Last weekend heralded a welcome return to Jazz FM's Love Supreme Festival, following the unforgettable experience I had at the inaugural festival last year. I didn't think it could get any better. I was wrong.
Read moreCoachella - Early festival fashion forecast
The desert dust may have settled, but with UK festival season warming up nicely on the sidelines … I still have Coachella on my mind
Coachella, the Valley Music and Arts festival held annually in the Colorado desert, informs my festival fashion choices.
Paying close attention to what the cool girls and boys are wearing at Coachella is the equivalent of an early fashion forecast - the heads up for what's on the style horizon, something to chew over for a few weeks and inspiration for your own custom-built festival wardrobe.
Jazz FM's Love Supreme Festival is first up on my summer festival programme. Described by The Guardian as 'the British jazz world’s Glastonbury', Love Supreme combines a class jazz, funk, soul, fusion and blues bill with a modern, green field boutique experience and top class DJs. This year's line up includes De La Soul, Gregory Porter, Soul II Soul and Incognito and if last year's inaugural festival is anything to go by then my confident prediction is that it will be epic. Cannot. Wait.
Festivals have many awesome components. Essentially, amazing live music you can dance to without abandon, singing in cheery unison with the crowd. Cold beer and cider in plastic cups that goes down just a little too easily. Quite good food, especially with veggie and street food options. Mates you know and love and new weekend mates you make.
For me, without question though, Festivals are about FASHION. A fantastic platform to express yourself and experiment with new looks - after all, it's a festival, not work, and you have sartorial free rein. For the past few years I have meticulously researched, planned and plotted my festival outfits, accessories and makeup weeks in advance. Sometimes, it's worked. Other times, I've looked like a plonker and I'll spare you the photos. But, it's intrinsic and I take influence from a variety of sources: Kate Moss, Stevie Nicks, Grace Potter, Kate Bosworth and Solange to name a few.
Here's what I learnt from Coachella this year...
1. Denim cut offs and white look good together, especially with a print belt. Probably best for the beginning of the day though, and take a stylish layer for warmth and spillage-cover up later on when the sun goes down. We do not live in the desert and we'll have a beer rather than a water, thanks.
2. Any type of scuffed boot - be it Cowboy or Chunky Lace Up - is great and guaranteed mud / water / stamped-on-foot proof. However, utilitarian practical flats, chunky 'fuglies' and sliders have emerged as a covetable alternative. If it's good enough for my other favourite Kate then I'm willing to give it a try.
3. Tartan is not going anywhere soon and Jared Leto wears it well, casually pared with ombre hair and clash-print trousers. Gingham is summer's alternative to tartan and looks particularly good in sugary shades of lilac and pink or vibrant red. A roughed up battered leather jacket and boots will help it avoid looking too saccharine or that you're off to see the wizard.
4. 90s-cool is showing no signs of abating which is music to my ears. Chokers and vintage T-shirts make interesting additions to your festival wardrobe. See Francis Bean looking effortlessly cool circa 1993.
5. Fringed leather whether in jacket or bag form looks great with shorts, dresses and bared legs. Reference: Poppy Delevingne at her envy-inducing hen do at Coachella (oh to be part of the #Popchella crew) or my favourite Kate in her Kate Moss x Topshop version.
6. Coordinated top and bottom sets provide a great alternative to the trusted festival dress or playsuit. It is a look I have coveted for months and is fun and stylish. What Would Beyonce Do? She'd wear a matching top and bottom set from Topshop Boutique, of course.
7. Let your inner tomboy loose in understated sports chic. Possibly my favourite look to emerge from this year's Coachella and channelled effortlessly by Zoe Kravitz. It looks chic, understated and insouciant. You: 'oh, this old thing?' Reality: spending hours deciding exactly which shade, length and fit of tank dress will work with those boots. They'll never know.
8. Kimono coats made an appearance. Floaty, fringed and printed they look great with denim or clashed with a print. Helpfully, they can be squished into a bag and popped on later when it gets a bit nippy. I'm still partial to a slogan sweatshirt but may just dabble on one of the festival nights to mix things up a bit.
9. White lace looks pretty lovely, and accessorised with simple jewellery is uncomplicated but still striking. Same rules apply, keep it interesting with sliders (see 2), leather (see 5.) and plenty of jewellery.
10. Never ever underestimate the power of a great dress. Especially one with an unusual print, that covers you up tastefully but still makes heads turn. Vintage is always a winner as there's less chance of outfit clash.
So, ladies, the fashion forecast is looking very fine indeed at this stage.
Coachella provides a great source of inspiration, a covetable look-book and a chance to see what the cool Californians are wearing. Now it's time to turn what you've seen on its head...English-style.
Good luck with your research.
Jazz FM's Love Supreme Festival takes place from 4-6 July 2014 at Glynde Place in Sussex.
