Congo Square Rhythms Festival, Armstrong Park, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.

Dates: Saturday, March 28, 2026 - Sunday, March 29, 2026

Featuring: Various Artists

More details

We have received the following press release regarding this event;

2026 Congo Square Rhythms Festival is Almost Here!

Congo Square Rhythms Festival Returns to Armstrong Park
March 28th and 29th!

The 2026 Congo Square Rhythms Festival, presented by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, brings to life the African cultural traditions of music, dance, and culinary delicacies that were preserved and practiced in Congo Square in 18th and 19th-century New Orleans!

Don’t miss a full weekend of live music on two performance stages, a large local food and arts market, and the return of the highly anticipated Class Got Grass competition!

Admission to the festival is free and open to the public!

The Congo Square Stage will feature a drum circle each day, and showcase an impressive array of local talent, including Cha Wa, Zigaboo Modeliste, Kyle Roussel’s Church of New Orleans, several African dance and drumming ensembles, and more! Simultaneously, the Tremé Stage will feature a variety of musical acts, including New Breed Brass Band, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Tonya Boyd-Cannon, Charmaine Neville Band, Preservation Brass, and several more!
The festival will be co-emceed by singer/songwriter/percussionist/guitarist Kelly Love Jones and beloved journalist and media personality, Lebron “LBJ” Joseph!

Full line-up here;
https://www.jazzandheritage.org/events/2026-congo-square-rhythms-festival

The culinary experience at the 2026 Congo Square Rhythms Festival highlights the flavors of New Orleans through a curated selection of food vendors and chefs. Attendees can savor traditional Creole and African-influenced dishes, including jambalaya, gumbo, and Afro-Caribbean cuisine, celebrating the legacy of Congo Square. Additionally, two Art Markets will showcase handcrafted works by local artisans, emphasizing the contributions of the African diaspora through art, photography, jewelry, clothing, and home goods, offering a rich cultural experience for all.

Don’t miss a roaring tribute to New Orleans’ beloved brass band tradition! The Class Got Brass competition is presented by the Gia Maione Prima Foundation and takes place on Saturday, March 28!
Middle schools and high schools in Louisiana have the opportunity to create a New Orleans-style brass band of up to 12 members – to enter a competition in the form of a “second-line” parade with a who’s who of celebrity judges.  At stake are more than $50,000 worth of instruments and other supplies for schools’ music programs!
https://www.jazzandheritage.org/class-got-brass

We are grateful to be supported by a group of dedicated sponsors who share a passion for live music in New Orleans. We extend our heartfelt appreciation to these organizations for their generous support, which makes it possible for us to bring this exciting series to the city’s music scene.
The 2026 Congo Square Rhythms Festival is powered by Cox Communications with additional support from Goldfarb Financial, Cathead Distillery, Louisiana Lottery, Urban South, Delta Utilities, Maverick Entertainment Group, WWNO 89.9, WWOZ 90.7 FM, Louisiana Office of Cultural Development, National Endowment for the Arts, and Black Heart Association.

Video capture and livestream of our programs is made possible by Jazz & Heritage radio station WWOZ 90.7 FM.
https://www.wwoz.org/

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation uses proceeds generated by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell and additional funds for year-round programs in education, economic development, and cultural enrichment, including initiatives like the Don “Moose” Jamison Heritage School of Music, Congo Square Lecture Series, Class Got Brass, youth workshops, grants, music industry workshops, and festivals such as the Crescent City Blues & BBQ, Tremé Creole Gumbo, Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco and Congo Square Rhythms. These free programs aim to support Louisiana’s cultural community and are complemented by assets like Jazz & Heritage radio station WWOZ 90.7 FM, the Jazz & Heritage Archive, and the George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center. For more information, visit http://www.jazzandheritage.org.

Support Jazz & Heritage
https://www.jazzandheritage.org/donate

https://www.facebook.com/jazzandheritage

https://x.com/Jazznheritage

https://www.instagram.com/jazzandheritage

Balldehob Jazz Festival, various venues, Ballydehob, West Cork, Republic of Ireland.

Dates: Thursday, April 30, 2026 - Monday, May 04, 2026

Featuring: Various Artists

More details

We have received the following press release;

Ballydehob Jazz Festival to Celebrate 20th Edition

Ballydehob Jazz Festival to Celebrate 20th Edition
A Celebration of Music, Circus, Dance, Art & Community
Ballydehob, West Cork | May Bank Holiday
30 April – 4 May 2026
https://ballydehobjazzfestival.org/

This May Bank Holiday weekend, the village of Ballydehob will once again burst into life as the Ballydehob Jazz Festival returns for its 20th edition, welcoming an estimated 8,000 visitors to the tiny seaside village of only 345 residents!

From 30 April to 4 May, Ballydehob will fill with music, street performances, dance, circus, puppetry and creativity, welcoming visitors from across Ireland and beyond to experience what has become one of the most colourful and joyful festivals on the Irish cultural calendar.

Run largely by a passionate team of volunteers and rooted firmly in the local community, the festival has grown over two decades into what many affectionately call “the biggest small jazz and arts festival in the world.”

Festival director Joseph O’Leary says the anniversary edition is both a celebration and a homecoming. “It’s all about the friendships formed in this artistic and creative community. Over 20 festivals we’ve seen musicians, artists and audiences come together in Ballydehob to create something very special. This year is a gathering of the best of what has come before - a celebration of the music, the creativity and the people who made it all happen.”

The Festival Hall will host 5 special concerts across the weekend, including:

The Paul Dunlea Quintet who will present the long-awaited Loch Trasna Suite, an original commission which will receive its full live airing. The evening will open with Catalan singer-songwriter Lau Noah.

Olivier Award-winning composer Benji Bower will premiere a newly commissioned work created especially for the 20th festival, titled Trasnaíocht. The piece explores migration, crossing, and the meaning of home through a genre-crossing performance blending jazz, chamber music, spoken word, aerial movement, and dance.

The much-loved Stephanie Nilles returns with Tom Deakin (USA) bringing their signature wit, virtuosity and irresistible stage chemistry.

Late-night club sessions will swing into the small hours with festival favourites Canibal Dandies (France) and The Blue Mockingbirds (Belgium), Donal Dineen (Ire), and guest DJs, where audiences can dance the night away in the festival club.

FREE MUSIC TRAIL
A cornerstone of the festival, the village-wide music trail will feature over 40 free live performances across pubs, cafés and outdoor spaces throughout Ballydehob. From jazz and blues to folk, experimental sounds and spontaneous collaborations, the trail brings music into every corner of the village.

STREET ARTS, CIRCUS, DANCE & FAMILY FUN
Beyond the concert stage, the festival spills out into the streets with a vibrant programme of circus, street theatre, dance and visual spectacle.
‘NOW AND THEN’ a Circus Aerial Show AND a children’s circus school (Free)
The Jazz West Cork Craft & Food Sunday Market
Giant puppets created by the Ballydehob Puppet Company roam the streets.
The beloved Jazz Funeral Parade brings the village together in a joyous procession of music, dance, colour and community creativity.
The Festival Jazz International Dance Instructors will host all level daytime lindy hop dance classes in the Hall, as well as kicking off the evening Moonshine Shindigs in the hall.
With street performances, outdoor shows, and daytime events throughout the weekend, the festival is welcoming, relaxed and family friendly, making it the perfect May Bank Holiday outing for visitors of all ages.

20 FESTIVALS, 1 COMMUNITY
The Ballydehob Jazz Festival has always done things its own way. Rather than chasing big-budget headline acts, the festival has built its reputation by championing independent and emerging artists from around the world, creating a space where musicians and audiences connect in an intimate village setting. “We never had the budgets to buy in marquee names,” says O’Leary “instead we worked with that indie underworld of jazz that exists between the corporate cracks - supporting artists, supporting the community and watching everyone rise together.”

Ballydehob Jazz Festival 2026
30 April – 4 May 2026
Ballydehob, West Cork
Full programme and ticket information:
http://www.ballydehobjazz.org

Follow updates on Instagram:
@ballydehobjazzfestival

Karen Sharp at Chesterfield Jazz Club, The Mullen Suite, Olde House Chesterfield, Chesterfield, Derbyshire.

Date: Thursday, March 19, 2026

More details

We have received the following information regarding this event;

Karen Sharp - saxophone - 19th March 2026

This week we are thrilled to welcome the return of the fabulous Karen Sharp, who last appeared with us at Chester Street.
Those of you who will remember her from last time will know her powerhouse style which is also incredibly melodic an mellifluous.

“Sharp loves melody, whether composed or improvised, as reflected in her relaxed and natural phrasing”
— Downbeat February 2019

Tickets from http://www.ticketsource.co.uk/wendykirkland at £12.50 or £15 cash or card on the door.

Emma Rawicz residency at Pizza Express Jazz Club, Soho, London.

Dates: Thursday, March 26, 2026 - Sunday, March 29, 2026

Featuring: Emma Rawicz

Venue

Pizza Express Jazz Club, Soho, London

Pizza Express Jazz Club,
Dean Street,
Soho,
London,
W1D 3RW.

More details

Guest contributor Colin May has forwarded the following information, received from Emma herself.

Emma Rawicz writes;

Hey lovely people!

I am delighted to be returning to the legendary Pizza Express Jazz Club in Soho, London, for another residency! This time I will be there for four nights in a row (!) from the 26th-29th March!

What makes this extra special is that I have a whole host of brilliant guests joining me for these concerts, and each night will in essence be a world premiere, featuring a band that has never played together before!

Thursday 26th March: 4tet featuring Mark Lockheart

Friday 27th March: 4tet featuring Adriano Adewale

Saturday 28th March: 4tet featuring Laura Jurd

Sunday 29th March: with Gary Husband, Gwilym Simcock and Freddie Jensen

On Thursday-Saturday I will also be joined by the wonderful Marc Michel, Rasmus Sørensen and Freddie Jensen! I feel very spoiled.

It will be a very special week, and I very much hope to see you at one (or more!) of these exciting concerts.

See you out there, and remember to get your tickets soon, as they’re selling fast…

Lots of love!
Emma x

Buy your tickets here!
https://www.pizzaexpresslive.com/article/emma-rawicz-and-friends

https://www.emmarawicz.com/

Roger Beaujolais with the Dave Cottle Trio at Swansea Jazz Club, The Observatory, Swansea.

