This is the first of UKJN’s two round-up reports of Love Supreme. Adam McCulloch attended the Saturday 5 . We hope to add more photos later…
A slight drizzle and scudding low cloud on the South Downs breeze hastened festival goes on their way between the various stages of Love Supreme on Saturday as they sought to make the most of an intriguing line up of talent including stellar jazz performers Stanley Clarke and Chucho Valdés, veteran funkers War, Motown soul legend Smokey Robinson, hip hop royalty The Roots and the UK’s very own genre-bending wizard Jacob Collier.
The weather proved perfect for shuttling between the two vast show tents and the main stage, the need for constant drink to keep up the energy diminished by the lack of sun. We weren’t here to top up our tans in any case. Meanwhile, the non-existent phone signal on the site meant any plans to meet friends evaporated into the humid air, but then the compelling roster demanded to be prioritised above socialising
Even so, it was a shame to miss out on some acts: for example, Thee Sacred Souls, who get a lot of airplay on Jazz FM these days, were a distant soundtrack to a wolfed-down meal on the way to hear Chucho. Unlike Glastonbury, however, movement at Love Supreme is pretty easy, the distances between stages are not huge and there’s always room for latecomers. This really is a festival where enjoyment of great music takes precedence over fancy costume and celebrity adulation.
The highlights were many: classy disco band Change, once associated with Chic and Luther Vandross, performed a set so slick that any regrets about not being present for En Vogue and Nile Rodgers the following day were dispelled. The no.1 US dance hit “Hold Tight” from 1981 was a particularly strong number.
War, featuring the truly charismatic Lonnie Jordan on excellent vocals and keyboards played their big numbers like “The World is a Ghetto”, “Low Rider”, “Spill the Wine” and “Why Can’t We be Friends” with real gusto, great musicianship and a wonderful sense of humour, with none of the ‘we’re legends by the way’ bombast of some legends. Saxophone and flute player Scott Martin deserves specific plaudits for playing with such nuance and depth – not always the case on a festival main stage. The Roots’ drummer QuestLove sat in with the band for a riotous “Low Rider”, allowing War drummer Sal Rodriguez (one of several members of the band who resemble extras in Better Call Saul or Breaking Bad) to perform the oh-so-vital cowbell part at the front of the stage – yes, ‘more cowbell’ gags can be applied.
A particular highlight – perhaps the highlight – of the day was the incendiary percussion and drums of the Chucho Valdés quartet. Octogenarian band leader and Irakere founder Chucho’s piano was a torrent of Cuban loveliness as ever but – my, oh my – Jose A Gola on bass, Horacio Hernandez drums and Roberto Jr Vizcaíno on percussion truly lit the fuse with duels simply off the scale in their telepathy, infectious rhythmic dexterity and just… fire. A wonderful song choice by Chucho was Chick Corea’s “Armando’s Rhumba” – such a beautiful melody played with intense passion. It was notable that members of other bands, including War, could be seen backstage enjoying this remarkable set hugely.
After another whirlwind tour of the various stages it was time to settle in the cavernous North Downs tent for Stanley Clarke‘s quintet. The towering-in-all-senses leader, a double bass player of remarkable imagination, technique and drive (just check out all those recordings with Chick Corea in the 1970s – wow) displayed the full breadth of his abilities on tracks like “Schooldays”, “Goodbye Porkpie Hat” and old Return to Forever classics “Beyond the Seventh Galaxy” and the brilliant “No Mystery”. As expected, Stanley’s youthful sidemen were simply astonishing, Ernesto Modeste outstanding on tenor and soprano sax, Georgian piano master Beka Gochiashvili shimmered throughout, guitarist Colin Cook was endlessly fluent on acoustic guitar and Jeremiah Collier propelled things on drums with immense power. Another great gig and another leader of some vintage showing great enthusiasm and good humour.
Alto saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin, in the South Downs tent, shone in her customary gold outfit and performed a blistering quartet set including tracks by Wayne Shorter and Patrice Rushen. Her searing rhythmic style with its reminders of Maceo Parker and R’n’B leanings made an interesting contrast with Ernesto Modeste‘s more linear approach earlier on.
The festival programmers rather cheekily had put Smokey Robinson on in the South Downs tent overlapping with Jacob Collier’s set on the main stage. The result appeared to be quite a lot of indecision over who to check out. It appeared to be Robinson who won in attendance terms – initially at least. His string of huge hits, still strongly sung by the 85-year-old fronting a large band including strings and backing vocalists, was sumptuous, but after 20 minutes it was time to dash to the now rainforest-festooned main stage where a customarily super-energised Collier in all his technicolour glory bounded across the stage. He delighted the crowd with an array of music from the dazzling, euphoric opener “100,000 Voices” to the pert Prince-like funk of “Time Alone with You”, the happy pop vibes of “All I Need” (love the Earth Wind and Fire inspired key changes) and the heartrending acoustic guitar piece “Little Blue”. Of course there was time for a few audience-choir interludes and plenty of use of the multiple harmonising gizmo that allows seemingly hundreds of Colliers to sing different harmonies simultaneously. A big shout out must go to his wonderful band including two outstanding female vocalists who share lead and (intricate) backings with Collier, Erin Bentlage and Parijita (also percussion).
If anything, Collier’s voice has grown even stronger and his range wider than I’d seen previously. By the time of his inspired version of Queen’s “Somebody to Love”, to which he adds rich harmonic shifts on piano, there could be no audience member unmoved by his vision and talent. This was a vintage Love Supreme day – and yes, the grey weather made a positive contribution.
