Swinging into work (From Gazette Series)

Swinging into work

Preview by Anna Parry Cheltenham Jazz Festival Thursday April 27- Monday May 1

YOU DON'T have to be a regular jazz listener to appreciate that jazz has the power to move us out of the everyday tracks of our minds. Jazz takes rhythm beyond rhythm, it confuses our senses with unfamiliar sounds; and how refreshing that is in a world where music has become a mass produced consumer item.

The Cheltenham Jazz Festival (April 27-May 1) is a five-day-long opportunity to listen to some of the best jazz musicians on the planet.

The festival begins on the Thursday night, with an exclusive collaboration between the BBC Big Band and Abdullah Ibrahim, an inspirational jazz pianist from South Africa.

The following evening there is a chance to hear the 60 piece BBC Concert Orchestra with guest vocalists Clare Teal and Ian Shaw, who were a huge success at the 2005 Festival. Both of these concerts will be broadcast on BBC Radio Two.

The programme continues throughout Saturday with a line up that ranges from future hip hop to the soulful vocalist Sam Brown.

On Sunday there are three concerts by rising stars of the jazz circuit, including Julia Biel whose songs evoke a rich, colourful and creative world. Julia, who writes most of her material, did not sit around waiting to be discovered. She produced her own album, Not Alone, as well as arranging for its manufacture and distribution.

There are also activities for children during the festival. On Sunday morning, The Breakfast Show with Dennis Rollins' Molten Metal is a relaxed, up beat show for the whole family. Dennis is well known in Gloucestershire for his popular workshops for children - he worked with young people from the Groove Project and Under The Edge Arts in Wotton-under-Edge earlier this year.

On Bank Holiday Monday, there is a two hour musical event aimed at 6-13 year olds. The Kidsamonium will include a musical troupe, The Mysterons and their Chickens in the Sky, as well as opportunities for participation, play and face painting.