Date: Wednesday, March 25, 2026

Featuring: Roger Beaujolais

More details

Wednesday March 25th, 8pm OBSERVATORY
Roger Beaujolais with Dave Cottle Trio
Great Jazz Vibes at the Observatory!!

https://www.swanseajazzland.co.uk/

Django Chutney at Swansea Jazz Club, Arts Wing at The Grand Theatre, Swansea.

Date: Wednesday, March 18, 2026

More details

We have received the following information regarding this event;

Wednesday March 18th, 8pm
Arts Wing @GRAND THEATRE
DJANGO CHUTNEY

Combining tightly woven three-part vocal harmonies reminiscent of 30s and 40s American vocal groups the Mill’s Brothers and the Ink Spots; ridiculous guitar showoffery that draws as much from Django Reinhardt as it does from Guthrie Govan; Double bass solos that drag Pops Fosters slap technique kicking and screaming into the 21st century; and a repertoire that’s seemingly firmly rooted in the 30s Hot Club era, but will suddenly transport you through decades and styles, from New Orleans jazz, to Chicago blues and Parisian Musette, effortlessly, respectfully, but most importantly: with true joie de vivre!

https://www.swanseajazzland.co.uk/

Mornington Lockett Quartet at Swansea Jazz Club, The Grand Theatre, Swansea.

Date: Wednesday, May 20, 2026

Featuring: Mornington Lockett

More details

Wednesday May 20th, 8pm
Arts Wing @GRAND THEATRE
MORNINGTON LOCKETT QUARTET

Mornington Lockett (Sax)
Ross Stanley (Piano)
Laurence Cottle (Bass)
Sophie Alloway (Drums)

https://www.swanseajazzland.co.uk/

Dom Franks’ Strayhorn Quartet at Corn Exchange Jazz Club, The Corn Exchange, Ross-on Wye, Herefordshire.

Date: Thursday, April 09, 2026

Featuring: Dom Franks’ StrayHorn Quartet

More details

We have received the following information regarding this event;

CORN EXCHANGE JAZZ CLUB
ROSS ON WYE
PRESENT
DOM FRANKS STRAYHORN
THURS. 9th APRIL 7:30pm - 9:30pm
DOORS OPEN 6:45pm
(tickets available here)
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/vidlerhospitalityltd/2076100

Established in 2010 as a vehicle for the accessible, groove driven compositions of saxophonist Dom Franks, StrayHorn Quartet come to the club fresh from a UK tour and on the back of a glowing 4* Jazzwise review of their current album ‘Duality Pt. 1’. Combining lyrical themes with Brazilian and African influences and adventurous swinging improvisations, StrayHorn Quartet features Stroud based guitar firebrand Matt Hopkins (Hopkins-Hammond Trio), in-demand organist Anders Olinder and former Pee Wee Elllis/Ian Ballamy drummer Andy Tween. Dom Franks is a former winner of the Daily Telegraph Jazz Award, and now combines a busy career as a performer and composer with work in music education.

“Franks’ influences are broad…from the gospel-like ‘Home Fries’ to the dreamy, soaring ‘Ellipsis’ to a cheery New York swagger. The StrayHorn band sounds settled and cohesive… Duality Pt. 1 is an accomplished and highly accessible release that effectively whets our appetite for part two.” - Jazzwise Magazine ****

“Local sax hero Franks is a Cheltenham based musician with a national reputation and has been featured on national radio and in the national jazz press. Fluent, authoritative tenor sax soloing and lyrical soprano playing”. - The Jazzmann.com

Listen here - https://domfranksstrayhorn.bandcamp.com

Corn Exchange
8 High St, Ross-on-Wye HR9 5HL.

54th Annual Stanford Jazz Festival, various venues, Stanford University Campus, Stanford, California, USA.

Dates: Sunday, June 21, 2026 - Friday, July 31, 2026

More details

We have received the following press release;

54TH ANNUAL STANFORD JAZZ FESTIVAL PRESENTS SIX WEEKS OF VIBRANT LIVE MUSIC ON STANFORD UNIVERSITY CAMPUS, JUN 21-JUL 31

Centennial Celebrations: Miles @ 100 featuring Jeremy Pelt +
Jimmy Heath @ 100 with Jeb Patton and David Wong

Veteran Masters Billy Childs and Branford Marsalis Lead Their Respective Quartets

Acclaimed Latin Jazz Artists including Luciana Souza, Marcel Camargo, Camila Meza, Yilian Cañizares + Aldo López-Gavilán

Today’s Top Vibraphonists: Stefon Harris + Sasha Berliner

Tickets go on sale April 3 at http://www.stanfordjazz.org.

The Stanford Jazz Workshop today announced details of the 54th annual Stanford Jazz Festival taking place Sunday, June 21 to Friday, July 31, 2026, across multiple venues on the sprawling Stanford University campus. Having grown in both size and reputation since it first began in 1972, the Festival–which draws thousands of fans to the Bay Area–has become a destination for all arts lovers in one of the most bucolic settings in the nation. This year’s Festival celebrates jazz’s rich roots and its global connections, featuring an exceptional line-up spanning generations and styles. From acclaimed world-class headliners such as Billy Childs, George Cables, Branford Marsalis, and Anat Cohen to local Northwest natives such as The Westerlies, Nick Rossi, Nicolas Bearde, and Sasha Berliner, to innovative jazz fusings with Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, and Indian music, the 25+ events include Festival debuts, world premieres, family-friendly concerts, and more. As always, the Festival presents annual fan favorites including SJW alum Taylor Eigsti, Guitar Night, Ruth Davies’ Blues Night, and the All-Star Jam session closing out the Festival in what has become the biggest jazz celebration of the summer. For program details, updated line-ups, and tickets, please visit http://www.stanfordjazz.org.

Quote from Cory Combs,  Executive Director, Stanford Jazz Workshop:
“This year’s Festival brings together some of the most powerful voices in jazz today, led by the visionary Branford Marsalis Quartet on June 26. Branford’s singular quartet has defined modern jazz for decades, and we’re honored to welcome them back to Stanford. From that opening weekend forward, the Festival reflects jazz as a living, global force, honoring its deep American roots while embracing the international sounds shaping its future. From Indian Jazz Journey to bold contemporary voices presented throughout the six-week Festival, audiences will experience the full heartbeat of this music, reflecting its diversity, dynamism, and unifying power.”

2026 Stanford Jazz Festival Performers
Aldo López-Gavilán · Anat Cohen · Anisha Rush · Ben Flocks · Billy Childs · Branford Marsalis · Camila Meza · Christina Galisatus · Dan Wilson · Dr. David Hart · David Wong · George Brooks · George Cables · Gretchen Parlato · Jeb Patton · Jeremy Pelt · Luciana Souza · Mahesh Kale · Marcel Camargo · Marcus Shelby · Michael Mayo · Nick Rossi · Nicolas Bearde · Ruth Davies · Sasha Berliner · Sean “Mack” McDonald · Stefon Harris · Taylor Eigsti · Victor Lin · The Westerlies · Yilian Cañizares · Zack Grooves
Plus surprise special guests and more!

About Stanford Jazz Workshop
Founded in 1972 by saxophonist, arranger, and educator Jim Nadel, Stanford Jazz Workshop is an intensive summer education program staffed with acclaimed musicians who are also many of the Stanford Jazz Festival’s featured performers. The synergy between the Workshop and the Festival manifests at every concert, as all the students enrolled in a session receive complimentary tickets, bringing an infusion of youth to the venues.

About Stanford Jazz Festival
Over the past 54 years, the Stanford Jazz Festival has consistently presented the finest performers on the scene. Audiences have heard legendary performances by Dizzy Gillespie, McCoy Tyner, and Stan Getz, along with virtuosic modern masters like Joshua Redman, Ambrose Akinmusire, and Taylor Eigsti. The Festival is unique and adventurous, presenting over 30 celebrated artists and bands over several weeks. From family-friendly matinees to groundbreaking premieres, the Stanford Jazz Festival proudly keeps the torch of live jazz burning bright. 

2026 STANFORD JAZZ FESTIVAL
When: Sunday, June 21 – Friday, July 31, 2026
Where: Dinkelspiel Auditorium (471 Lagunita Drive) and Campbell Recital Hall (541 Lasuen Mall) on the Stanford University campus, Stanford, CA 94305
Tickets: Tix go on sale to the general public at 10:00 a.m. PST on Friday, April 3, 2026. To reserve, visit http://www.stanfordjazz.org.

SUN 6.21 at 4:00 p.m. | INDIAN JAZZ JOURNEY FEATURING MAHESH KALE AND GEORGE BROOKS
No American-born jazz musician has forged deeper or more extensive ties throughout the expansive world of Indian classical music than Berkeley tenor saxophonist George Brooks. Over the past two decades those relationships have manifested in a kaleidoscopic array of combinations at his Stanford-exclusive Indian Jazz Journey, and in recent years the concert has focused on his ever-evolving communion with Mahesh Kale. Born and raised in Pune, the cultural capital of the western Indian state of Maharashtra, Kale was a disciple of Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki, a hugely influential figure who revived the Marathi musical theater tradition in the 1950s. In 2015, Kale won the best playback singer award at India’s equivalent of the Oscars for a classical piece in the film Katyar Kaljat Ghusli, a breakout role that catapulted him into stardom. As in past concerts, Brooks has assembled a sensational cast of players ideally equipped to join him and Kale in exploring musical landscapes defined by the world’s two most sophisticated improvisational traditions.

FRI 6.26 at 7:30 p.m. | BRANFORD MARSALIS QUARTET
Branford Marsalis, tenor and soprano saxophones | Eric Revis, bass | Joey Calderazzo, piano | Justin Faulkner, drums
There’s no ensemble in jazz quite like the Branford Marsalis Quartet, a celebrated ensemble that has honed telepathic interplay over thousands of high-energy gigs. The eldest sibling in the illustrious New Orleans jazz clan, tenor and soprano saxophonist Branford Marsalis spent his early career seizing a series of extraordinary opportunities. From his first international exposure with the Art Blakey Big Band and Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, he went on to formative stints with Herbie Hancock, Sting, and his brother Wynton Marsalis’s epochal first quintet. Branford launched his own era-defining band 40 years ago with the late pianist Kenny Kirkland, bassist Robert Hurst and drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts, and he’s been one of the music’s most dependably eloquent improvisers ever since. The near-legendary stability of his quartet allows for breathtaking interplay, starting with the band’s most recent arrival, Justin Faulkner, who’s held down the drum chair since he turned 18 in 2009. Pianist Joey Calderazzo joined in 1998, the year after bassist Eric Revis signed on, and the group has earned renown as one of the most muscularly cohesive on the scene. With last year’s reimagining of Belonging, the 1974 ECM album that introduced Keith Jarrett’s European quartet, Marsalis and his comrades have worked the thrilling material deeply into the quartet’s book.

