Charlie Anderson rounds up the latest jazz news.

Gladys Knight, Jamie Cullum and Snarky Parky are the first artists to be announced for the next Love Supreme Festival, to be held at Glynde Place on the weekend of 5th-7th July, 2019.

Georgia-born Gladys Knight, known as the Empress of Soul, rose to stardom with hits for Motown in the 1960s that included I Heard It Through the Grapevine and Take Me in Your Arms and Love Me. After moving to Buddah Records in 1973 she released the Grammy winning hit Midnight Train to Georgia. In 1989 she recorded the theme tune to the James Bond film Licence to Kill and in 2006 she released Before Me, a jazz album on Verve. Her most recent album, Where My Heart Belongs, was released in 2014.

Multi-Grammy award winning ensemble Snarky Puppy (pictured) feature British keys player Bill Laurance, saxophonist Bob Reynolds and bassist/bandleader Michael League.

Singer and pianist Jamie Cullum is currently working on his eighth studio album. Early Bird tickets are now on sale. After Love Supreme’s successful one-day festival at the Roundhouse in Camden in May, it’s also set to return next year. 

Love Supreme have also announced a new initiative to support up and coming talent entitled Supreme Standards. The programme incorporates a live monthly residency at London’s Ghost Notes, a podcast hosted by Tina Edwards and a Supreme Standards website with interviews, articles and guest mixes.

Whilst Portsmouth Jazz Club closes after 10th December, it’s going out in style with a night featuring Liz Fletcher and Alan Barnes. On the plus side, the newly-funded initiative Jazz South, based at Turner Sims in Southampton, is a three-year project aimed at helping developing jazz musicians and promoters with assistance for touring, commissions, masterclasses and networking events.

Hastings-based saxophonist and composer Jason Yarde is currently crowdfunding for his Acoutastic Bombastic project, raising funds to record the ensemble of multi-instrumentalists that includes Eska, Seb Rochford, Benet McLean, Orphy Robinson, Julian Siegel and a host of others. Details can be found on their Pledge Music page. Jason Yarde will also be performing with Terry Seabrook at The Snowdrop in Lewes on Monday 17th December.