With 2020's festival having been forced to take place in the digital realm with COVID-19 restrictions in place, EFG London Jazz Festival 2021 and the Serious team have returned to collate and produce a fantastic series of over 300 live shows across 60 venues between the 12th and 21st of November.
For those who aren't aware of the festival, EFG London Jazz Festival is London's biggest pan-city music festival, taking place annually in November. The award-winning festival has long been acclaimed for showcasing a heady mix of talent from around the world. Widely acknowledged for delivering world-class artists and emerging stars, the festival continues to take jazz to a massive audience, in one of the UK's landmark music events.
With so many exciting artists, shows, livestreams and talks on offer, we thought we'd recommend some of the top events that we're excited about.
FRIDAY 12 NOVEMBER
The award-winning bassist performs material from his upcoming debut full-length album.
Serious Take Five alumni Daniel Casimir has become a regular fixture across the UK jazz scene, providing his heavyweight upright sound for the likes of Nubya Garcia, Ashley Henry, Camilla George, and Binker Golding.
Having studied and performed with the likes of Julian Joseph, Lonnie Liston Smith, and Jean Toussaint, the turning point in Daniel’s career came in 2016 when he won the Worshipful Company’s Young Jazz Musician award, providing the catalyst for his first E.P. release Escapee to critical acclaim.
Having subsequently released These Days with Tess Hirst in 2019 on Jazz Re:freshed, Daniel spent 2020 recording his debut full length album due out later this year – a celebration of Black British Culture and a critique of the genres, labels and stereotypes which have traditionally been placed upon Black musicians. The music takes a step outside of prescribed ideas.
Two jazz visionaries from different generations, Archie Shepp and Jason Moran released an intimate duo album at the beginning of this year. Stemming from a friendship which got nurtured on several occasions of playing and experimenting together at European festivals led to Let My People Go, a new collection of live recordings.
This duo is an embodiment of an exquisite dialogue shaped by their common inspirations like Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, and Thelonious Monk. They carve the sound with their own contemporary angles; Shepp ever-evolving from 1960s free jazz, and Moran combining compositional flair and spectacular improvisation.
Saxophone player, composer, pianist, singer, musical and political mastermind Archie Shepp and modern jazz icon, pianist, composer and multidisciplinary artist Jason Moran bring in their shared devotion for the African American cultural tradition, identity and history into this musical conversation.
Jumoké Fashola presents a special live edition of BBC Radio 3's J to Z from the opening night of the EFG London Jazz Festival - J to Z Late broadcast live from Pizza Express Holborn. With an exclusive set from American piano star Christian Sands and his trio, a dynamic opening set from trumpeter Sheila Maurice-Grey AKA Ms Maurice best known for her work with KOKOROKO and a performance from gifted hip-hop influenced jazz drummer Romarna Campbell - spend the night with some of the best jazz has to offer!
SATURDAY 13 NOVEMBER
Join author and broadcaster Emma Warren and six special guests for a series of three insightful and challenging conversations on the complex relationship between women and culture, as well as the premiers of three newly commissioned films.
Over the course of the day, our speakers will consider the role the cultural industries have played, and still play, in the long struggle for equality, whilst our film premiers bring into focus the people and projects that are breaking down barriers.
As part of ARTicle10, She Is Jazz returns for its second edition.
Once more, womxn have claimed centre stage as the festival’s mass participation ensemble, having rehearsed newly arranged music, which celebrates the artistry of female composers and bandleaders, under the expert leadership of Cassie Kinoshi.
The filmed version of the live performance at Kings Place will be specially premiered in this EFG London Jazz Festival event, as will a behind-the-scenes mini-documentary, and a series of interviews from our cultural leaders.
Lakecia Benjamin + Alina Bzhezhinska
Charismatic saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin is showcasing her 2020 album Pursuance: The Coltranes alongside harpist Alina Bzhezshinska.
The show is curated by Damon Albarn, Ben Okri, Femi Koleoso and Remi Kabaka, all of whom will be performing on the night.
They will be joined by an electrifying line-up to celebrate the continual innovation and diverse output of one of the most important artists of the last century. It promises to be a star-studded and spectacular celebration of Tony Allen's life and music.