SAT 6.27 at 7:30 p.m. | BILLY CHILDS QUARTET
Long before Los Angeles-based pianist Billy Childs gained recognition as one of the country’s preeminent composers he was dazzling Bay Area audiences as a sideman. After a brief stint with trombone great J.J. Johnson, the Los Angeles native started regular treks north when trumpet legend Freddie Hubbard assembled a prodigious young band in 1978 that also featured bassist Larry Klein (who earned greater renown producing albums by Joni Mitchell, Herbie Hancock, Luciana Souza, and Childs’ own 2014 jazz-chart topping project Map of The Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro). After years of playing funk and fusion, Hubbard had returned to straight ahead jazz sounding fierier than ever. For Childs, who was in his early 20s, heading upstate to perform at Keystone Korner, Kuumbwa and Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society with Hubbard’s band was trial by blowtorch on every gig. He’s been making trips north ever since, both as an accompanist for masters such as Bobby Hutcherson and Dianne Reeves and leading his own bands, giving audiences regular updates on his extraordinary evolution as a six-time GRAMMY Award-winning composer, arranger and improviser. Indeed, he’s carved out an anomalous career path with his pen, and makes a living via commissions. Writing for orchestras and chamber ensembles has become Childs’ bread and butter over the past two decades, which means every opportunity to stretch out with his band is an opportunity he seizes with both hands.

SUN 6.28 at 11:00 a.m. EARLY BIRD WITH DAVID HART
This annual jazz jam is a perfect morning for kids of all ages! Dr. David Hart and the Zookeepers get families swinging, singing, and clapping. This interactive family-friendly concert lets kids discover the joy of jazz and the inspiration that comes from playing instruments.

SUN 6.28 at 7:30 p.m. LUCIANA SOUZA’S NEW MOON
One of jazz’s most celebrated vocalists, Luciana Souza introduces New Moon, a lustrous new project with fellow São Paulo native Marcel Camargo on guitar and his arrangements incorporating string quartet. Whether she’s interpreting Brazilian Songbook standards, deploying her voice like a horn with an orchestra or singing her original compositions transforming beloved poems into songs, Souza is a musician of the highest order. Long based in Los Angeles, she’s probably best known for a series of intimate, Grammy and Latin GRAMMY-winning recordings pairing her with a superlative cadre of Brazilian jazz guitarists, including Romero Lubambo, Toninho Horta, and Marco Peirera. Her latest project New Moon finds her taking the duo foundation into lustrous new territory with guitarist/composer Marcel Camargo. He’s toured internationally with Michael Bublé, led, produced and arranged vocalist Gretchen Parlato’s Flor project, and shared the stage or studio with the likes of Sérgio Mendes, Herb Alpert, and Macy Gray. New Moon pairs the duo with a string quartet, fulfilling a longtime dream of Souza’s. Together, she and Camargo, who like Souza hails from an eminent musical family, reimagine Brazilian classics and debut new co-written songs. His delicately calibrated arrangements create lyrical soundscapes rich in texture and emotion for one of jazz’s most alluring singers.

FRI 7.10 at 7:30 p.m. | THE MUSIC OF DUKE ELLINGTON WITH NICK ROSSI’S JAZZOPATERS
An eminent scholar of pre-World War II jazz, ace guitarist Nick Rossi leads the West Coast’s only combo devoted to classic small group recordings by Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn and star soloists. Based in San Francisco, Rossi is one of the world’s foremost experts on pre-World War II jazz, both as a practitioner and a scholar. A few years ago, he realized that the Bay Area was clearly in need of a band devoted to the small group music recorded by Ellington, Billy Strayhorn and the orchestra’s featured soloists such as baritone saxophonist Harry Carney, altoist Johnny Hodges, and trumpeter Cootie Williams. Thus, was born the nine-piece Jazzopaters, which has been delighting audiences and dancers at the Bay Area’s finest clubs and venues for the past two years. Stacked with some of the region’s finest improvisers, the group proudly keeps seldom-performed tunes by the nonpareil Ellington in circulation.

SAT 7.11 at 7:30 p.m. NICOLAS BEARDE QUINTET
Inhabiting a sparsely populated zone between masculine R&B fervor and cool jazz styling, the effortlessly soulful Nicolas Bearde is a Bay Area treasure who knows that vulnerability and passion go hand in hand. He earned an avid following as an R&B solo act, but he’s evolved over the past decade into a captivating jazz singer who brings easy-going authority to ballads and swaggering mid-tempo standards. He made his Stanford debut in 2024 focusing on a program from his album I Remember You: The Music of Nat King Cole, and will be casting a wider net for this performance. Bearde first gained widespread notice in the late 1980s as a founding member of Bobby McFerrin’s innovative, improvisation-steeped a cappella ensemble Voicestra. He spent much of the 1980s and ‘90s pursuing a dual-track career as a musician and an actor, working on stage and television. Thankfully, music has been his primary pursuit in recent years. Whether he’s navigating Billy Strayhorn’s rueful “Lush Life,” Eden Ahbez’s beatific cantorial chant “Nature Boy,” or Alan Jay Lerner and Burton Lane’s impetuously grooving “Come Back to Me,” Bearde finds the emotional core of every lyric.

SUN 7.12 at 7:30 p.m. | MARCUS SHELBY SEXTET: THE LANGUAGE OF CHARLES MINGUS
Marcus Shelby walks in the footsteps of iconic bassist/composer Charles Mingus, creating epic works that tell overlooked stories from Black history with blues and swing. Shelby has never shied away from extending his creative reach. From his early years as a young lion recording for some of jazz’s most vaunted labels, the San Francisco bassist, composer, bandleader and educator has earned renown for his leadership on a wide array of fronts. He’s best known for his ambitious, historically informed works like 2006’s Port Chicago (Noir Records), a suite for his jazz orchestra inspired by the World War II miscarriage of justice, and 2018’s Black Ball: The Negro Leagues and the Blues, a suite commissioned by the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival. He served as a musical foil for playwright and actor Anna Deavere Smith throughout the interview-driven creation of her one-woman show about the school-to-prison pipeline, Notes From the Field. And since taking over as artistic director of the Healdsburg Jazz Festival in the Fall of 2020, he has greatly expanded the already internationally recognized organization. While his temperament is a mirror image of the tempestuous Mingus’s, Shelby is steeped in his music and is ideally placed to offer insight into his composing, bandleading, and gift for coaxing superlative performances from his collaborators.

MON 7.13 at 7:30 p.m. | CHRISTINA GALISATUS QUINTET PLAYS JONI MITCHELL
Now living in Los Angeles, Christina Galisatus has gained recognition in recent years as one of the brightest young artists on the vibrant Southland scene. A quadruple creative force as a pianist/multi-instrumentalist, composer, vocalist, and songwriter, she’s released several critically hailed albums, including 2023’s Without Night and 2025’s Hold Still, which introduced her lustrous vocals. Raised on the Peninsula, she graduated from Stanford with honors and practically grew up at the Workshop, and has surprised exactly none of her Bay Area fans by thriving in LA. She returns to campus with her new Joni Mitchell project, which delves into the extraordinary songbook of one of her primary influences. Though she approaches Mitchell’s music with reverence, Galisatus infuses the songs with her particularly harmonic and melodic sensibility, turning them into highly personal vehicles for emotional expression. She’s joined by a cadre of longtime collaborators including reed expert Michael Blasky.

TUE 7.14 at 7:30 p.m. | JIMMY HEATH CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION WITH JEB PATTON AND DAVID WONG
Inveterately swinging pianist Jeb Patton and veteran bassist David Wong celebrate the legacy of their mentor and former employer Jimmy Heath (1926-2020), the brilliant saxophonist, composer and arranger. Jimmy Heath would likely give a wry smile over the fact that his 100th birthday is destined to be overshadowed by the centennial milestone celebrations for Miles Davis and John Coltrane. Hailing from one of jazz’s most distinguished families, Heath was both universally esteemed by his peers but underappreciated, particularly when it came to his prowess on the tenor saxophone (he was also formidable on flute and soprano sax). His success as an arranger and composer–Heath wrote at least a half dozen standards, including “Gingerbread Boy,” “Gemini,” “C.T.A.” and “For Minors Only”–meant that he never quite got his due as an improviser. Pianist Jeb Patton and veteran bassist David Wong experienced the creative intensity of Heath’s horn first -and as members of the Heath Brothers band (with drummer Tootie Heath). They’ve led distinguished careers accompanying other masters who got their start in the 1940s, including drum legend Roy Haynes, saxophone great George Coleman and alto sax powerhouse Charles McPherson. They co-lead this celebration of Jimmy Heath’s music, tunes that defined the hard-bop era.

WED 7.15 at 7:30 p.m. | VICTOR LIN: GERSHWIN REIMAGINED
Pianist/violinist Victor Lin brings fresh perspective to the music of George Gershwin in an evening of lively, imaginative interpretations. Lin always brings a thoughtful and imaginative game plan to the Festival. A mainstay at the Stanford Jazz Workshop since the late 1990s, he has emerged in recent years as a savvy producer with a gift for conceptual concerts that highlight both repertoire and relationships among Workshop faculty. This year, Lin turns his attention to the music of George Gershwin, re-examining one of America’s most enduring composers through a contemporary jazz lens.
With this new program, Lin brings the same spirit of curiosity and collaboration to Gershwin’s songs and orchestral works, revealing their rhythmic vitality, harmonic sophistication, and deep jazz roots. His gift lies not only in the material he chooses, but in the musicians he gathers–a rotating cast of friends and colleagues who bring fresh perspective, shared history, and joyful spontaneity to the music.

