Cheltenham Jazz Festival was honoured at the award ceremony, receiving praise for their achievement in creating an outstanding live performance experience bybringing the Loose Tubes back onto stage.

The Loose Tubes won the Jazz FM Award for Best Live Experience at Cheltenham Jazz Festival 2014, beating off two other nominees, including the Blue Note 75th Birthday at EFG London and Jamie Cullum at the Love Supreme Jazz Festival. The winner of this category was chosen by public vote and announced at the Jazz FM Awards in London on Wednesday evening.

Cheltenham Jazz Festival Director Ian George said: ‘We are proud to have played a part in the triumphant return of Loose Tubes. The fact that they wanted Cheltenham Jazz Festival to be their first gig in their comeback shows that the Festival is right at the heart of the UK jazz scene.

‘We were delighted to put the concert on to an audience of over a thousand people and the buzz was incredible. Loose Tubes undoubtedly deserved the Jazz FM Award.’

Having transformed UK’s jazz scene in the 1980s and known for their exhilarating, flamboyant shows, the Loose Tubes celebrated their come back as a group at Cheltenham Jazz Festival, playing their first show in over 20 years in front of a packed audience at Cheltenham Jazz Festival. The stellar cast of the 21-piece band included Food member Iain Bellamy, saxophonist Mark Lockheart, keyboardist Django Bates and trumpeter Chris Batchelor.

Media Contact:
Hanna Goldschmidt
Marketing Assistant
Cheltenham Festivals
Hanna.goldschmidt@cheltenhamfestivals.com
01242 537287

About:
Cheltenham Jazz Festival, which took place over the May Bank holiday weekend, once again exceeded its own record for ticket sales, with an estimated 35,000 people visiting the Festival site.
Visitors enjoyed five-star reviewed concerts, as well as listening to free music on the Endsleigh Free Stage in Montpellier Gardens, much of which was provided by more than 200 young musicians from local schools. International music superstars such as Van Morrison, Gregory Porter, Caro Emerald, Laura Mvula and Jamie Cullum played packed venues, as did jazz megastars such as Joe Lovano and Tony Allen.

Cheltenham Festivals

Cheltenham Festivals is a not-for-profit organisation. In addition to Arts Council support it has to actively raise 96% of its funding every year to bring the arts and sciences live to audiences, support emerging talent, and deliver educational programmes. Cheltenham Festivals runs 4 Festivals a year.The Cheltenham Jazz Festival, the Times Cheltenham Science Festival, the Cheltenham Music Festival and The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival.

For more information on the Cheltenham Jazz Festival visit: www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/jazz