Showcasing the full diversity of Tony Allen's musical output, from Afrobeat to jazz, techno to hip hop, the show will feature a staggering array of guests in a never-to-be-repeated one-off collaboration, masterfully brought together by MD Tom Excell (Nubiyan Twist/Onipa). The show will also feature full AV production including a never-before-seen interview and video footage with Tony himself.
Tony Allen needs little introduction. One of the founding fathers of Afrobeat, his drumming style has influenced generations of musicians over the past 50 years. An original member of Fela Kuti’s Africa 70 and the inventor of the distinctive Afrobeat drum rhythm, Tony went on to collaborate with artists from King Sunny Ade to Damon Albarn, Theo Parrish to Oumou Sangare, Skepta to Jeff Mills.
Sadly passing away in April 2020, just shy of his 80th birthday, he remained a true innovator to the end, with his posthumous album There is No End showing his never-ending commitment to collaboration and experimentation, featuring guests including Skepta, Sampa the Great and Danny Brown.
Curated by longtime friend and collaborator Damon Albarn (Blur/Gorillaz/Africa Express/The Good, The Bad and the Queen), alongside Femi Koleoso (Ezra Collective), Remi Kabaka and Booker-prize winning novelist Ben Okri, the show will pay tribute to his many-faceted 50-year legacy.
Contemporary jazz/fusion act PYJÆN celebrate the release of their new album Feast, with live performances and DJ sets across two floors.
PYJÆN reach inside the deep, multidimensional well of what is broadly called Jazz and bring together all its diverse components in a singular, emotional sound.
After setting a blueprint for their multi-faceted artistry combining cross-genre sensibilities with ferocious talent on their first two releases, the band has been busy writing and recording music for their second album FEAST, their most accomplished offering yet.
Showcasing their growing abilities and confidence as a group of 5 individuals with strong personalities and varied sets of influences, their new album fearlessly navigates the world of funk, jazz, hip-hop and punk, with their trademark raw energy and the common objective of bringing people together in their love for music.
Formed in 2016, the band comprises of Dani Diodato (guitar), Dylan Jones (trumpet), Ben Vize (sax), Benjamin Crane (bass) and Charlie Hutchinson (drums).
PYJÆN'S new album was recorded at Peter Gabriel's legendary Real World Studios over a full week, an experience that elevated the music and created an unrivaled connection between the band members and featured artists such as Nix Northwest, Elisa Imperilee, Renato Paris and Corto Alto.
Adventurous songwriting, meticulous timing, incredibly tight horn arrangements and an obvious joy to play together are PYJAEN's hallmarks
SUNDAY 14 NOVEMBER
The renowned Glaswegian promoter, DJ and broadcaster Rebecca Vasmant's jazz-infused sets have taken her to many of the coolest and most exciting clubs and festivals that Europe has to offer.
BBC Radio 3's primte time jazz programme J to Z Presents is hosted by Kevin Le Gendre and is joined by saxophonist and member of mercury nominated SEED ensemble, Chelsea Carmichael, The Banger Factory's Mark Kavuma and his quartet, A solo performance from Piano virtuoso Nikki Yeoh and Drummer, Myele Manazana as they present ground-breaking jazz, that will stop you in your tracks!
Greg Foat has become a versatile mainstay in UK jazz through an acclaimed series of albums on Strut, Jazzman, and Athens Of The North, moving from soul-jazz workouts to library music to cinematic, haunting compositions and pastoral acid folk. He's played with the likes of FKA Twigs, Questlove, Bob Lind, Curtis Lundy and Wendy James for shows and recording sessions. His recent release Symphonie Pacifique goes expansive and widescreen, building a lush soundscape using choral textures, harp and tubular bells.
Singer, producer, drummer, and MC Kassa Overall is a product of New York City's jazz scene who melds avant-garde experimentation with hip-hop production techniques, reflecting a panoramic musical background from West Coast G-Funk to the sounds of the New York underground.
In the past two years, Kassa has released three critically acclaimed projects: Go Get Ice Cream and Listen to Jazz, I THINK I'M GOOD, followed shortly by a SHADES OF FLU inspired by Madlib's Shades of Blue. Whatever the experiment, Overall remains faithful to the pocket of jazz drums in the tradition of his mentors, the late Elvin Jones and Billy Hart, with whom he studied at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music.