THU 7.16 at 7:30 p.m. | MICHAEL MAYO QUARTET
Every generation seems to produce an exceptionally talented male jazz vocalist or two, and the ‘20s will be remembered for the emergence of Michael Mayo, a lithe, soul-steeped improviser devoted to direct emotional expression. Growing up in Los Angeles, Mayo seemed destined to a life in music. His father is a vocalist and saxophonist who performed with Earth, Wind & Fire and Sérgio Mendes, while his mother’s distinguished career as a background vocalist includes work with Beyoncé, Diana Ross, Luther Vandross, and Whitney Houston. A credit to nature and nurture, he’s emerged over the past decade as a supremely talented vocalist, composer, songwriter, and arranger. A graduate of New England Conservatory and the Thelonious Monk Institute (now the Hancock Institute of Jazz), Mayo has honed an enthralling sound steeped in jazz, neo-soul, and R&B. He’s toured with Herbie Hancock, recorded with drummer Nate Smith, and collaborated widely with Taylor Eigsti, singing on the title track of the pianist’s GRAMMY-winning 2021 album Tree Falls. Since then, Mayo has released two acclaimed albums of his own, firmly establishing himself as one of the most exciting young vocalists in jazz.

SAT 7.18 at 7:30 p.m. | ANAT COHEN
Fresh off a series of major events marking her 50th birthday, from Jazz at Lincoln Center to SFJAZZ, tenor saxophonist and clarinetist Anat Cohen returns to Stanford, where her jazz festival performances are an annual highlight. Since arriving in New York City in 1999 she has played trad jazz in ensembles devoted to the early music of Louis Armstrong and post-bop with her generation’s cutting-edge improvisers and composers. She soared in orchestral settings, celebrated Benny Goodman with Benny Green at the Village Vanguard, and danced tightrope in duet with Fred Hersch at Healdsburg (all captured on albums). She’s embraced her brothers (trumpeter Avishai and soprano saxophonist Yuval) in 3 Cohens and navigated Oded Lev-Ari’s intricate compositions for the Anat Cohen Tentet. Her love of Brazilian music has often been the focus of her annual Festival appearances, where she’s collaborated with some of the world’s greatest Brazilian musicians. Whether she’s exploring the music of overlooked genius Moacir Santos or MPB superstar Milton Nascimento, playing choro, bossa nova or Brazilian jazz with her Quartetinho, Cohen is a nonpareil clarinetist and suavely swinging tenor saxophonist at the peak of her craft.

SUN 7.19 at 7:30 p.m. | THE WESTERLIES
A singular chamber jazz ensemble, The Westerlies have honed a gorgeous, intricately calibrated approach that brings uncommon intimacy to the unique two trumpet, two trombone lineup. Featuring trumpeters Riley Mulherkar and Chloe Rowlands and trombonists Andy Clausen and Addison Maye-Saxon, The Westerlies sound like no other group in jazz. Introducing a new instrumental concept after more than a century of jazz-powered innovation is no small task, but The Westerlies combine the dynamic precision of a string quartet, the sonic punch of a rock band, and the derring-do of a circus act. Across 10 acclaimed studio albums the ensemble has arranged and performed music by a dazzling array of composers and collaborators, including Caroline Shaw, Nico Muhly, Conrad Tao, Wayne Horvitz, Robin Holcomb, and Theo Bleckmann. Last year the group released two major projects, Paradise, a breathtaking reimagination of the Shape Note choral tradition, and Songbook, Vol. 3, a live EP and concert film celebrating friends and recent collaborators, including Samora Pinderhughes, Anaïs Mitchell, Aoife O’Donovan, and Joanna Newsom. This year The Westerlies are presenting a major retrospective of new music by key mentor Bill Frisell and an adaptation of Maria Schneider’s GRAMMY-winning song cycle Winter Morning Walks featuring South African vocalist Vuyo Sotashe.

MON 7.20 at 7:30 p.m. | ANISHA RUSH QUARTET & BEN FLOCKS MOONSHADES
A potent double bill pairs two stellar saxophonists, with bands led by rising star Anisha Rush and mid-career master Ben Flocks, who’s celebrating the release of a powerhouse trio album Moonshades. An integral part of the Workshop family since he was a teenager, Flocks has earned widespread esteem while performing and recording with a glittering constellation of jazz stars, from Dave Brubeck, Patrice Rushen and Joshua Redman to Antonio Sanchez, Javier Santiago and Caili O’Doherty. He’s focused on writing and performing with a stripped-down trio, honing an approach that’s intensely lyrical and palpably physical. Sharing the evening is Colorado Springs-reared, New York City-based saxophonist, composer and educator Anisha Rush, an intrepid improviser who draws from the kindred currents of jazz, soul, R&B, and gospel. A rising bandleader in her own right, she’s made a powerful impression as a sidewoman with veteran masters such as Makaya McCraven, Ron Miles, Matt Wilson, and Art Lande.

TUE 7.21 at 7:30 p.m. | MILES CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION FEATURING JEREMY PELT
A prodigious trumpeter, producer and composer who’s been at the center of the New York jazz scene for a quarter century, Jeremy Pelt has released some two dozen albums as a leader exploring a wide array of instrumental settings. The Los Angeles native has traversed similarly expansive terrain as a sideman on some five-dozen albums with both veteran masters (such as Gerald Wilson, Cedar Walton, Louis Hayes, and Wayne Shorter) and contemporaries (including Camille Thurman, Somi, and Jaleel Shaw). Embracing his role as an established veteran, he’s taken to mentoring younger players while sharing wisdom from well-traveled cats in a series of books featuring his interviews with jazz masters, Griots: Examining the Lives of Jazz’s Great Storytellers. Many of the veterans he’s conversed with are Miles Davis alumni and Pelt is ideally prepared to celebrate Miles’ centennial, as both a player and raconteur.

WED 7.22 at 7:30 p.m. | RUTH DAVIES’ BLUES NIGHT
Returning for its 23rd edition, Ruth Davies’ Blues Night is a bona fide Stanford Jazz tradition that ensures that the music’s essential roots are explicitly recognized and honored. When John Lee Hooker needed to put some boom in his “Boom Boom,” he gave Ruth Davies a call. When R&B great Charles Brown sought a supple pulse for his cool West Coast blues, Davies supplied the beat. And when Elvin Bishop required extra propulsion for a new band, Davies provided the fuel. Over the past four decades she’s been the bassist of choice for dozens of masters in blues, jazz, R&B and beyond, from Taj Mahal and Barbara Dane to Clark Terry and Maria Muldaur. At Stanford, she’s taken it upon herself to ensure that the blues is always on the program, bringing in a special guest each season. This year’s featured artist is 23-year-old Sean “Mack” McDonald, an Augusta, Georgia-raised guitarist who is part of a wave of brilliant young Black musicians revitalizing the art form. Steeped in Chicago and West Coast post-war blues, he’s absorbed the sounds of Bobby “Blue” Bland, Louis Jordan, T-Bone Walker, and early BB King.

THU 7.23 at 7:30 p.m. | STEFON HARRIS & BLACKOUT
The contemporary jazz scene is amid an unprecedented wave of vibraphone innovation, and no artist deserves more credit for this development than Stefon Harris. Since emerging in the late-1990s with a series of highly acclaimed albums for Blue Note Records, the New York native has mentored many of the brightest young players to come up in his wake (like Sasha Berliner). But for the past two decades, he’s been a scarce presence in venues and recording studios. His latest album, 2018’s Sonic Creed (Motéma), features his band Blackout, and is a brilliant and lushly produced program of Harris originals and hard-bop standards by Horace Silver, Wayne Shorter, Bobby Timmons and Bobby Hutcherson. And like much of his work since he made a highly productive trip to Cuba in 2008 the album digs into the kindred roots of jazz and rumba (via percussion great Pedrito Martinez). An ambitious composer, startlingly eloquent improviser and savvy bandleader, he’s always looking to expand and deepen the Blackout musical family. He brings the band’s latest iteration west for a rare Stanford sojourn.

SAT 7.25 at 7:30 p.m. | YILIAN CAÑIZARES
After her jaw-dropping appearance last summer as a special guest with percussion maestro John Santos, it was obvious that Cuban violinist/vocalist Yilian Cañizares needed to return and present her own band. Cañizares is on the cusp of becoming a major figure on the North American jazz scene. Introduced to Bay Area audiences just before the advent of the pandemic via her collaboration with piano great Omar Sosa, with whom she recorded the gorgeous, spiritually charged 2018 album Aguas, the Swiss-based Cañizares has been looking for opportunities to return ever since. Born in Havana, she was 14 when she moved to Venezuela in 1997 to study at El Sistema founder José Antonio Abreu’s Academia Latinoamericana de Violin in Caracas. Three years later she relocated to Switzerland to complete her studies at the Fribourg/Freiburg conservatory and ended up settling in Lausanne. Increasingly interested in fusing her Cuban roots with jazz, she launched her first band, Ochumare, which means rainbow in Yoruba. The trio became a proving ground for her rapidly evolving music, which has been fueled by collaborations with Cuban piano stars such as Chucho Valdés, Omar Sosa, and Roberto Fonseca. But she’s reached far beyond her homeland in her quest for musical adventures, performing with Lebanese trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf, Romani flamenco legend Diego El Cigala, South Korean vocalist Youn Sun Nah, Tunisian oud master and vocalist Dhafer Youssef, and Cameroonian bass maestro Richard Bona.

SUN 7.26 at 8:00 p.m. | SASHA BERLINER
San Francisco-reared vibraphonist Sasha Berliner, who last performed at the Festival two years ago co-leading a tribute to vibes legend Bobby Hutcherson and drummer Eddie Marshall, returns for his Festival debut as a headliner with her state-of-the-art band. On a jazz scene bristling with brilliant young vibraphonists, she has distinguished herself with a lithe electro-acoustic group sound that’s rooted in post-bop improvisation and deeply informed by contemporary musical currents. Now based in Los Angeles, the San Francisco native spent formative years at the Workshop. The first of the three times she attended in high school she was still focusing on drums, but on her return trips she had switched to vibes and recalls soaking up invaluable experience in a combo led by Victor Lin. Sessions with Ambrose Akinmusire and Billy Hart set her up well for New York City and studies at the New School. She’s been soaring ever since as a bandleader, sidewoman and composer. Last year she released her third studio album, Fantôme (Outside In Music), a supple, lyrically charged project laced with electronic textures and production. Last fall the storied German jazz outfit the Frankfurt Radio Big Band performed a concert of arrangements of her compositions, and Berklee concluded a seminar focusing on her compositions with a program by the Sasha Berliner Berklee Ensemble. With jazz stars like Christian McBride, Cécile McLorin Salvant and Tyshawn Sorey calling her for gigs, she is flourishing as a full-spectrum creative force.

