We absolutely loved covering this festival last year, Europe’s largest outdoor jazz festival, held at Glynde Place in beautiful East Sussex. Great to be invited back this year.
The 2025 edition [its 12th year] has a stunning lineup across eight stages, including Motown legend Smokey Robinson on his first return to the UK for 15 years. Seven-time Grammy winning Jacob Collier and neo-soul superstar Maxwell performed their only UK shows of the year.
If that were not enough to whet the appetite, there’s Nile Rodgers and Chic, The Roots, En Vogue, War, Thee Sacred Souls, Branford Marsalis, Stanley Clarke, and lots more.
Love Supreme is definitely one of the sparkling jewels in the crown of UK music festivals, which saw more than 60,000 music fans flock to the picturesque East Sussex site across the three day event.
Saturday night delivered an electrifying main stage [North Downs] headline slot for Jacob Collier. While the legendary Motown star Smokey Robinson topped the bill on the South Downs stage with a masterclass of smooth old school soul; still in great voice at 85-years-old. Sunday was the turn of Maxwell to headline the North Downs stage, and Sampa The Great on the South Downs stage.
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Saturday we caught excellent sets by: Jacob Collier, Stanley Clarke, War, Thee Sacred Souls, Gaby Moreno, Lakecia Benjamin, The Roots, Sacha Keable, Brian Jackson and Nectar Woode. [Sadly, Smokey Robinson did not allow professional photographers for his set.]
Jacob Collier. One of the most gifted and trail-blazing artists of modern times: Singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist who has taken the creative world by storm. His joyous and genre-bending five-album discography has led to six Grammy wins along with 15 Grammy nominations ,including Album of the Year in 2021 and 2025, making Jacob the first British artist to win a Grammy for each of his first four albums.
His headline set on the North Downs stage was simply magical and with enough energy on stage to power the national grid! Crafting intricate harmonies, rhythmic shapes and melodic colours, creating a multi sensory world for his fans; as he also does with his collaborators across the globe.
This infectiously joyous approach to music has attracted a roster of some 100+ collaborators to date – from Coldplay to SZA, Brandi Carlile to Camilo, right through to Malian singer Oumou Sangaré, mandolin maestro Chris Thile and legendary composer Hans Zimmer. Tonight was a UK exclusive as his only UK gig this year.
Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and producer Gaby Moreno left her native Guatemala for L.A. and has since released nine albums. She earned an Emmy nomination for co-writing the “Parks and Recreation” TV show theme song, and has shared stages worldwide with artists including Bono, Andrea Bocelli, Tracy Chapman, and Buena Vista Social Club.
Gaby Moreno’s versatility extends to television and film, where she voiced Marlena and performed the theme song for Disney’s “Elena of Avalor”, contributed to Guillermo Del Toro’s “Cabinet of Curiosities”, and wrote “El Saber” for the acclaimed film “Radical.”
Her work as a producer on Omara Portuondo’s “VIDA” earned her a Latin Grammy in 2023. Her latest album, “Dusk” , features a collaboration with Oscar Isaac on “Luna de Xelajú,” honouring their Guatemalan roots. Gaby has showcased her talent on major television programmes including Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and Good Morning America.
Lakecia Benjamin is a triple Grammy nominee. Alto saxophonist, composer, and bandleader known for her soul-stirring live performances and innovative approach to jazz. A rising star from Washington Heights, Lakecia has made her mark with her acclaimed albums “Phoenix “(2023) and “Pursuance: The Coltranes” (2020), receiving rave reviews from outlets like The New York Times, The Guardian, and DownBeat. In 2023, she was named Alto Saxophonist of the Year by the Jazz Journalist Association.
Her new live album, “Phoenix Reimagined (Live)”, captures her high-energy performances with a stellar band, including John Scofield, Randy Brecker, and Jeff “Tain” Watts.
Known for her vibrant, emotionally-charged shows, Ms Benjamin’s music reflects both personal growth and an unyielding commitment to her craft, following a life-changing recovery from a 2021 car accident. With “Phoenix Reimagined”, she continues to push the boundaries of jazz, while honouring her influences, including John Coltrane, and while collaborating with some of her musical heroes.