Read Ben's thoughts on Kassa Overall's I THINK I'M GOOD | Greg Foat's Symphonie Pacifique wins Album of 2020
MONDAY 15 NOVEMBER
The music and dance collective Black Monument Ensemble presents their new album NOW, released on International Anthem.
Originally conceived as a medium for Chicago-based multi-media artist/activist Damon Locks’s sample-based sound collage work, Black Monument Ensemble (BME) has evolved from a solo mission into a vibrant collective of artists, musicians, singers, and dancers making work with common goals of joy, compassion, and intention. Galvanized by Locks’s conceptualizing, poeticizing, and guiding vision, the contributors come from all facets of the diverse wellspring of Black artistic excellence in Chicago, bringing their unique perspectives and experiences to uplifting, anthemic, and highly animated musical performance.
NOW was created in the final throes of summer 2020, following months of pandemic-induced fear & isolation, the explosion of social unrest, struggle & violence in the streets, and as the certain presence of a new reality had fully settled in. Set up safely in the garden behind Chicago’s Experimental Sound Studio, the music was recorded in only a few takes, capturing the first times members of BME had ever played or sang the tunes.
BME is a genuinely multi-generational collective; ages of the members range from 9 to 52 years old. In addition to Locks, current and consistent BME members include: instrumentalists Angel Bat Dawid, Ben LaMar Gay, Dana Hall, and Arif Smith; singers Phillip Armstrong, Monique Golding, Rayna Golding, Tramaine Parker, Richie Parks, Erica Rene, and Eric Tre’von; and dancers Raven Lewis, Cheyenne Spencer, Mary Thomas, Bryonna Young, Tiarra Young, and Keisha Janae.
Ensemble-member Angel Bat Dawid will open the show with her own powerful, spiritual music.
Only a few years after her emergence in Chicago's jazz & improvised music scene, composer, clarinettist, singer and spiritual jazz visionary Angel Bat Dawid is already a phenomenon in Chicago's avant-garde with her daring sound, spirit and magnetism of her cosmic musical proselytizing.
Her debut on International Anthem, The Oracle, recorded on cassette tape, includes tracks that Angel created entirely alone – performing, overdubbing & mixing all instruments and voices by herself – recorded using only her mobile phone in various locations from London to Cape Town, but primarily from her residency in Bronzeville, Chicago.
This Gilles Peterson's Selected show features young jazz-influenced singer Zola Marcelle and Pokus, a project which grew out of a collaborative effort by Brichard and drummer Dave De Rose. With the addition of keyboard player Sam Crowe, the band released a self-titled album in August 2020.
Zola Marcelle
The intergalactic young jazz-influenced singer Zola Marcelle will be making her debut at the EFG London Jazz Festival this year after the release of her unique EP Done. Undone. Redo.
The young woman, born and partly raised in Zimbabwe has been a part of the music industry since age 11 singing on stages as well known as The Royal Albert Hall, Wembley Stadium, The Jazz Cafe and so many others.
Following on from the release of her bass & vocal EP, Marcelle's ethereal sound and creative mind brings her to the festival this year with her live set up of simply bass and vocals – the first of its kind.
Pocus
Leon Brichard is a French born bass player and producer based in London UK. He is a founding and active member of the bands Ill Considered and Wildflower as well as French electro meet post-punk band Madmadmad. Leon has also performed, produced and recorded with a wide range of artists including Salif Keita, Rachid Taha, Batida, Melt Yourself Down, Plan B, Bilal, Francois and the atlas mountain, Sara Creative Partners amongst others.
Dave De Rose is an Ango-Italian multi-instrumentalist, who has toured with Moloko, Mulatu Astatke and Mark Ronson. Producer, keyboardist, composer and educator, Sam Crowe has recorded, produced and performed with an array of artist
TUESDAY 16 NOVEMBER
19-year-old jazz and soul singer Akin Soul is a multi-instrumentalist & songwriter from South East London. Raised on a diet of Marvin Gaye, Stevie, Lalah & Donny Hathaway, Kim Burrell & Corinne Bailey Rae. In 2018 Akin founded the 12-piece band - Akin Soul & The Soul Tribe who have gone on to perform across London at All Point's East Festival, Off The cuff, The Garage, Pop Brixton and many more. Akin is currently studying Jazz at Trinity Laban Conservatoire in London and has blessed the mic at Steam Down, McNasty’s Fireball Session and Belmont Villa.