MON 7.27 at 8:00 p.m. | GUITAR NIGHT FEATURING CAMILA MEZA & DAN WILSON
A long-running, ever-changing showcase for jazz’s finest guitar practitioners, Guitar Night brings together two extraordinary bandleaders with very different sounds this season. Chilean-born Camila Meza first gained widespread attention on the New York scene in the late aughts working widely in bands led by Cuban pianist Fabian Almazan and trombonist Ryan Keberle (who started incorporating her vocals into arrangements for his Pan-American band Catharsis). She’s carved out her own identity as a composer, most vividly with her eight-piece Nectar Orchestra. Dan Wilson also came to renown as a sideman, via widespread touring with Hammond B3 great Joey DeFrancesco, and later bass star Christian McBride. Deeply inspired by guitar maestros Wes Montgomery, Charlie Christian, Joe Pass, and George Benson, he came up playing in church and every note is marked by his sanctified origins. With the release of his fourth album as a leader last year,Things Eternal, Wilson cemented his status as one of jazz’s most accomplished and expressive guitarists.

TUE 7.28 at 8:00 p.m. | GEORGE CABLES SEXTET FEATURING STANFORD JAZZ WORKSHOP FACULTY
At 81, pianist George Cables is jazz royalty. As an accompanist, composer and bandleader he’s been at the center of jazz’s progressive mainstream since the late 1960s, with a resume that rivals any living peer and a book of beloved compositions in regular circulation. A treasured presence at the Workshop for years, George Cables made a name for himself on a series of classic recordings by era-defining musicians, including Freddie Hubbard, Bobby Hutcherson, Joe Henderson and Woody Shaw. As a bandleader and composer, he’s made his mark with some two dozen albums, most recently his 2024 trio session I Hear Echoes with bassist Essiet Essiet and drummer Jerome Jennings. Since his recording debut on the 1968 album Electrifying Sounds of the Paul Jeffrey (a quintet session with drummer Billy Hart, his bandmate in the all-star combo The Cookers), Cables has distinguished himself with his bright, voluptuous sound and vivifying combination of elegance and grit. Altoist Art Pepper famously dubbed him “Mr. Beautiful” for his sublime melodic sensibility, but he could just as easily have been talking about Cables as a man. A composer of arrestingly alluring tunes, he’s made a deep mark wherever he’s spent time, nowhere more so than in Northern California, where his regular presence at Keystone Korner was an essential part of the storied North Beach venue’s creative mojo.

WED 7.29 at 8:00 p.m. | ALDO LÓPEZ-GAVILÁN
Even in a country with a glorious tradition of extravagantly talented pianists, Havana-reared Aldo López-Gavilán is a conspicuously commanding musician. Steeped in jazz, Afro-Cuban and European classical music, he’s a celebrated composer who hails from an illustrious musical clan. His father, Guido López-Gavilán, is an esteemed conductor and composer, and his late mother, Teresita Junco, was an acclaimed concert pianist. His older brother, violinist Ilmar Gavilán, is a founding member of the Harlem Quartet (their long thwarted but eventually successful efforts to perform together became the subject of the 2020 documentary Los Hermanos/The Brothers by award-winning Bay Area filmmakers Ken Schneider and Marcia Jarmel). After making his professional debut at age 12 with the Matanzas Symphony Orchestra, López-Gavilán went on to perform Prokofiev’s Third Piano Concerto with the National Symphonic Orchestra of Cuba. At the same time, he was delving into the classical canon, López-Gavilán was honing his skills as an improviser. Invited to perform at the Havana Jazz Festival with Chucho Valdés, he made such a powerful impression that the legendary pianist called him “simply a genius, a star.” He’s been living up to the praise ever since.

THU 7.30. at 8:00 p.m. | TAYLOR EIGSTI GROUP FEATURING GRETCHEN PARLATO & ZACK GROOVES
Since the turn of the century no artist has been more deeply identified with Stanford Jazz than pianist Taylor Eigsti, a prodigy who went on to carve out a brilliant career as an accompanist, composer and two-time GRAMMY Award-winning recording artist.
Eigsti’s annual performance at Stanford typically falls in the Festival’s last week, providing a bold exclamation point to the previous weeks of musical adventures. Though he’s never hidden his incandescent talent under a bushel, Eigsti did wait a decade between albums, a drought that came to an end with 2020’s Tree Falls, which earned a GRAMMY Award. His 2023 follow-up, Plot Armor, scored another GRAMMY, and he’s joined at this concert by the brilliant vocalist Gretchen Parlato, who sang on both projects. Eigsti has also toured widely with Parlato and recorded on several of her albums. They’re thrilled to regroup with a more recent connection, YouTube sensation Zack Grooves (aka Zack Graybeal). A stellar drummer who was known mostly as a busy sideman around North Carolina, he’s turned his YouTube channel into a bustling educational resource for fellow trap set acolytes with close to a half-million subscribers. Zach Grooves has been touring with Eigsti over the past couple of years, including a 2024 European jaunt featuring Parlato and tenor saxophonist Ben Wendel and a fall 2025 European tour with vocalist Becca Stevens.

FRI 7.31 at 8:00 p.m. | ALL-STAR JAM
At this lovingly curated annual jam session, audiences will hear pairings and combinations of jazz artists rarely heard anywhere else. In duet, trio, quartet, and larger ensembles, these amazing top-tier players will let their unbridled creativity soar. Artists TBA.

Doc Bowling and his Blues Professors at the Temple of Art and Music,  Elephant & Castle, London.

Date: Saturday, March 28, 2026

More details

We have received the following information regarding this event;

Dear friends,  You’re warmly invited to an evening of live blues with Doc Bowling & His Blues Professors, Saturday 28 March at the Temple of Art & Music, London.

For this special show we’re delighted to feature Johannes Bowling (saxophone) Mlle Chat Noir (violin) and Jens Skwirblies (keyboards) as well as the regulars Donnie Burke (guitar), Simon Minney (bass), Roger Chapman (drums) and Doc Bowling (guitar and lead vocal).

This concert will open the TAM Blues & Jazz Festival, a musical journey through the history of blues and jazz — from the roots of the 1930s to the modern British scene.

Beginning with the acoustic traditions of early American blues, the festival traces the evolution of the music through jazz, swing and the British blues movement, culminating with legendary singer Dana Gillespie and the London Blues Band.

Set in the Temple of Art & Music in Elephant & Castle during its final season, the festival celebrates the venue that refused to disappear and instead became a global stage for artists and audiences from around the world.

Event Details
Temple of Art & Music, Elephant & Castle
Saturday 28 March, 7.30pm
Doc Bowling & His Blues Professors
Featuring Johannes Bowling – saxophone

Tickets (£16):
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/doc-bowling-his-blues-professors-opening-night-tam-blues-jazz-fest-tickets-1985072665780?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

Recent press has described the band as:

“An absolute joy.” — Blues in Britain

“Their sets move effortlessly from smoky slow-burners to foot-stomping shuffles.” — Making A Scene

We’d love to see you there — come early, bring friends, and settle in for a great night of music.

Warmly,
Doc Bowling & His Blues Professors

Doc Bowling and his Blues Professors will be playing songs from their new album “Doc Bowling and his Blues Professors Sing the American Songbag” out now on vinyl, CD and all streaming platforms.

The professors have been pleasing audiences across the UK, Ireland and Germany for more than 15 years. Inspired by the heroes of blues, jazz and country from the 1930s, 40s and 50s. Their original songs bring new life to some old country blues tunes with contemporary political commentary.
All albums are available to stream!

https://bluesprofessors.com/

Martin Speake’s Charukesi, lunchtime event at Pizza Express Jazz Club, Soho, London.

Date: Saturday, April 11, 2026

Featuring: Martin Speake

Venue

Pizza Express Jazz Club, Soho, London

Pizza Express Jazz Club,
Dean Street,
Soho,
London,
W1D 3RW.

More details

From;
https://www.pizzaexpresslive.com/whats-on/martin-speakes-charukesi

Martin Speake’s Charukesi

PizzaExpress Jazz Club (Soho)
For 30 years alto saxophonist, composer and improviser Martin Speake has been exploring non-Western rhythmic and melodic approaches inspired by the music of many cultures. In particular Indian, Arabic, Turkish, African and jazz traditions. The latest incarnation is Charukesi, named after an Indian raga. Previous versions were Fever Pitch, Unison Quartet and Mafarowi. It is direct, groove based music with compelling and memorable melodies rooted in a dynamic tuba and drums rhythm section with impassioned soloing and interaction from guitarist Mike Outram, Alyson Cawley on tenor, and Martin’s alto saxophone.
£20.00

11 April 2026 12:00pm 1:00pm PizzaExpress Jazz Club (Soho)
Available
£20.00

Full Biography
Martin Speake first came to fame with the award-winning saxophone quartet Itchy Fingers in the 1980’s. He toured Europe, Africa and South America with them, recorded two albums Quark and Teranga and then left to concentrate on his own projects which have been many and diverse.
Martin is as comfortable playing the music of Charlie Parker, free improvising with Alex Maguire, Oren Marshall and Mark Sanders, Broadway songs with Colin Oxley or Ethan Iverson, Indian music with Dharambir Singh and Sarvar Sabri, and front a soon to be released big band recording and many other combinations including 30 albums under his own name. The internationally acclaimed ECM release Change of Heart with Paul Motian (previously with Bill Evans), Bobo Stenson and Mick Hutton and Intention (Ubuntu) with US pianist Ethan Iverson (previously The Bad Plus) increased his international exposure.
He has released many albums on his own label Pumpkin which began in 2007. This includes duos with saxophonist Alyson Cawley, pianists Alcyona Mick, Alex Maguire, Will Butterworth, violinist Faith Brackenbury, drummers Jeff Williams and Mark Sanders, trios with Mike Outram and Jeff Williams and another with drummer Phelan Burgoyne and cellist Matthew Forbes improvising on Bartok.
His current projects are Charukesi, Big Band, Quartet featuring Mike Outram, Tendrils duo with Alyson Cawley and Quintet celebrating Charlie Parker.