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Soweto Kinch - Rich Mix, London, 13 December 2013
For any readers currently unacquainted with Soweto Kinch, now is the time to get comfortably familiar with the award-winning British artist. Kinch is a gifted alto-saxophonist, producer and MC whose ingenuity allows him to straddle effortlessly both the jazz and hip hop scenes.
A Mercury Music Prize nominee and MOBO Award winner twice no less, his deft skills have gained worthy recognition in the urban music world. He he has further flexed his considerable talent by writing scores for musical theatre, acting, collaborating and performing with other notable artists and guest curating at festivals. I had my first experience of Kinch at the Jazz FM Love Supreme Festival where his compelling sound provided the perfect accompaniment to blazing hot weather and crisp chilled cider. Kinch, along with Andreya Triana, was in my opinion one of the standout British acts from the festival lineup and so I was looking forward to seeing him in my home town.
Kinch used to play at Rich Mix regularly on a Sunday evening, and so in some ways this gig was a homecoming. The intimate venue provided the perfect setting for the performance; low-key and unassuming but impressive all the same and with a cool crowd lounging comfortably on plush seats or standing as near to the stage as possible ready for some action. London-based producer and globally respected DJ Eric Lau warmed up the crowd beautifully with soulful beats that thawed the freezing night and kick started the head-nodding and all round good vibes.
From behind closed doors the faint but distinct sound of a saxophone could be heard, Lau slowed down the tempo of his last record and Jazz FM presenter Chris Gilvear jumped on stage to make a warm introduction before the man himself appeared bang on time. Without words, in a striking deep burgundy jacket, he produced a smooth clean sax sound in an effortless solo, his face drawn with intense concentration and his fingers moving so animatedly and impressively it was hypnotic. THAT is how you open a show with impact - no words needed.
Joined by a very tight backing band featuring Moses Boyd on drums and Nick Jurd on bass, Kinch confirmed all material from the evening would be taken from the influential 2013 album The Legend of Mike Smith, a Dante-inspired jazz journey through modern-day manifestations of the seven deadly sins. With a richly textured laugh and infectious grin he invited the up-for-it crowd to partake in some seriously good audience participation on Invidia. With speed-defying rapping, the crowd responded eagerly with fervent cheers of appreciation and responsive shouts of the chorus line 'When will I be getting mine?'.
Throughout the performance he showcased his versatility to dazzling effect, seamlessly mixing jazz with hip hop with spoken narrative and blurring the boundaries. Being at one of his gigs is not just an exuberant musical journey, it is an education. A poetic and intelligent lyricist with a degree in Modern History from Oxford University, as a writer I learnt words that I am ashamed to say do not currently exist in my vocabulary. The Board Game got us all going again, as Kinch confidently navigated the crowd and divided us in two ready for a battle in song. One side was invited to 'imagine you are all really rich, fat cats' and shout out the line 'privatise the gains!'. I, fortunately, was a Proletariat who wanted to 'socialise the losses' and as we were invited to join in on his cue, he played the crowd off against each other to great vocal effect.
Traffic Lights had a mean bass and synth intro, mirroring the album version, and initiated further appreciative head-nodding from the trendy crowd upfront. Kinch is highly regarded as an improvising musician and having heard him showcase this particular talent a few months ago on Jazz FM, the main highlight of the gig for me was the freestyle rap. Kinch explained that for every single letter in 'Rich Mix', he needed a creative word from the audience to transform into an improvised piece. The crowd was willing, offering the most tongue-twisting, difficult-to-articulate-on-the-surface words they could think of. 'Razzmatazz!'. 'Ingenuity!' ('damn London people who come with special words for me', said Kinch good-naturedly). 'Christmas!' said someone, seasonally. 'Ho, Ho, Ho!' said another, appropriately. 'Indigo!', noted Kinch, was a Duke Ellington reference for all the Jazz aficionados. He effortlessly meshed all the words together and produced a brilliantly funny festive-themed rap.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0TjkH-yugA&w=420&h=315]
Better off Alone was the most vocal song of the performance with a catchy riff. With The Bounce, Kinch said to the crowd, 'if you want to dance, dance' and dance they did. A bit more liberally, buoyed up by the freestyling, the laughing and beer. The show concluded with The Healing and sadly, it was over too soon. Eric Lau, described beautifully by Kinch as 'a prolific beat making beast' closed the night.
At the end of the gig, I got to meet the great man himself who was unpretentious, self-deprecating and chatted about recently flying back from Martinique. He signed an impressive USB flash drive with two albums worth of music on it and even a video, no less. I was also fortunate to meet Moses Boyd, the drummer who was also charming and passionate about his work.
With his performance, Kinch took us on an exciting journey of musical virtuosity and experimentation. One of his many notable skills is the ability to fuse fast-paced hip hop tracks with jazz-infused melodies with ease. Throw into the mix righteous political messages, formidable vocabulary and a great huge dollop of natural talent, plus added charisma and natural rapport with the audience, and you know you are onto a good thing.