He will be presenting a variety of his soulful compositions.
This Gilles Peterson's Selected show features London-raised guitarist, producer and singer-songwriter Jelly Cleaver. The evening will also introduce gifted young British keys player Charlie Stacey.
Jelly Cleaver
Jelly Cleaver is a guitarist, producer and singer-songwriter based in South London. She's received the Steve Reid InNOVAtion award, signed to tastemaker indie label Nice Swan Records, is a Serious Take Five artist and was nominated for an Ivors Composer Award. With an eclectic taste in music, Jelly is heavily involved in both the jazz and DIY/punk scenes in London, hosting her own Jelly's Jams at Windmill Brixton as well as having a radio show. She's also an activist, and a strain of political dissent runs through her music.
Charlie Stacey
Charlie Stacey is one of the young British keys players combining jazz with different genres and exploring new textures and sounds. He has worked with many of the leading lights of the London jazz scene at the moment, such as Yussef Dayes, Ezra Collective and members of Empirical. He has also had an association with Knoel Scott, alto saxophone player of the Sun Ra Arkestra since 1978, for the last two years which has taught him a lot.
World-renowned drummer/composer, & producer/beatmaker Myele Manzanza has proved that he's an artist who continues to dissolve the borders between modern jazz and electronic beat production.
Myele is already developing a strong live presence in his new London base; his quartet has shared stages with the likes of Hiatus Kaiyote, The Bad Plus, Alfa Mist, and drawing packed houses to top venues such as The Jazz Café and Ronnie Scott’s.
Tapping into the vibrant scene of his adopted home, Myele now readies his next project on the London-based label DeepMatter. Crisis & Opportunity Vol.2 - London features a top tier cast of young London based talent including; Aron Sellars (keys), Jay Phelps (trumpet), Matt Dal Din (bass), with Myele Manzanza (drums) captaining the ship.
WEDNESDAY 17 NOVEMBER
The Bristol-based collective are an explosive new force in the UK jazz scene. Led by producer and saxophonist Pete Cunningham, the group broadly experiments within the realms of jazz and electronics but boasts a diverse range of influences in defining its sound.
The innovative 2019 debut A State of Flow marked them out as ones-to-watch with its unique energy and adventurous exploration of Bristol’s musical heritage: at times minimal and cosmic, at others club-oriented, and always unpredictable. Their recent involvement in the Blue Note Re:imagined project alongside contemporary trailblazers such as Ezra Collective and Nubya Garcia solidified their status as a powerful new presence in the scene.
As the UK’s jazz renaissance continues to flourish Ishmael Ensemble are an exciting proposition as they continue to push boundaries and unsettle genre tags.
A more gender-balanced night of jazz music comes to Woolwich Works for two nights this November.
Historically, very few femxle instrumentalists, composers, arrangers, and bandleaders have been part of the music history books. The W.Led Jazz Series has been curated to help recognise and celebrate their contribution to the industry. This collection of performances will feature a more gender-balanced night showcasing amazing talent of Raquel Martins, Plumm, Rachael Cohen, Juanita Euka, Ms Maurice and Rosie Frater-Taylor across two evenings at Woolwich Works.
Rachael Cohen will be joined by Raquel Martins and Plumm, to bring you a jaw-dropping evening of contemporary jazz.
Raquel Martins
Raised under the sun in Portugal, she grew up listening to the endless classics from the Brazilian and jazz repertoire. It was only when she discovered the world of contemporary hip-hop, soul and jazz music that she realised she could create something new with all the sounds she had been absorbing over the years. Whilst accompanying many established London jazz artists, including upcoming talent Poppy Ajudha, Raquel has been establishing her sound with her debut EP. Influenced by the likes of Hiatus Kaiyote, Amy Winehouse, Djavan, and João Gilberto.
Plumm
Plumm is a hybrid of vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and producer hailing from South London with Welsh heritage. Graduating from the BRIT School and then a SOAS degree in Ethnomusicology specialising in North Indian Classical, Plumm constructs mood-driven soundscapes and gritty timbres. After being invited to play a live set at Maida Vale Studios with Moses Boyd for BBC 1Xtra, playing with Taylor McFerrin at Oslo in Hackney and championed by BBC Introducing London, Plumm is branching into genre-less territories and feminine power.