Band Lineup
Martin Speake (alto saxophone)
Alyson Cawley (tenor saxophone)
Mike Outram (guitar)
Richard Fox (tuba)
Tom Hooper (drums)

Africa Oyé Festival 2026, Sefton Park, Liverpool.

Dates: Saturday, June 20, 2026 - Sunday, June 21, 2026

Featuring: Various Artists

More details

Festival tickets are on sale now via http://www.ticketquarter and www.africaoye.com.

For more information, please visit http://www.africaoye.com.

Sean Noonan and St Paul’s Sinfonia, world premiere of The Drummer of Tedworth at Milton Court, London.

Date: Monday, March 30, 2026

More details

From;
https://www.gsmd.ac.uk/whats-on/the-drummer-of-tedworth-concerto-for-speaking-drummer-by-sean-noonan

The Drummer of Tedworth: A Concerto for Speaking Drummer by Sean Noonan

Composed and performed by Guildhall alumnus Sean Noonan – known for his “rhythmic storytelling” and hailed by Modern Drummer for his artistic independence – this world premiere performance of The Drummer of Tedworth is a collision of musical forms, inspired lunacy and fearless orchestration.

Featuring St Paul’s Sinfonia and conductor Darren Bloom, the concert celebrates the album’s release on Neuma Records with the London Symphony Orchestra.

A concerto for anyone who’s ever doubted existence… and laughed anyway.

Promoted by Sean Noonan

Mon 30 March 2026
7.30pm
Milton Court Concert Hall

Admission:
Tickets £20 (£15 concessions)

A 300 year old Gloucestershire ghost story turned surreal fantasy epic. A drummer who speaks, dreams, and drums the universe into chaos. A new kind of concerto.

Daylight Music: Piano Day with Lorenz Okello, Taz Modi + Mahya Mahroomi, lunchtime event at St John’s, Leytonstone, London.

Date: Saturday, April 18, 2026

More details

We have received the following information regarding this event;

Daylight Music: Piano Day with Lorenz Okello, Taz Modi + Mahya Mahroomi | 18 April at St John’s, Leytonstone

Piano Day is a chance or an excuse around the 88th day of the year to focus on the output of one of the most powerfully expressive musical instruments. In an age where everything is sampled or generated by algorithms, the music, harmonies and rhythm generated by mere human touch at the piano have become incredibly important, even vital.

Lorenz Okello is a record producer, songwriter, musician, sound designer, and artist with a vast and varied palate of musical tastes. By dividing their time between the studio and stage, Lorenz brings together all the symbiotic stages of music-making. This holistic perspective fuels their solo work, which serves as a liberating journey into crafting sonic worlds in real-time. Using only synths, a drum machine, and a piano, they explore the boundless possibilities of building ideas from scratch on the spot.

Best known for being a founding member of Submotion Orchestra and keyboardist for Portico Quartet, Taz Modi has built a reputation for blending jazz, classical, and electronic influences into an immersive sound world. Modi has also collaborated with artists such as DJ Shadow and Mr.Scruff and has been a key figure in Matthew Halsall’s Gondwana Orchestra, contributing to multiple albums. His influences range from Harold Budd and Brian Eno to Oneohtrix Point Never and Talk Talk, all of which can be felt in the atmospheric textures of his latest album Involuntary Memories.

Mahya Mahroomi is an Iranian pianist based in the UK, dedicated to promoting contemporary Iranian classical music through performance and collaboration. She began her musical journey at the age of seven and started piano at nine, continuing her studies in Iran despite cultural and religious restrictions on Western classical music. Mahya’s artistic vision focuses on creating a bridge between Persian musical identity and Western classical structures, with a strong emphasis on premiering works by Iranian composers and developing a distinctive repertoire of contemporary Persian-influenced piano music.

The piano is an instrument that demands everything from you physically as performer, with the independent movement of hands and, on occasion, feet. This music is designed to entertain, to engage and to transport. We look forward to welcoming these three exciting musical voices to St John’s grand piano.

Tickets;
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/arcticcircle/2105044

St John’s, Leytonstone
St John the Baptist, 825 High Rd Leytonstone, Bushwood, London E11 1HH.

Sarathy Korwar at Future Yard, Birkenhead.

Date: Saturday, March 28, 2026

More details

We have received the following information regarding this event;

Sarathy Korwar
Saturday 28th March, 7.30pm | Future Yard
TICKETS
https://www.eventim-light.com/uk/a/629dc481da0a110632e6a3c5/e/686e4f2a9191623abb4e5b1d

Following a landmark year of Indian Arts for Milap in 2025, culminating in their 40th Anniversary in October, it comes as no surprise that 2026 has got off to a flying start with the first show of upcoming season in Liverpool already sold out. Riding the wave, Milap have announced new shows, bringing a particular Indo-Jazz frontrunner to Birkenhead this March.

Standout figure on the UK Jazz scene, Sarathy Korwar takes to the stage of Future Yard in Birkenhead on Saturday 28th March, promoting his recently released studio album, ‘There Is Beauty, There Already’,

Korwar is a globally acclaimed percussionist, composer and producer. With ringing endorsements from the The Guardian, Rolling Stone, MOJO Magazine, Songlines and Jazz FM, Korwar has established himself as a defining jazz artist and collaborator - winning MOJO’s Jazz Album of the Year (2019), placing #2 in The Guardian’s Best Global Albums (2022) and winning Songlines’ Best Album of the Year in 2023.

Audiences can expect a striking, percussion-led exploration of rhythm, voice and electronics. With South Asian temple procession rhythms and contemporary minimalism, this is futuristic Indo-Jazz at its finest.

Future Yard, 75 Argyle Street, Birkenhead CH41 6AB
28/03/26 - 19:30

Haiku Salut + Osgled + Matt Sewell at Sy : Gigs, The Darwin Room, Shrewsbury Library, Shrewsbury.

Date: Sunday, September 13, 2026

More details

From Chris Taylor of Sy : Gigs

Event 4.0 - September 13th - Haiku Salut + Osgled + Matt Sewell
A new delicious afternoon matinee for your diaries.

Sunday 13th September 2026
The Darwin Room, Shrewsbury Library in Shrewsbury
2:30pm til 6:00pm (Performance starts 3:00pm)

September 13 — Early Bird tickets are now on sale. There are only a small number owing to capacity of venue.
https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Shrewsbury/The-Darwin-Room%2C-Shrewsbury-Library/Haiku-Salut—Osgled—Matt-Sewell/42155982/

I am really thrilled to welcome back @haikusalut to Shrewsbury.

The last time Haiku Salut joined us was in November 2018 at St Alkmund’s Church, an evening show beautifully supported by my friend Joel (@tinyleavesmusic).

This time, they return in a different light at our new venue, The Darwin Room, Shrewsbury Library, presenting a special afternoon matinee, with support from Osgled and Matt Sewell.

For those discovering them afresh, Haiku Salut are the Derbyshire-born trio of Gemma Barkerwood, Sophie Barkerwood and Louise Croft. Self-described as “instrumental dream-pop-post-folk-neo-everything,” their music is intricate, cinematic and entirely wordless, glockenspiel, accordion, piano, electronics and found sounds woven into something both playful and profound.
Drawing inspiration from composers such as Yann Tiersen and Benoît Charest, alongside the delicate experimentalism of Múm, they create immersive soundscapes that feel like miniature films unfolding in real time.
https://haikusalut.bandcamp.com/music

Osgled (Welsh for amplitude ) draws on a rich blend of experimental sounds, combines ethereal, atmospheric layers with poignant, melancholy synths, all woven together with dreamy and evocative vocals. The result is a soundscape that feels both otherworldly and deeply emotional, transporting listeners into a space of reflection and feeling.
https://osgled.bandcamp.com/music

The Matinee will be bookended again by dear friend and Shrewsbury polymath @mattsewell.
https://ctrmusic.bandcamp.com/album/a-crushing-glow-compiled-by-matt-sewell

Love Supreme Jazz Festival 2026 at Glynde Place, East Sussex.

Dates: Friday, July 03, 2026 - Sunday, July 05, 2026

Featuring: Various Artists

More details

For details please visit Festival website;
https://lovesupremefestival.com/

Olivia Murphy Jazz Orchestra at Pizza Express Jazz Club, Soho, London.

Date: Monday, May 18, 2026

Venue

Pizza Express Jazz Club, Soho, London

Pizza Express Jazz Club,
Dean Street,
Soho,
London,
W1D 3RW.

More details

From;
https://www.pizzaexpresslive.com/whats-on/olivia-murphy-jazz-orchestra

Olivia Murphy Jazz Orchestra
Album Launch

PizzaExpress Jazz Club (Soho)
The Olivia Murphy Jazz Orchestra returns to PizzaExpress Jazz Club after their sold out 2025 performance to celebrate their debut studio album release “Fateful Birds and Fledgling Stories”. Conducted by multi-award-winning composer Olivia Murphy, and featuring 18 of the most impressive improvising musicians from the UK jazz scene, this exclusive show will include brand new works, alongside compositions from the album, described as “some of the most exciting large ensemble jazz emerging from the London scene today”.
£25.00

18 May 2026 6:30pm 8:00pm PizzaExpress Jazz Club (Soho)
Available
£25.00

Full Biography

Olivia Murphy has quickly established herself as an innovative, creative and colourful artist working in large ensemble composition and has developed her own distinct and personal voice. Her music fuses contemporary composition and song-writing with elements of free improvisation, while always keeping story-telling at its core, hailed as “outstanding … fresh, original contemporary music that certainly deserves to be given a much wider audience” (Jazzwise).

Murphy has been funded to record her orchestral works by Help Musicians and PRS Foundation, and is the winner of both the Musicians’ Company Eddie Harvey Award (for jazz arrangement) and the Dankworth Award (for jazz composition). In recent years she has been commissioned by Merton Music Foundation, University of Birmingham and Sonorite Saxophone Quartet and has been published by the ABRSM. Murphy is also Resident Musical Director for the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, and has directed her music on collaborations with Cambridge University Jazz Orchestra, Trinity Laban Jazz Ensemble and Birmingham Jazz Orchestra.

