth without breaking pace at all.
This was the kind of playing you really only see once in a lifetime and only from the insanely talented. Many have pastiched playing with their teeth, but few can do it. Usually, it’s just sleight of hand, but this was the real deal. It was at this point that we noticed that Joel Culpepper had come out to watch Ingram and his band, he was also impressed by the on (and off) stage antics of Ingram.
Following this the opening bars of the classic ‘I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near)’ by Michael McDonald, played before segueing into a medley of tracks which was difficult to keep up with as he moved so effortlessly from song to song. Possibly my favourite track of the set was ‘Long Distance Woman’, which is the last track from the newest album ‘Live in London’, or the last two tracks if you include them as well as the main track. With or without the intro this is simply sublime. The guitar is flawless, the organ playing underscores it beautifully and Ingram’s voice is delicious. This top-level playing by the whole band is by my reckoning, one of the best introductions to Blue’s that you’re likely to get. If you love Blues or just want to chance your hand at an introduction to it, catch Christone, “Kingfish” Ingram and his band playing live at the earliest opportunity you can get.
AMIE BLU (Find photos on our sister website HERE)
SUPREME STANDARDS STAGE 3:15pm – 4:00pm
I had heard Amie Blu’s music via the ‘Love Supreme’ player and added her to my list of acts to see before the festival. At barely twenty years old Amie Blu is gaining recognition quickly as a singer-songwriter to watch. The Musician based in Southeast London is of French heritage. Blending her influences from ‘R&B’, ‘Soul’ and ‘Pop’ she creates a sound all over her own. Her lyricism takes in the things that any other twenty-something might ponder as they travel through life. Where Blu differs is in her ability to express her frustrations and life’s tribulations in such a way that it connects directly with an audience of all ages, even if you are long past your early twenties, Amie Blu’s words take you right back to your youth and the confusion you often felt at the time.
Ever the professional Amie and her band arrived on stage at exactly the time they were expected. The group composed of a bassist, keyboard player, and drums are raring to go as soon as Amie Blu sets foot on the stage in front of the microphone. The set started with a track from her 2022 EP ‘5 For U’, the track ‘Like That’. The track ponders a slightly one-sided relationship from her perspective. Her voice reminded me immediately of another favourite singer-songwriter, Lianne La Havas, (who is coincidentally playing Brighton at Chalk soon). I think it’ll be a very short time before Amie Blu herself reaches the same heights as La Havas (who played ‘Love Supreme’ on the North Downs Stage in 2022).
After the second track, Blu advised the audience that she was removing chewing gum from her mouth, and putting it on the floor (just in case they thought she was doing something odd and disgusting). It was moments like this, of pure honest interaction throughout the set that charmed the audience even further than the artist’s voice and music, which charmed thoroughly as well.
The second song ‘Pretty’ released as a single this year, lyrically compares the singer to another girl she views as competition. It’s the kind of song that grabs you immediately and deserves to be on everyone’s summer playlist and is bound to gain plenty of radio play this year if not find itself on a soundtrack or two. ‘Something Will Give’, Blu say’s
“Is like when something is too good to be true, so you don’t believe it will last”. Another catchy track that speaks to an experience many have had. When the song’s outro played out Blu grinned and asked the audience to “Stop it, Stop it!” They continued to applaud her for far longer than she expected.
‘Well Prove It’ challenges a lover to prove it when he tells her he loves her because she doubts their honesty, she said, “It’s about if you love me, you should be able to have my back, and if you don’t, well then you don’t!” before performing the track, which though on the new album is yet to be released. There is a charming vulnerability mixed with faith in her abilities that Amie Blu brings to her live performance, and this disarms the listener immediately.