Innovative Polish pianist and composer Joanna Duda and her trio present music from the highly anticipated album Fumitsuke using acoustic instruments (piano, double bass, drums) together with electronic sounds and of self - made samples Joanna Duda Trio is a project including acoustic instruments (piano, double bass, drums) together with electronic sounds and of self - made samples.
The music idea is to improvise in a very consistent way - focus on the moving, rhythmic irregular motives as little independent beings in themselves; melted into one piece searching for collective consciousness in every single moment. The concept of the band is to sound like one organism, creating narration using layers, not solos in a straight meaning.
Joanna Duda is a pianist, composer and visual artist. She does not avoid the apparent ugliness of dilapidated instruments and looks for sound aesthetics where it seems to be lacking.
THURSDAY 18 NOVEMBER
Appearing at King's cross' Spiritland, producer, drummer, percussionist and DJ Nick Woodmansey aka Emanative has produced records for Brownswood, On The Corner, Ninja Tune and most recently a double gatefold LP for Jazzman.
Nu Civilisation Orchestra celebrate the 50th anniversary of Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On
The Nu Civilisation Orchestra (NCO), led by Peter Edwards, is a world-class ensemble brought together by Tomorrow’s Warriors’ Artistic Director Gary Crosby OBE.
During this special evening, the 23-piece NCO, featuring Nathaniel Facey (alto sax), Noel McKoy (lead vocals), Cara Crosby Irons (backing vocals), Kianja Harvey Elliott (backing vocals), Romarna Campbell and Rod Youngs (drums), Sarah Tandy (piano) and Ife Ogunjobi (trumpet), as well as the orchestra’s formidable horns, strings and backing vocalists, will make a perfectly timed creative exploration and celebration of Gaye’s seminal masterpiece, five decades after its release, with immersive visual projections by Yeast Culture, plus a special guest performance from spoken word artist, and one of Britain most renowned actors, Colin Salmon.
Widely recognised as one of the most important albums of all time, 50 years later What’s Going On continues to resonate. The show will begin with a prelude based on Gaye’s Trouble Man, that will create the cultural setting for the album through music, projections and spoken word. The second part of the show will focus on the genius of What’s Going On, conjuring up Gaye’s extraordinary song cycle and the tumultuous personal and political circumstances that drove the singer’s music-making.
What’s Going On will be a fitting homage to a legend that inspired and connected generations and promises to be a magical, powerful and unmissable evening.
Trinidad-born poet, novelist, academic and musician, Anthony Joseph, performs music from his critically-acclaimed recent album, The Rich Are Only Defeated When Running For Their Lives, alongside his all-star band led by Jason Yarde.
Anthony Joseph is an award-winning Trinidad-born poet, novelist, academic and musician. The author of four poetry collections and three novels – his 2018 novel Kitch: A Fictional Biography of a Calypso Icon was shortlisted for the Republic of Consciousness Prize, the Royal Society of Literature’s Encore Award, and longlisted for the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature. His most recent publication is the experimental novel The Frequency of Magic, released in 2019 when he was also awarded a Jerwood Compton Poetry Fellowship. Since 2006 he has released eight critically acclaimed albums and has collaborated with, among others, Archie Shepp, Shabaka Hutchings and Meshell Ndegeocello who produced his 2014 album Time. In 2018 he curated the Windrush Celebration in the Festival collaborating with Jason Yarde on compositions. His most recent release is the 2021 album is The Rich Are Only Defeated When Running For Their Lives which he will be preforming with his all-star band led by Jason Yarde at EFG London Jazz Festival.
FRIDAY 19 NOVEMBER
Levitation Orchestra invites you to celebrate the release of their second album Illusions & Realities.
