06-May-2013
Cheltenham Jazz Festival 
Cheltenham, England

The Independent (Source)
When Van Morrison invites Gregory Porter to sing “Tupelo Honey” with him as he closes the Cheltenham Jazz Festival, he sums up its open spirit. Grammy-nominated Porter is a barrel-chested, bearded giant with a strange deerstalker for headgear, who as the festival’s tireless Artist in Residence was already unmissable and omnipresent.

The soulful baritone’s barnstorming Saturday evening set had ranged from the defiant ballad “No Love Dying” to the sparely funky, prayerful reverie on Martin Luther King’s assassination “1960 What?” He showed the audience a good-hearted, big-voiced jazz performer can still reach. The running, karate-kicking jump of joy he gave after an earlier song recalled Van Morrison in his prime. Morrison, watching and, festival staff claimed, actually smiling in the wings, clearly thought the same.

Morrison’s own soulful freedom song “Tupelo Honey” was a perfect choice for the pair, begun by him declaring with uncharacteristic modesty, “This is the part where I hide behind my guitar”. They traded phrases in rare, thrilling harmony. Morrison was in playful and demanding form throughout his set, issuing peremptory commands to his band and blowing his own sax in what was largely a jazz show: “Moondance” carried echoes of Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five”. A suite of songs finishing with last year’s “Born to Sing” wasn’t in his old visionary mode. A bullish Morrison was standing right here in the moment.

This festival’s centre wasn’t, though, in the Big Top where the stars performed, but the Georgian square where several venues sat amongst free music, food, drink and record stalls. The locals strolling slowly through it got a contact hit of jazz as an approachable, positive force at the heart of their town.

Lianne La Havas is amongst the pop headliners with slivers of jazz in their DNA. When she sings “Empty” with just a guitar, she shows she could sing just jazz if she wished, amongst the rock, soul and confessional singer-songwriting which dominates her lightly appealing music. Like the exuberant, anything goes creator of “circus swing” Gaby Young, and Mercury nominee Kit Downes’ electronic-tinged big band Troyk-estra, La Havas has inviting human warmth. Seven-times Grammy-winning vibes player Gary Burton and his quartet have that as much as anyone, playing intensely skilled jazz with easygoing, companionable delight. The hum of pleasure as his crowd left was constant in this corner of the Cotswolds last week.
-NICK HASTED

This is Gloucestershire (Source)
Review: Van Morrison, Cheltenham Jazz Festival
IT was a glorious May evening to stroll into Montpellier Gardens, low warm sun and blossom and jazz.

And to then be engulfed in the warm, rich sounds of Van Morrison and his band in the Big Top provided the perfect end the day.

His opening number, with Van on saxophone, set the scene for the evening which placed jazz at the core of the set. With traditional-style jazz breakdowns focusing on the skills of his musicians, it was a bright sound that brought the sunshine into the tent.

His voice remains as magnificent as ever, combining clarity, power and a rich sound with subtle tenderness.

As ever Van Morrison brought his own enigmatic quality to the stage. With his dark glasses and hat, he makes no effort to engage with the audience directly. He lets the music speak for itself.

And it is perhaps that distance he maintains that makes the emotion all the more powerful. His voice, lyrics and arrangements build subtley, draw in the listener and become engulfing.
Moondance featured surprisingly early in the set, a smooth jazzy version with instrumental breakdown and engaging dialogue between the brass.

Days Like This with deep harmonies and a harp-like guitar riffs and felt like a warm bath of music. Please Don't Go marked a change of pace, before he invited Gregory Porter to join him on stage for a magical and soulful duet for Tupelo Honey.

There were moments when the performance retained a rawness of a jazz improvisation. He described it briefly as a 'workshop' and at times he surprised his band with sudden set changes, and directed them musically with a clarity of purpose of someone who has been performing for almost half a century.

His band were though incredibly polished and provided him with a solid backing of musical talent. Brown-eyed Girl, which he described as the "little calypso song" was given the jazz treatment and Whenever God Shines His Light was given a soulful light touch.

It was a magnificent performance, subtle and powerful and a great end to the Jazz Festival.
A rocking and prolonged version of Gloria allowed the band to shine, and Van Morrison to slip off the stage in his own understated way with his vocal "It's too good to stop now" still resonating.
-Victoria Temple

Setlist
Celtic Swing
Only A Dream
St. James Infirmary
Moondance
Who Can I Turn To
Magic Time
Baby, Please Don't Go
Tupelo Honey (w/Gregory Porter)
It's All In The Game
Brown Eyed Girl
That's Life
Whenever God Shines His Light
Help Me
Gloria