With inspiration from Greek Myth to video games, instrumentation including bass flutes and mezzo sopranos, and free improvisation weaved into intricate compositions, Olivia Murphy Jazz Orchestra (OMJO) is heartfelt then silly, orderly then raucous but always astonishingly original. The Orchestra features 18 of the most impressive improvisers in the UK, all sharing a common thread of the Birmingham or London jazz scenes. Murphy’s compositions have been described as “an undoubted triumph” and “fresh contemporary music”, while her distinct conducting style is “like expressive dancing”; she feels that leading her Orchestra is exactly what she was meant to do.

OMJO was formed in early 2022 after being awarded the prestigious Peter Whittingham Development Award, and the Orchestra has since performed sold out dates across the UK, including Birmingham Symphony Hall, The Vortex Jazz Club, and Cheltenham Jazz Festival. The Orchestra’s debut EP “Somewhere, Not So Far Away”, recorded live in Birmingham was described as “brimming with emotion” and “highly accomplished music”. In 2024, the Orchestra recorded their debut studio album “Fateful Birds and Fledgling Stories” with support from the Help Musicians’ Next Level Award which will be released on 8th May 2026.

Band Lineup
Olivia Murphy (conductor / composer)
Becca Wilkins & Rebecka Edlund (vocals)
Poppy Helmer, Lewis Sallows, George Garford, Jonathan Chung & Alicia Gardener Trejo (woodwinds)
Tom Syson, Alex Astbury, Charlotte Keeffe (trumpets)
Dave Sear, Joel Knee, Christ-Stephane Boizi, Olivia Hughes (trombones)
Daniel Kemshell (guitar)
Olly Chalk (piano)
Aram Bahmaie (double bass)
Kai Chareunsy (drums)

“her arrangements bring to mind Gil Evans, elsewhere are reminiscent of Maria Schneider, wistful and moody…clearly a name to watch out for”
UKJazzNews

42nd Birmingham Jazz & Blues Festival, various venues, Birmingham and West Midlands.

Dates: Friday, July 24, 2026 - Sunday, August 02, 2026

More details

For details please visit Festival website;
http://www.birminghamjazzfestival.com/

Dumfries Jazz Weekend at The Cairndale Hotel & Spa, Dumfries, Scotland.

Dates: Friday, March 27, 2026 - Sunday, March 29, 2026

More details

We have received the following information regarding this event;

South West Scotland’s Jazz Festival on the Menu at The Cairndale Hotel

Top spa hotel fine tunes South West Scotland’s jazz festival

Great jazz is on the menu at Scotland’s top spa hotel when The Cairndale in Dumfries hosts events at the town’s Jazz Festival from 27-29 March.

Lunches, afternoon teas and dinners will ring with the music of bands like the Jake Leg Jug Band (pictured) and Mike Daly’s Dixieland Rhythm Kings.

Two nights bed breakfast plus two four course dinners are from £398 for two people. Spa access can be added for an extra charge.

The Cairndale, Scotland’s current Independent Hotel and Spa of the Year, has ample free on-site parking and is a few hundred yards from Dumfries railway station.

To book email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), call 01387-254111 or see http://www.cairndalehotel.co.uk.

More info at;
https://www.cairndalehotel.co.uk/event/dumfries-jazz-weekend-27th-28th-march-2026/

The Cairndale Hotel & Spa
English St,
Dumfries,
DG1 2DF.

Stacey Kent at Cadogan Hall, London.

Dates: Thursday, July 16, 2026 - Friday, July 17, 2026

Featuring: Stacey Kent

More details

SERIOUS have provided the following information;

Thu 16 & Fri 17 July, Cadogan Hall

Stacey Kent

Due to high demand and limited tickets for 16 July, a second date has been added on Friday 17 July for Stacey Kent at Cadogan Hall. Don’t miss the Grammy-nominated star part of this year’s Summer Jazz Series.

Tickets;
https://serious.org.uk/events/stacey-kent

Cadogan Hall,
5 Sloane Terrace
SW1X 9DQ.

Katie Melua + Jed Holland at Union Chapel, Islington, London.

Date: Tuesday, July 07, 2026

More details

SERIOUS have provided the following information regarding this event;

Tuesday 7 July, Union Chapel

Katie Melua + Jed Holland

This July, one of the UK’s best-selling female artists, Katie Melua, brings an intimate show to Union Chapel. With over 11 million albums sold and 56 platinum awards, she continues to captivate audiences worldwide.

Tickets;
https://serious.org.uk/events/katie-melua

Union Chapel,
Compton Terrace,
London,
N1 2UN

Gaz Hughes Trio at Shrewsbury Jazz Network, The Hive Music & Media Centre, Shrewsbury.

Date: Saturday, June 13, 2026

Featuring: The Gaz Hughes Trio

Venue

The Hive, Shrewsbury

5 Belmont,
Shrewsbury,
Shropshire.
UK

More details

From Mike Wright of Shrewsbury Jazz Network;

Gaz Hughes Trio
June 13 £25/£12 U22
Drummer Gaz Hughes returns to SJN at the Hive with his exciting trio partners Gavin Barras (double bass) & Andrzej Baranek (piano). Rooted in the timeless tradition of the piano trio, they breathe fresh life into standards and mix in a few of their own original compositions for good measure. The result showcases seamless interaction, bold creativity, and an infectious joy. Classic Sound with a Modern Twist.
‘A high level of swing and musicality…Jazz Journal

Alex Hitchcock Quartet at Shrewsbury Jazz Network, The Hive Music & Media Centre, Shrewsbury.

Date: Saturday, May 09, 2026

Featuring: Alex Hitchcock Quartet

Venue

The Hive, Shrewsbury

5 Belmont,
Shrewsbury,
Shropshire.
UK

More details

From Mike Wright of Shrewsbury Jazz Network;

Alex Hitchcock Quartet
May 9 £25/£12 U22
Following sold-out album launches in New York and London, Saxophonist and composer Alex Hitchcock brings a cutting-edge quartet with Joe Downard (bass), Will Barry (piano) & Luke McCarthy (drums). This exciting band will be performing music from the acclaimed new release. ‘Letters from Afar’, a sonic correspondence across
emotional, geographic, and artistic distances. This is music for curious, open-minded listeners drawn to art at the edge of beauty and disruption.
‘Leading the charge in terms of new jazz music being created in the UK..’ BBC Jazz World

Pete Roth Trio at Guildford Jazz, The University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey.

Date: Thursday, April 30, 2026

Featuring: Pete Roth

More details

From Mick Thomas of Guildford Jazz;

Pete Roth Trio at Guildford Jazz, The University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey
Date: Thursday, April 30, 2026
More details
Pete Roth Trio
Thursday 30 Apr from 20.00 to 22.15 (doors open 19.00) at the University of Surrey, Stag Hill, Guildford GU2 7XH
A unique evening with legendary prog-jazz drummer BILL BRUFORD who set the standard for creative rock drumming with Yes and King Crimson before returning
to his first love, jazz. The Pete Roth Trio, which features Bill Bruford on drums, Pete Roth on guitar and Mike Pratt on bass, strives for an intimate, eclectic approach
that references everything from jazz funk to the classical music of Dvořák. This performance includes a pre-concert interview with Bill Bruford from Guildford
Mayor HOWARD SMITH.
For more details and to book tickets visit
https://www.guildfordjazz.org.uk

Jo Fooks Trio, lunchtime performance at Guildford Jazz, The Guildford Institute, Guildford, Surrey

Date: Monday, April 13, 2026

More details

From Mick Thomas of Guildford Jazz;

Jo Fooks Trio at Guildford Jazz, The Guildford Institute, Guildford, Surrey
Date: Monday, April 13, 2026
More details
Jo Fooks Trio
Monday 13 Apr from 14.00 to 15.00 (doors open for lunch at 12.00) at the Guildford Institute, Ward St, Guildford GU1 4LH
Former winner of the ‘Young Scottish Musician of the Year’ and a member of the Humphrey Lyttelton band, Jo Fooks is a wonderful tenor saxophonist with a
mellow tone that’s often compared to that of jazz legend Stan Getz. Joining Jo is the hard-swinging pianist JOHN PEARCE, whose career has taken him all over the
world playing with such jazz royalty as Anita O’Day, Peggy Lee and Art Farmer.
Guildford Jazz anchor Marianne Windham completes the line-up on double bass.
For more details and to book tickets visit
https://www.guildfordjazz.org.uk

Chuck Israels Quartet at Guildford Jazz, The Guildford Pavilion, Guildford, Surrey.

Date: Wednesday, April 08, 2026

More details

From Mick Thomas of Guildford Jazz;

Chuck Israels Quartet at Guildford Jazz,
The Guildford Pavilion, Guildford, Surrey
Date: Wednesday, April 8, 2026
More details
Chuck Israels Quartet
Wednesday 8 Apr from 20.00 to 22.15 (doors open 19.00) at the Guildford Pavilion, Woodbridge Rd, Guildford GU1 4RP
A rare European performance from the great American bassist Chuck Israels, described by Humphrey Lyttelton as “a superb technician who handles the double bass as easily as if it were a guitar’. Chuck is best known for his work with the legendary Bill Evans Trio but he has also worked with such jazz luminaries as Billie Holiday, Coleman Hawkins, Stan Getz and John Coltrane. Chuck will be joined by tenor saxophonist Fraser Smith, guitarist Jonas Metsäkylä and drummer Steve Brown.
For more details and to book tickets visit
https://www.guildfordjazz.org.uk

OK Aurora at The Royal Albert, New Cross, London.

Date: Sunday, March 22, 2026

Featuring: OK Aurora

More details

Rod Oughton writes;

We are assembling at the Royal Albert in New Cross on 22nd March for a very special one time performance to release our second album ‘Hope’. It’s one of my favourite places to play in London and it’s also free entry! We’re on at 8.30 - see you there?

Jazz In The Round, Easter Uprising Festival at The Cockpit Theatre, Marylebone, London.