Levitation Orchestra presents one of the most adventurous albums to bless our ears in 2021, bringing together multiple inspirations ranging across spiritual jazz, classical, electronica, soul, spoken word, M-Base, and no-holds-barred free improvisation. With trumpeter Axel Kaner-Lidstrom (Cykada, Gary Bartz) as musical director, the collective comprises some of London's most promising young musicians, who together play in or with the likes of Alabaster de Plume, Shunaji, Nihilism, PÆN, and Nardedey. Lluis Domenech Plana on flute, James Akers on tenor saxophone, and Ayodeji Ijishakin on tenor saxophone complete the horn section, with Saskia Horton on violin, Beatriz Rola on violin, and Emma Barnaby on cello making up the strings. Rhythm is available in handfuls from Hamish Nockles-Moore on double bass and Harry Ling on drums, complemented by Roella Oloro on keys, Maria Osuchowska on harp, and Paris Charles on guitar, with last but not least, Plumm and Dilara Aydin-Corbett on vocals.
Join the 11 piece ensemble for an all-night party to celebrate the album's release on Gearbox Records. Levitation Orchestra will play the entire 10 track album from start to finish for the first and only time since it's recording in 2019. Support comes from stunning vocalist and keys player Feeo. DJs from Social Record Society will be warming things up and keep us dancing between acts, then the brilliant DJ/producer Maxwell Owin will take us into the early hours with a two hour DJ set.
Zara McFarlane is a multi-award-winning vocalist and songwriter with 4 critically acclaimed albums to her name. Zara has collaborated with musicians from a range of genres most notably South African legend Hugh Masekela, house music legend Lil’ Louie Vega and jazz sensation Gregory Porter. Zara is signed to Gilles Peterson’s label Brownswood Recordings. Zara has also worked in the theatre with Royal Shakespeare Company and Glyndebourne and worked as a music educator at conservatories such as Guildhall School of Music and Drama and BIMM.
South Londoner Hector Plimmer is a producer, drummer, DJ and graphic artist. He has steadily built a career bridging scenes and sounds, from beats to jazz, broken beat, house and techno, whilst at the same time honing a distinctive sound, balancing lovingly crafted low-end with precision engineered percussion and a knack for enticing melody and arrangements, recently described by Mixmag as “drowsy, introspective and almost otherworldly”. Here he performs with IndoJazz clarinet sensation Arun Ghosh, who fluidly incorporates jazz and South Asian influences.
Andrew Ashong is heading to King's Cross' Spiritland, playing soulful music from the heart.
SATURDAY 20 NOVEMBER
Experience echo, the new immersive film installation from long-time collaborators composer Cassie Kinoshi (Artist in residence for London Unwrapped) and visual artist Anne Verheij. The installation is a sonic and visual exploration of our connection with ourselves and each other in London.
Filmed entirely using handheld cameras, echo is an immersive audio-visual triptych with London as its main character. Day to day experiences of London life are manipulated through exploratory editing and camera movement, creating an encapsulating visceral experience of the ever changing cityscape.
echo’s electro-acoustic score was created with field-recordings captured around London; familiar sounds of trains, crowds, park life and traffic are altered and re-conditioned into the unfamiliar. Blended with synthesisers, a string quintet formed from members of Chineke! Ensemble were recorded to provide ethereal textures. These samples further elevate an evocative sound world that emulates the ever-changing experience of existing in the transformative city of London.
Original member of the internationally acclaimed Snarky Puppy, Bill Laurance is a keyboardist and composer who has worked with an impressive roster of musicians including David Crosby, Bobby McFerrin, Lalah Hathaway, Laura Mvula, Lionel Loueke, The Metropole Orchestra and more.
Formed in 2018, The Untold Orchestra are a Manchester based orchestra removing barriers of class, race and gender and explore how the orchestra can play a role in contemporary popular music. Off the back of their sell out show NINA: An Orchestral rendition, the Untold Orchestra are focused on collaboration and currently working with a wide variety of bands and artists on different projects. The Untold Orchestra are conscious of practising the diversity they preach, and are made up of 70% women.
In April 2019, the Untold Orchestra joined forces with Bill Laurance to work on recordings of arrangements of tracks from his new album Cables. This partnership led to special music as the first steps in an investigation into the role of synthesisers and music technology and their relationship to an orchestra, were taken.
Charles Lloyd will be accompanied by a powerful band featuring Gerald Clayton on piano, Reuben Rogers on double-bass and Kendrick Scott on drums,as he performs music from a career spanning over six decades.
Charles Lloyd is an essential leading light amongst the living jazz saxophone legends that includes Wayne Shorter and Sonny Rollins. He has spent his entire career on a journey to explore the spiritual realms of wonder and beauty, and has worked with jazz, blues and rock giants including B.B. King, Ornette Coleman, Don Cherry, Charlie Haden, Eric Dolphy, The Byrds and The Grateful Dead.