The lyrics are raw, but never bitter, just a human striving to understand her romantic entanglements and predicaments. Blending romance with a more modern, ballsy self-reliance and reflection, Blu’s vocal gives her lyrics additional resonance which translates her experience directly to the audience. The songs were on the shorter side, but this made for an enjoyable and concise set. A short story about breaking up with an ex at the train station before the next song resonated with the audience who chuckled at the relatability of the situation
WORDS FOR BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAH
BANDS AND VOICES STAGE – Cancelled due to high winds.
We had been looking forward to the opportunity to pay respects and celebrate the wonderful and sadly departed writer, dub poet, actor, musician and professor of poetry and creative writing Benjamin Zephaniah as part of a gathered collective.
Sadly, it wasn’t to be, as high winds and adverse weather conditions closed the Bands and Voices stage for the rest of the weekend. This was a real shame not only due to this lost opportunity, but because on my last visit to the festival in 2022, the stage had proven to be one of the many highlights of the festival. However, the stability of the tent itself was in question so in terms of the safety of the public it was the right call by the festival, as disappointing as it was for us and others who had planned to attend this and other events on the schedule.
At a bit of a loss of what to do after confirmation that the Bands and Voices stage was unlikely to open up again, we were in two minds as to what to do, suddenly finding ourselves with an hour to kill before our next scheduled act. Deciding to seek refreshment and much-needed rest we took in the rest of the ‘Love Supreme’ site, which this year was full to the brim of every type of sustenance you could conceive of to keep even the pickiest of foodies happy. There was also a fully functioning mini fairground complete with a Ferris wheel, hall of mirrors, ghost train, merry-go-round, coconut shy, and helter skelter. Should you be in the mood to shop there were also multiple stalls proffering clothing, furniture, jewellery, art, accessories, incense, crystals art and a variety of toys. In short, almost everybody’s needs for the whole of the weekend were covered whatever their desire.
SANANDA MAITREYA (Find photos on our sister website HERE)
NORTH DOWNS STAGE 4:00pm – 5:00pm
Most of the audience will know this artist under another name. While I applaud the artist’s desire to be known under another name, there is no doubt that he lost a considerable part of the audience he could have had if he had included his previously well-known name on the ‘Love Supreme’ website and supporting act.
Had it not been for the older members of the team knowing his back catalogue we would have missed the set from artist formerly known as Terence Trent D’Arby completely. Songs like ‘Wishing Well’, ‘Sign Your Name’ and ‘If You Let Me Stay’ were a near-constant soundtrack to our youth and for some teenage years. I met many festival goers after the set who were upset that they had missed him performing what was a classic retrospective set. Once Maitreya had a chance to warm into his greatest hits back catalogue the old smooth and bluesy vocals floated over a VERY receptive audience mostly of a certain age who knew every word Maitreya sang, not only that but they were more than happy to dance in the blazing sun he had brought with him.
Changing his name in 1995 it’s been over two decades since Sananda Maitreya (believed to mean ‘Rebirth’ in Sanskrit by the performer) graced a stage in the UK.
The multi-platinum and Grammy award-winning artist reeled through hits that repeatedly graced the UK top 40 charts.
Such was the popularity of his set that even our team members found themselves dancing happily along with the crowd, surprised that such an artist had been overlooked in our schedules, but happy that we had happened across the set due to the unscheduled change. Perhaps Benjamin Zephaniah was somewhere smiling down on us as we all happily experienced an unexpected blast from our collective past.
TROMBONE SHORTY & ORLEANS AVENUE
NORTH DOWNS STAGE 5:45pm – 7:00pm
Making his first appearance at just 4 years of age with none other than Bo Diddley, by the age of six he was leading his brass band. By the time he was a teen, he was hired by Lenny Kravitz to join the band he assembled for his ‘Electric Church World Tour’. Born Troy Andrew’s he earned his name due to his stature at his almost prematurely early start in the business as a trombone or ‘Horn’ player. Featured in the pages of Vanity Fair and The New York Times, Shorty can also be found on many a US late-night TV show.
