The intimacy of the venue gave the performances an almost hypnotic quality, almost trance-like in the way the musicians pulled you in. Watching them play was like nothing else, a reminder of jazz’s ability to surprise, challenge and mesmerise in equal measure.
This year’s programme struck a careful balance between showcasing regional talent and welcoming national stars, reaffirming the festival’s aim of spotlighting the North East’s vibrant scene while drawing in fresh voices. Headlining was London–based guitarist Ant Law with his ‘Unified Theories’ Quartet, a group renowned for their fusion of jazz, classical, South Indian rhythms and rock. Their set was intricate and expansive, rich with harmonies and grooves that reimagined the possibilities of contemporary jazz.
What makes the festival so distinctive is its blend of community and experimentation. While the headline acts offered virtuosity on a national scale, the inclusion of local musicians rooted the event in Newcastle’s own creative identity. It is this balance that has allowed the festival to grow steadily into one of the region’s cultural highlights.
Intimate, surprising, and deeply rewarding, the sixth edition of the Newcastle Jazz Festival proved that sometimes the most memorable musical experiences are not the grandest, but the ones that bring you closest to the music itself. The Courier was fortunate enough to be in attendance, and below our Arts Sub-Editor Phoebe Clark offers a closer look at headliner Ant Law and his Unified Theories Quartet.
Following a day of outstanding Jazz from Joe Steel’s Quartet to Nauta, an up and coming northeast jazz band, The "Unified Quartet" consisted of Mike Chillingworth on alto sax, Connor Chaplain on the double bass and the drums played by Amanda Pandall. Most of the songs on the setlist were from their upcoming album Unified Theories, as well as some unreleased tracks such as Blue and Gold.
Introduced psychedelica to the set with its kaleidoscopic sound and seemingly disjointed chord structures.
The stage was surrounded by minimal neon strips which set the colourful but pared down tone, allowing the music to take centre stage. Colours, from the Unified Theories album, was the opening track that introduced psychedelica to the set with its kaleidoscopic sound and seemingly disjointed chord structures. From there on they ventured into more melodic pieces including Parity and an instrumental version of Esconced where a recorded version features vocals from Brigitte Beraha. They closed the first half of the show with a dreamy unreleased piece called Blue and Gold which began with delicate guitar plucking that evolves into staccato notes decorated with acciacaturas and an impressive guitar solo. Each musician had an impressive technical ability, although it was obvious that Ant-Law, titular guitarist had the greatest comfort around the notes. He also had the most noticeable stage presence, making the saxophonist MIke Chillingworth look meagre when he crouched at points when he wasn’t needed, even though he was front and centre.
The second half opened with smoother track A-Z, the opening track of the recorded album, followed by Crosspurposes, another unreleased track written for his wife, where the conversation between the guitar and bass is featured front and centre. The piece begins where they're in sync, playing in a harmony that flows with each key change. Not only were the guitar in bass kissing sonically throughout this song but the drums were phenomenal from Amanda Pandall, more than speaking around the beat, the drums spoke around it with fluency and confidence. The mastery of the guitar from Ant-Law was so impressive on this track that the audience - me included - sat in awe, completely enraptured at the deftness and delicateness of his fingers pared with the precision and complexity of the music. His guitar playing definitely carried most of the songs in the set, but this one felt particularly guided and mastered by him. The final track of the set was Ballroom, another silky smooth jazz number which featured the strength of the guitar as well as some impressively soft use of the cymbals from Pandall. I enjoyed the variety within each song that kept my interest through each lengthy track which was strengthened by the sheer talent of each musician.
The Newcastle Jazz Festival is certainly one to keep on the radar for 2026.