From his early albums for Atlantic through his great recordings for ECM, and more recently Blue Note, he has never stopped experimenting with new sounds, new techniques and new collaborations.
Charles Lloyd was recently invited to record for Blue Note by creative producer Don Was, and has made a string of adventurous albums with exceptional guests from Lucinda Williams to Bill Frisell.
Charles Lloy'd performance will b e paired with a beautifully intimate film, sharing early memories of listening to and playing music as well as stories about the struggle of his ancestors in fighting for liberty and freedom, filmed at home by his wife Dorothy Darr.
Tickets and free stream (Charles Lloyd film available 15-18 November)
SUNDAY 21 NOVEMBER
No musician more embodies the dramatic transformation in the British jazz scene over the past twenty + years than Courtney Pine. The ground-breaking multi-instrumentalist has led a generation of exciting and innovative players who have broadened their styles to take jazz out to a wider audience.
His critically acclaimed House of Legends project sees Courtney return to the instrument he is best known for – the saxophone and features his soprano sax exclusively for the first time. Deeply steeped in the traditions of the Caribbean, this very personal project sees Courtney on top form, bringing together musicians from Africa, the Caribbean and Europe for vibrant exchanges that tell tales of life from a truly multi-cultural viewpoint.
Expect an exhilarating mix of Merengue, Ska, Mento and Calypso as played through the lens (saxophone) of a UK-born artist with strong, proud Afro-Caribbean roots.
The performance will feature an opening set from trombonist, composer and producer Rosie Turton - a rising star on the UK music scene, cited by The Guardian as ‘One To Watch’. She released her debut LP, Rosie’s 5ive, with Jazz Re:freshed. Rosie’s musical path is defined by her unwavering desire to explore new territories: sounds, textures and collaborations, she’s always open to discoveries. Her music tells the tales of meditative soundscapes and improvisations, blurring the lines between the acoustic and electronic universes.
Snazzback was initially born from busking on the streets of Bristol. Creating music out in the elements has ingrained their music with a playful and carefree sound that reflects the lifeblood of the city.
Over time the lineup has settled into a 7-piece ensemble whose varied influences of hip-hop, rumba, jazz, ambient and dubstep all come to the surface in their music and improvisations. Nowhere is this more evident than at Snazzback's Gallimaufry residency, where their nights of global grooves, beat tapes and improvisations are a vast and experimental hotpot.
The band have so far written two albums together, writing and recording each ever-evolving piece in their self-constructed studio. Collaboration is at the heart of what Snazzback do and they regularly meld minds with vocalists, MC’s and musicians from their hometown and beyond. Long-time collaborators China Bowls, Solomon OB, STANLÆY and Soss all feature on the latest album.
In The Place, Snazzback's second album, released on Worm Discs in July 2021, is a collage of both the joys and struggles that emerge from playing in a large ensemble, aiming to have everyone’s voice heard and crystallizing shared experiences into a sound that's vivid, inventive and fizzing with energy.
This is a special jazz outfit, well established and proven. Several years in making, they now have two very well received and critically acclaimed albums on Ubuntu Records (including Kavuma LP voted among the best albums of the year 2018 by Downbeat magazine). With the latest one fresh off the press and the first on a brand new label Banger Factory Records. Arashi No Ato is the newest offering from the band and tonight’s programme will uncover significant parts of it.
Kavuma stands at the helm of this remarkable group of talented individuals with extraordinary musical abilities. Governing such organisation is Mark’s forte. With a real knack for discovering a potential, he directs and realigns its elements effortlessly. He also keeps churning out one tune after another. And they are groovy pieces. Owing a lot to hard bop legacy Kavuma unashamedly expands their repertoire with more bangers tailor-made and destined for a dance floor. This band is like a family. The gang of brothers that exude tons of joy when witnessed on stage. Each one of them is at the top of their game, and this becomes evident when they support one another with solid and imaginative backups. Not to mention their mind-blowing creativity and bottomless energy.
The ensemble sounds like a band of old dogs in a clear and positively assured sense. Full of energy, vibe, blues, rhythm, gospel and emotions they are the finest and most exciting live act on the scene.