An undeniable star with magnetic charisma, the natural-born showman can hold an audience’s enrapt attention for the entire span of his set. You simply don’t miss a New Orleans native with such a reputation as Shorty. Not stopping at being the name many think of when they think of a consummate trombone player, Shorty is also a singer and composer.
The set embodied what many think of as a more mainstream sound as well as evoking older styles pulling together rock, soul and funk. His voice evokes Kravitz at his best while putting his mark on the sound. Featuring great hooks that laidback New Orleans Brass sound, Shorty’s set was a pure joy to experience and had everyone on their feet from start to finish.
FERGUS MCCREADIE (Find photos on our sister website HERE)
SUPREME STANDARDS STAGE 6:15pm – 7:15pm
McCreadie is what I would term as a ‘musician’s musician’, ‘Scottish Folk inspired Jazz’ is perhaps a hard sell for even the most dedicated jazz fan. However, Jazz pianist Fergus McCreadie is one of the most innovative and exciting musicians performing currently. As he confirmed during his set his compositions are inspired by the wild and beautiful landscapes of his native Scotland. That connection to the land could be said to be the one thing that all parts of the U.K. have a sense of place and connection to the land.
McCreadie’s compositions soak into the soul. Evocative of a sense of place he somehow manages to imbue his compositions and play with a multi-sensory experience conjuring the very scent of rivers, rain, snow, spring and summer and conveying it to the audience in a way that triggers long-dormant recollection. Perhaps surprisingly for some, McCreadie’s appeal extends past the usual jazz piano audience to a worldwide following.
Having listened to McCreadie’s music previously, to seeing his live set at the festival, I wondered how his compositions of sometimes-tranquil stillness, which can transition to pulsating soundscapes, would translate to a music festival stage. McCreadie and his trio (Fergus McCreadie on piano, David Bowden on bass, and Stephen Henderson on drums) imbued their set with an electric energy that I hadn’t expected. 2024 sees the release of his fourth studio album ‘Stream’. McCreadie confirmed that the set marked the end of a European tour of the new record for him and his trio.
He added that they would be available for a signing of the new album in the Rough Trade set later that day. The set features songs from the album. ‘Driftwood’ encapsulated the rhythm of the sea, slowly shaping the broken wood in its waters, finally ejecting it onto the shore, softened and re-shaped into a new form. After the third song, McCreadie told the audience how he liked to compose his music while walking outdoors. He wrote the fourth song walking outdoors in January. He wanted to capture the bright sharp light air and skies of the snowy surroundings. The song was called ‘Snowcap’, and the trio transported the audience from a tent in East Sussex to the snow-capped mountains of Scotland. The set was evocative and transcendent. Unable to make a trip to the Rough Trade tent for the signing, I have made sure to get my copies of the new album and the back catalogue, so should you.
JORDAN RAKEI
NORTH DOWNS STAGE 7:45pm – 9:00pm
Jordan Rakei has a new album out called ‘The Loop’, he also has a fairly extensive following already, that he brought with him to ‘Love Supreme’.
His stage set up was striking, all of the performers other than him were dressed in white (something which seemed to prove to be a commonality with many North Downs Stage acts throughout the weekend). Rakei himself was seated at his piano, wearing black and sunglasses throughout the set. The stage and top of the piano are laden with flowers, a nod to his song ‘Flowers’. I couldn’t help but feel that the staging was designed to retain focus on Rakei while he performed.
The native New Zealand who is now based in London he has been performing professionally since 2013 and has released five studio albums including ‘The Loop’.
He describes the latest album as his most “vulnerable and intimate to date”, something which he attributes to listening to other singer-songwriters including Laura Marling, Scott Matthews, Joni Mitchell and John Martyn whilst writing.