Soweto Kinch, a thought-provoking and influential British artist and to the best of my knowledge, the only man who can freestyle using the word razzmatazz. If he can draw a greater and more varied audience into jazz then that is a job well done.
http://www.soweto-kinch.com https://twitter.com/sowetokinch https://en-gb.facebook.com/pages/Soweto-Kinch-Official/157925057577022
Love Supreme Festival, Glynde Place, 5-7 July 2013
This weekend me and Mr Material Whirl went to the inaugural Love Supreme Festival, Jazz FM's first foray into the festival scene with a boutique, greenfield experience. And what a debut it was. Set in the idyllic grounds of Glynde Place in East Sussex and sheltered comfortably by the glorious Sussex Downs, even the perfect weather couldn't top the impressive world-class bill that featured Gregory Porter, Chic, Soweto Kinch and Jools Holland to name a few. Which I will, later.
Friday night began very nicely with DJs Chris Philips and Jeff Young in The Arena with Jazz FM's now legendary club event Funky Sensation - we all had a bit of a dance to classic jazz, funk, disco and soul and looked giddily ahead to two days of music and festival capers. Pru Fiddy, who took the reins from Jeff, knew where we were coming from - she looked like she was absolutely loving it. A slight mix up with the festival shuttle bus on our part (err, there wasn't one until Saturday) meant a possible stranded-in-Glynde-situation but we carried on dancing regardless and jumped in a late taxi back to Brighton with some other poor souls who hadn't planned properly either. No mind, we were tipsy and happy and the music was already working its magic.
Festival proceedings were kicked off good and proper on Saturday as the sun beat down fiercely on Glynde giving everything a gorgeous sienna glow. The vibe was friendly and up for it and the multi-age crowd smart but unpretentious. The ubiquitous festival food stalls were there (I had a pie every night. Yep, that's three pies) and some great vintage clothes stalls and record and book stores when we fancied a wander in between tunes.
Naturally, festival style fascinates me and Love Supreme gave good fashion-off. It was a real mixed bag; my favourites being festival brights, neon lips and plaited hair and some beautiful vintage skirts, African prints and sawn-off denim shorts with Navajo boots.
But ultimately we were there for the music and as expected from Jazz FM, it didn't disappoint bringing us a celebration of inspirational sounds. The line up included a dazzling selection of US artists and homegrown British talent that held its own amongst the big jazz guns. Highlights for me included the soulful singer-songwriter Michael Kiwanuka, and Chic with Nile Rodgers, resplendent in white suit, and who blessed the crowd with a steady flow of iconic disco classics. Gregory Porter's gorgeously honeyed voice and super tight band deeply wowed us and the rest of the crowd, with a set that effortlessly combined the exquisite mellow sounds of 'Be Good (Lion's Song)' with the glorious '1960 What?' that had the loyal crowd shouting back to the great man 'Ain't no need for moon light...' with fervour. Sadly we couldn't get in to the Big Top to see Courtney Pine as he was too popular and it was too squished but we caught the end of Soweto Kinch who had the crowd of all ages up on their feet.
Surprises for me were Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires and the stunning self-taught singer-songwriter from London, Andreya Triana, who performed a beautifully raw and classy set to a packed Arena in killer print top and trousers. Woozy on her incredible voice and liberal after a few pints of crisp sun-drenched cider, my husband yelled out 'You're f**king amazing!' to which she endearingly responded 'You're bleeping cool too, dude!' and we all laughed and got lost in the hypnotic music.
The most memorable bit, arguably after a few more ciders (there is a theme here), was the Grand Marnier Hidden Charm secret space. Jools Holland and His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra were doing what they do best and putting on a fine show with special guests including Gregory Porter and Roland Gift, but we were in need of another refreshment. Love Supreme promised that behind the elegant Parisian facade, a land of flamboyant characters, delightful drinking, music & joie de vie awaited us... and as we stumbled in we weren't disappointed - wow, what a way to end a cracking festival. The cocktails were indeed delightful, bar staff flamboyant but super friendly and the music supplied by DJ NoisseS was outstanding. He played an exquisite set fusing a multitude of sub-genres including hip hop, soul, reggae, funk, jazz and ska. Skilfully mixing The Notorious B.I.G., Musical Youth, Tom Jones and DJ Zinc to extraordinary effect, this was for music lovers of all ages and preferences. Incredible.
Sadly, the sun had to go down on Love Supreme's debut, and we made our back to London reluctantly and not really ready to leave (although my body cannot take any more booze or food consumed from a box for at least a few weeks). John Fordham writes in The Guardian that 'promoters Jazz FM and their partners may find they have invented the British jazz world's Glastonbury' and so if it that's the case I'm glad I was there to experience what I hope will be the first of many more to come. As Chic say, these are the good times.
Jazz FM's Love Supreme Festival was held at Glynde Place from 5-7 July 2013
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http://www.lovesupremefestival.com/
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