The venues, streets and record stores of the Cotswold cultural hub that is Stroud will once again come to a whole universe of sounds when Jazz Stroud returns for its eighth edition from 23-26 May. 

This year’s line-up in the Brunel Goods Shed features headliners including keyboard maestro Joe Armon-Jones (of Mercury Prize-winners Ezra Collective) here leading his own hugely talented band; Mercury nominated saxophonist Cassie Kinoshi appears with her thrilling electronica jazz trio un.procedure, and Stroud-based composer Daniel Inzani brings his new 8-piece ensemble for one of many performances across the weekend taking place 'in the round’ - bringing the focus of the music to the centre of room.  Renowned bass guitarist and singer Ruth Goller (Acoustic Ladyland/Melt Yourself Down) brings her beguiling vocal project Skylla to the festival, and rising Scottish sax star Matt Carmichael performs his jazz-folk-infused original music in the beautiful setting of St Laurence Church.

Now in its eighth year, the festival, which began as a small, single venue weekender featuring Get The Blessing and Andy Sheppard, has organically grown to take in several key venues around the town including the magnificent Grade 2 Listed Brunel Goods Shed, beautiful St Laurence Church and SVA Studios Bar as well as break out live spaces in the town’s two vinyl emporiums, Sound Records and Klang Tone. Initially featuring bands and artists drawn from the Bristol and South West talent pool for the first two years – Jazz Stroud was perfectly placed to ride the British New Jazz explosion of 2018-19 and featured some of the leading lights of the scene – often before they hit the big time – these included stunning shows from Nubya Garcia, Comet is Coming and Emma Jean-Thackray relatively early on in their careers.

Things get under way with a Tomorrow’s Warriors Takeover on the Thursday night (23 May) showcasing three emerging bands: newly formed five-piece BIG MASSIVE, who energetically explore sounds from hip-hop and dub to jungle and videogame music; the female-led Frontline whose funky horns and heavy grooves will make you move and internationally renowned drum prodigy Romarna Campbell unleashes her mix jazz and fusion with fire and finesse. 

The festival’s plethora of new names includes exciting singers Ines Loubet, TLK, Tianna and Steam Down’s And-Is-Phi. Bristol drummer Matt Brown’s powerful new horn-heavy project 6161 will be making its Stroud debut, while PRAH Foundation record label will be showcasing various artists from its roster including Donna Thompson, Tony Njoku, and Stroud’s own Orbury Common. Bristol’s SpaceJams will also be in residence for some spontaneous musical inventions across the weekend

This laid the blueprint for Jazz Stroud’s programming ethos: keeping tabs on emerging artists but also building relationships with them and creating an environment that makes them want to spread the word in their networks and return to Stroud in years to come – Joe Armon-Jones was in Nubya Garcia’s band when they performed in 20218. The festival also strives to give young musicians a platform, this year handing a whole evening over to Tomorrow’s Warriors.

And while the market town is well known for its rustic charm, the festival features cutting edge audio tech with a longstanding partnership with spatial audio specialists d&b audiotechnik (whose UK base is in nearby Nailsworth). With their 360-degree immersive soundscape system installed the Goods Shed for the festival, and with many shows presented in-the-round, the system really comes into its own alongside projections on the venue’s lime-stone walls Jazz Stroud creates a thrilling audio-visual presentation of some of the freshest jazz sounds around.