On taking the stage he started the set with a track from the new album ‘State Of Mind’. At the end of the song, he took the opportunity to greet the audience and ask how they were, telling them they were “Gorgeous, Gorgeous”. The singer is hugely popular with the audience before alluding to the football game in which England has just scored to cheers from the crowd who had been watching at various points around the site mostly on mobile phones. “It’s so good to be back. I played here about 6 years ago. I love playing with this band. One of our musician’s family is here today in the audience, go on put the pressure on!” He said to the gathered crowd as they cheered back. The second song came from the 2020 album ‘Origin’, ‘Mad World’ in which he finished a capella.
Rakei is a supporting band and backing singers flesh out his vocals, which though harmonious and strong tendency to trill, have been described as “dreamily delicate” to my mind on occasion it has reminisces of Jose Gonzalez and other more mainstream chart-friendly male performers, though lacked distinction. Though delivering a much larger sound (and a much larger retinue of contributors than his initial recordings made from his bedroom) the new songs could be said to retain a modicum of the intimacy that earlier work conveyed. Rakei attributes some of the inspiration for the new songs to becoming a father, perhaps this is another reason for his popularity.
Inspiration from Classic Soul, Marvin Gaye and D’Angelo are peppered through his work and vocal stylings, but for me, the set left me feeling flat and uninspired by the whole experience. It was a too-polished, too clean and altogether unfulfilling set from the multi-instrumentalist. The audience love the set though.
DIONNE WARWICK (Find photos on our sister website HERE)
SOUTH DOWNS STAGE 8:45pm – 10:00pm
I, like just about everyone including all artists and performers, was visibly excited for Dionne Warwick’s set, to the extent that she was for many the only artist who mattered that day, everyone else potentially just warm-up acts for the music legend. There were concerns that she had perhaps been programmed on too small a stage for the crowd that would descend, fears which threatened to ring true briefly as people began to swarm into the tent early at several points leaning towards a potential crush situation which was thankfully avoided. Whatever the reasons for giving her a smaller stage in the end it didn’t matter as the whole set was a unique, emotional and uplifting experience.
It’s always a worry that legends/heroes may disappoint, but Warwick sounded as fresh vocally as the first time I heard her, which must be pushing for nearly half a century now. Taking the stage to unanimous applause Warwick wore a huge smile from start to finish of her incredibly extensive set. Featuring just about every song you can recall as one of her hits, (many of which she told the audience she had re-recorded recently), Warwick barely paused between songs, engaged with the audience sat only when the performance required it and even at one point began to dance along to her incredible band’s instrumentals as each musician showcased their prowess with mini solo’s.
Ranging across her extensive back catalogue, the set was a walk through some of her classics as well as lesser-known songs, and even songs that Warwick had always liked and so had simply decided to re-record or record herself for the first time. Like most consummate professionals Warwick not only introduced each track but gave a backstory to either the recording, success or changes she had made to the song. The set was a veritable music history lesson with a little social context thrown in for good measure.
Starting with ‘Walk On By’ a song which had been my ear-worm for weeks in advance of the festival. Warwick walked the audience through her greatest hits and favourite songs, all the while through the set the audience sang almost every one of the tracks along with her absolutely word perfect to the point at the end of the set where Warwick, quite the taskmaster encouraged the audience to sing along with her, almost training us as she went. The set covered classics including ‘Anyone Who Had A Heart’, ‘You’ll Never Get To Heaven’, ‘I’ll Never Fall In Love Again’, Kentucky Bluebird”, ‘This Girls In Love With You’, Say A Little Prayer’ (Warwick had re-written the song and a duet and rewritten the harmonies), ‘Anyone Who Had A Heart’ was sunk with a partner, who she berated for not singing better at the end of the song. Initially, this seemed overly harsh, though of course she was right, when she made him sing it again it was even more beautiful. It was only after that she revealed that she knew he could do better because she had taught him herself, the singer being her eldest son, David.