Stanley Clarke, a four-time Grammy winner and legendary jazz fusion pioneer. Celebrating his ground-breaking career, his latest tour spotlights Clarke’s iconic “Romantic Warrior” album from “Return to Forever”, reimagined with sophisticated new arrangements alongside fan-favourite hits. Known for his innovative blend of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, hip-hop, and electronic elements, Stanley Clarke’s performances remain a masterclass in musical evolution.
Leading the dynamic 4EVER band, Clarke’s virtuosity on acoustic and electric bass takes centre stage. With a career spanning decades, he continues to captivate audiences worldwide, pushing the boundaries of jazz fusion while honouring the genre he helped shape.
One to watch….Nectar Woode is a Ghanian/English singer/songwriter-producer based in London. Influenced by the wistful sounds of soul icons, Minnie Ripperton and Deniece Williams. Nectar delivers impactful vocal harmonies with a warm use of jazz guitar harmony.
The legendary Roots Crew have become one of the best known and most respected hip-hop acts in the business, winning four Grammy awards, including Best R&B Album for “Wake Up!”, Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance for “Hang In There” (with John Legend) and Best Group or Duo R&B Vocal Performance for “Shine.”
This brings the band’s Grammy nomination count to 12. Additionally, “The Roots Picnic,” a yearly star-studded mix of musicians, has become a celebrated institution. The Roots were named one of the greatest live bands around by Rolling Stone magazine, and serve as the official house band on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Sasha Keable a 31-year-old former BRIT school student, is a British singer and songwriter. In 2013, she collaborated with Disclosure on the single “Voices” and toured with the duo around the UK.
In 2014, she supported singer Katy B on her UK tour. She signed to Tinie Tempah’s independent record label Disturbing London and to Polydor. In 2021, her EP “Intermission” included the single “Killing Me”, a collaboration with Jorja Smith.
Half of the power duo Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson, Brian wrote, arranged and produced more than 10 albums over an eight-year period. Time and time again that music has found its way onto hundreds of cuts, from tracks like Common’s “The People” (from “We Almost Lost Detroit”) to Kendrick Lamar’s “Poe Mans Dreams” (from “Peace Go With You, Brother”) to Tupac’s “Ready for Whatever” (from “1980”) and many more.
Over fifty years later, Brian is still building with artists as diverse, from Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad to Milton Nascimento. After having co-produced his 2022 BBE album release, “This Is Brian Jackson” with Phenomenal Handclap Band producer Daniel Collás, Brian’s next BBE project, “Now More Than Ever”, is produced by the iconic Masters at Work (Louie Vega and Kenny Dope).
It features inspiring performances from the Black Thought, Lisa Fischer, Moodymann, Rahsaan Patterson, J. Ivy, Josh Milan and Raheem DeVaughn. It is scheduled for release in the Autumn of 2025.
Following their breakout 2022 debut, Thee Sacred Souls returned with “Got A Story To Tell” on Daptone Records. The San Diego trio, who’ve earned millions of Spotify listeners, and praise from artists SZA and Alicia Keys, have grown through extensive touring across North America and Europe. This journey forged a tighter, more mature sound, reflected in the album’s emotional depth and themes of love, loss, and life’s complexities.
Produced by Gabriel Roth and recorded at Penrose Recorders, the album features the soulful single “Lucid Girl”. Drawing inspiration from legends like Arthur Verocai and the Delfonics, Thee Sacred Souls honour soul music’s legacy while carving their own path.
War is a ground-breaking American band known for their fusion of rock, funk, r&b, Latin, and jazz influences, creating a sound that resonates with diverse audiences across generations.
Formed in 1969 in Los Angeles, War quickly became one of the most innovative and influential groups of the 1970s, blending socially conscious lyrics with a distinctive mix of musical styles.
Their hits such as “Low Rider,” “Me And Baby Brother”, “The World Is A Ghetto”, “Spill the Wine,” and “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” have become anthems, defining the era’s music and continuing to enjoy lasting popularity.
With a career spanning more than five decades, War’s unique sound; marked by tight grooves, horn-driven arrangements, and soulful vocal, has earned them a place in the hearts of music lovers worldwide.
The band’s ability to cross genres and experiment with musical landscapes has made them a key force in shaping popular music.
* Check out the coverage of Friday and Sunday in our Live Zone….
Photos by Manja Williams
Words by Steve Best