Sassy as ever Warwick introduced this song saying that she was the 47th artist to record it, but the only one to have a number-one hit with it. ‘Alfie’ the soundtrack to the film of the same name when sung by Warwick becomes a bittersweet song about a playboy with a discordant undercurrent or warning running through it. The next track was another classic she said she had had the pleasure of re-recording as a duet, ‘Do You Know The Way To San Jose’. It was this track that Warwick chose to gently sway along with the beat as the band played their solos. Introducing her band as they finished the song, she confirmed that they were mostly American hailing from Las Vegas, Pennsylvania, San Diego-and lastly Brazil. Before rejoining the song to sing the outro with a rise at the end that most singers even half her age wouldn’t be able to pull off.
Following up with the classic, ‘Never Love Again’, Warwick then decided to get the audience to work on the last two songs of the set. ‘What The World Needs Now Is Love Sweet Love’, was not only the perfect song to express what so many have been feeling for so long, but also the perfect song to get the audience to sing together as one. Warwick led the audience into singing most of the main chorus in what turned out to be almost a form of catharsis leaving everyone on an absolute high.
The last song of the set was ‘That’s What Friends Are For’. What better song to close a set with? Bringing her son back on to perform the song as a duet, she also involved the audience again who seemed a little less able to keep up with the 83-year-old this time. Leaving the audience wanting more and to a thunderous applause fitting of a living legend Warwick had worked her magic and we were all left the better for it. The woman next to me with a beatific grin said it best as she repeatedly murmured “Legend, Legend, Legend,” quietly to herself smiling as Dionne Warwick disappeared from the stage.
OLIVIA DEAN
NORTH DOWNS STAGE 9:45pm – 11:00pm
That Olivia Dean is phenomenal should go without saying. She has a rare humility unusual in one so talented and beautiful. She looked simply stunning in a dress that reflected all of the lights shining at her back towards the audience, almost giving her body a visible aura or halo effect. Her headline set was criminally under-attended when compared to those by other artists, but then following a legend like Dionne Warwick was always going to be a hard task for anyone.
Unfazed Dean quite literally shone as she took the North Downs Stage as the headliner of the day. Described as a neo-soul singer Dean specialises in heartbreak ballads and catchy self-love anthems. With one studio album under her belt and five EPs Dean has been performing since 2017. Singing professional since 17, the 25-year-old is lauded by many to be the next big star to come out of the Brit School.
2024 is Dean’s breakout year seeing her touring and releasing her first studio album. The hotly anticipated headline set at ‘Love Supreme’ could be one of those performances that everyone claims to have been at. The 5 EPs released before the new album ‘Messy’ earned Dean her loyal fan base. After her Christmas song was streamed 150 million times in 2022 alone, she has sold out shows internationally. Dean is also an ambassador for the fashion house Channel, so it should not have been a surprise that she was so impeccably dressed when she appeared on stage.
Dean exuded an old-school glamour while on the main stage at ‘Love Supreme’ delivering her lovelorn tales and uplifting self-affirming and uplifting tracks. While it might be difficult not to focus on the presentation, It would be remiss not to laud her stage presence, lyricism and delivery ability. Dean has a light touch and skill reminiscent of older artists. Her vocals range from relaxed though gentle at the lower end, also most spoken rather than sung, but when they lift, they tend to lift the whole track as well as the atmosphere in the venue.
Switching between vocals, and vocals with piano or guitar, Dean made use of every area of the stage and many of the instruments on it, proving that she is a multi-instrumentalist as well as a talented vocalist. Tracks such as ‘Dive’ from the new album proved hugely popular with the artists who sang along word perfectly with the chorus. ‘Ladies Room’, which you will have heard either on the radio or somewhere while you are out and is almost annoyingly catchy, encourages every muscle in your body to join in and dance. Evocative of 60’s girl bands and divas with a thoroughly modern twist the song is a classic romantic track which is oh so easy to sing along with the potential to be a staple at weddings from now onwards. The whole set was uplifting and enjoyable and had the hallmarks of an artist who can only grow and develop further from here on in.
‘Love Supreme’ will be returning to Glynde on Friday 4th to Sunday 6th July 2025. You can find more information HERE.