Dates: Monday, March 30, 2026 - Friday, April 03, 2026

Featuring: Various Artists

More details

We have received the following information;

Easter Uprising: lvdf, Noah Ojumu Quartet + more tba
A Jazz in the Round special
Produced and presented by Jazz in the Round
Noah Ojumu is a London-based jazz drummer and composer whose quartet is defined by strong rhythmic melodies and dynamic interplay. His original compositions reflect groove-oriented music merged with his passion for jazz, resulting in a vibrant sound.
Date:
30 March – 8pm
Tickets
All GA tickets on sliding-scale prices £7.50 – £25 (incl. booking fee)
Package deals available
Website: https://www.thecockpit.org.uk/show/easter_uprising_lvdf_noah_ojumu_quartet_more_tba

Easter Uprising: Urvashi
A Jazz in the Round special
Produced and presented by Jazz in the Round
Urvashi combines elements of Indian Qawwali, Arabic Tarab, modal jazz, and hard rock to create fresh interpretations of music, reflecting a unique performance practice inspired by UK rave culture.
Date:
31 March – 8pm
Tickets
All GA tickets on sliding-scale prices £7.50 – £25 (incl. booking fee)
Website: https://www.thecockpit.org.uk/show/easter_uprising_urvashi

Easter Uprising: Orphy Robinson
A Jazz in the Round special
Produced and presented by Jazz in the Round
Join us for Easter Uprising, featuring Orphy Robinson, an award-winning multi-instrumentalist with a rich history of performance and numerous prestigious awards.
Date:
1 April – 8pm
Tickets
All GA tickets on sliding-scale prices £7.50 – £25 (incl. booking fee)
Package deals available
Website: https://www.thecockpit.org.uk/show/easter_uprising_orphy_robinson

Easter Uprising: Thomas /  Edwards /  Noble
A Jazz in the Round special
Produced and presented by Jazz in the Round
Join us for Jazz in the Round’s Easter Uprising featuring London’s leading drummer, Steve Noble, with renowned musicians Pat Thomas and John Edwards. Expect an unforgettable night of improvisational jazz.
Date:
2 April – 8pm
Tickets
All GA tickets on sliding-scale prices £7.50 – £25 (incl. booking fee)
Package deals available
Website: https://www.thecockpit.org.uk/show/easter_uprising_thomas_edwards_noble

Easter Uprising: Zola Marcelle, Jemima Whyte + Knobil
A Jazz in the Round Special
Produced and presented by Jazz in the Round
Join Zola Marcelle, Jemima Whyte, and Knobil for a night of vibrant jazz at The Cockpit’s Easter Uprising.
Date:
3 April – 7:30pm
Tickets
All GA tickets on sliding-scale prices £7.50 – £25 (incl. booking fee)
Package deals available
Website: https://www.thecockpit.org.uk/show/easter_uprising_zola_marcelle_jemima_whyte_knobil

The Cockpit
Gateforth Street
London
NW8 8EH

0207 2582925

https://www.thecockpit.org.uk

Nils Kavanagh Trio at Black Mountain Jazz, Melville Centre for the Arts, Abergavenny.

Date: Sunday, April 26, 2026

Featuring: Nils Kavanagh

More details

From;
https://www.blackmountainjazz.co.uk/event-details/the-nils-kavanagh-trio

The Nils Kavanagh Trio
Sun 26 Apr |  Melville Centre for the Arts

Time & Location
26 Apr 2026, 19:00 – 23:00
Melville Centre for the Arts, 5 Pen-Y-Pound, Abergavenny NP7 5UN, UK

About the event

Winner of the Young Irish Jazz Musician of the Year Award 2022-2024 and finalist in the BBC Young Jazz Musician 2024, Irish/Danish pianist Nils Kavanagh is making his mark on contemporary improvised music.

His highly anticipated debut album, ‘No Expectations’ brought an energetic and explorative sound,with a taste for strong melodies, bright harmonies and explosive rhythms.
Home, joy, family, mythology, folk music, loss and longing are all key to Nils’ music, with an overarching focus on warm melody and musical storytelling.

Nils’ trio, consisting of bassist Ursula Harrison (BBC Young Jazz Musician 2024 winner) and drummer Sam Green, present a diverse mix of music, ranging from compositions inspired by Celtic traditional music and contemporary jazz from Scandinavia and the UK, to modern interpretations of jazz repertoire and other popular music, bringing a new flavour to the classic piano trio format.

Tickets
Ticket type
General Admission
Price
From £9.00 to £18.00

Standard
£18.00

Friends of BMJ
£16.00

Underr 18’s
£9.00

Shirly Smart Trio at Divinity School Lecture Theatre, St.John’s College, Theatre, Cambridge.

Date: Friday, May 22, 2026

Featuring: Shirley Smart

More details

We have received the following information regarding this event;

Shirley Smart Trio - 22nd May - Divinity Theatre, Cambridge City Centre

SHIRLEY SMART TRIO
Friday 22nd May

Jazz artist in residence Shirley Smart brings her dynamic blend of North African, Middle Eastern infused Jazz to John’s.

Shirley Smart - cello
John Crawford - piano
Demi Garcia Sabat - drums

Doors 18:30 / Concert 19:00
Divinity School Lecture Theatre

Shirley Smart is recognised as one of the UK’s most versatile and creative cellists – being equally at home and well versed in jazz and Middle Eastern music, as well as classical music.

“Fascinating listening, and thought-provoking entertainment for the open-eared”
The Arts Desk

‘A superb set -  a sound world that is at once rooted in the ancient and traditional musics that it draws from in an utterly contemporary manner that also incorporates modern jazz.”
Jazzviews

Drawing on a background of 10 years living in Jerusalem and working with the overlapping worlds of jazz, Arabic, Turkish and North African music, her trio brings these influences together in an evening of vibrant melodies, grooves, swing and lively improvisation. Showcasing her unique ability to explore the potential of the cello in a jazz context, performing multiple roles as bassist, lead and soloist on the instrument, and featuring also some of the UK’s leading lights in world-influenced jazz - John Crawford on piano, and Demi Garcia Sabat on percussion, this dynamic group promises and evening of inspired music-making

Originally trained under Raphael Wallfisch at the Guildhall School of Music, and Janos Starker in Paris, she subsequently moved to Jerusalem, where she remained for 10 years, studying and performing a wide variety of musical traditions from North Africa, Turkey and Middle East. She was also highly active on the jazz scene, working with artists including Avishai Cohen, Omer Avital and Yasmin Levy. Since returning to the UK, she has quickly become known as one of the most creative cellists on the music scene and has worked with many leading jazz and world music groups, including Antonio Forcione, Mulato Astatke, Neil Cowley, Julian Ferraretto and Robert Mitchell. She leads her own trio, with John Crawford on piano, and Demi Garcia Sabat on drums, and band Melange.

Shirley is Professor of Musicianship and Improvisation at the Royal College of Music in London and Musician-in Residence at St. Johns College, Cambridge. She has also held posts at City, University of London and Kent University and is a visiting tutor for the National Youth Jazz Collective.

Tickets;
https://wegottickets.com/event/686181

CAMBRIDGE: Divinity School Lecture Theatre
Old Divinity School
St John’s College
Cambridge
CB2 1TP.
http://www.joh.cam.ac.uk
Access: Often entered from All Saints’ Passage, linking St John’s Street.

Dave Jones Quintet at The Bebop Club,The Hen & Chicken,  Bristol.

Date: Thursday, March 26, 2026

Featuring: Dave Jones Quintet

More details

Dave Jones Quintet at The Bebop Club Bristol - Thurs 26 March

Dave Jones presents his new Quintet project ‘2 Down And 1 Across’ : Music from The Songbook album by Kenny Garrett

The Quintet will play Andy Hague’s new arrangements of tunes from arguably Garrett’s finest album, alongside some of Dave’s new compositions.

Tickets here;
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/the-be-bop-club/dave-jones-quintet-2-down-and-1-across/e-qgxbpl

Dave Jones Quintet - 2 Down and 1 Across
The Hen & Chicken, Bristol, BS3 1JF
Thursday 26th March 2026

Dave Jones - piano, Andy Hague - trumpet, Ben Waghorn - tenor sax, Ashley John Long - bass, Ryan Thrupp - drums

Following the quintet’s previous projects ‘A Hole in One’ and ‘A Hole in Two’, they now have a new project for 2026 - ‘2 Down and 1 Across’ featuring new interpretations of tunes from Songbook, arguably the finest album by Kenny Garrett, alongside new and not so new tunes by pianist/composer Dave Jones.

The opening tune of Garrett’s Songbook album, ‘2 Down and 1 Across’, gives a dramatic start to arguably his finest album, bringing together a particularly strong set of compositions and one of his finest line-ups featuring the late great pianist Kenny Kirkland and Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts on the drums. The Dave Jones Quintet will be interpreting a handful of Garrett tunes from Songbook (plus an additional one by Kirkland), alongside compositions new and old from Jones.

Dave also composes music for TV, and has had numerous placements of tracks in productions in the US (‘The Big Bang Theory’, ‘The Today Show’, The US Open Golf Tournament), in Japan (NHK news and current affairs), and the UK (‘University Challenge’, ‘Location, Location, Location’, ‘Alan Carr’s Adventures with Agatha Christie’, and many others).

“Scintillating horn interplay that mixed fire with subtlety, qualities that Jones also brought to a sparkling piano solo” (JazzMann, live review 2023). “Solid and deep-delving swing, especially when the band switched straight into fifth gear, as on ‘Chief Blackwater’ “ (Jazz Journal, live review 2023).

Saxophonist Ben Waghorn is one of Bristol’s finest players with a national reputation - he has worked in London’s West End and on many pop, TV and film recordings. He has been involved in a range of projects with Keith Tippett, including ‘Tapestry’, a piece written by Keith for two saxophone quartets and the BBC singers, the quartet ‘Work in Progress’ and The Keith Tippett Octet. He can also be heard on recordings with Geoff Eales and Dave Stapleton [Slowly Rolling Camera]. Ben has also recently performed with the BBC Big Band and played in Singapore with the London Concert Orchestra.

Trumpeter Andy Hague is well known as leader of his own quintet, Double Standards quartet and Horace Silver tribute Silverado. He also frequently appears at the club on drums.

Bassist Ashley John Long is revered for his astonishing technique, and alongside his jazz career has a growing reputation as a contemporary classical composer.

Drummer Ryan Thrupp graduated with a First from the Royal Welsh College jazz degree course a few years back, and besides his jazz activities plays with funky festival favourites Cut Capers and appeared on live BBC TV from Glastonbury 2023 with afro-beat balafon player N’famady Kouyaté.

Website:
davejonesjazz.com

Pete Oxley’s Time is of the Essence, lunchtime event at Harborough Jazz Club, The Three Swans Hotel, Market Harborough, Leicestershire.

Date: Sunday, June 14, 2026

More details

From;
https://harboroughjazz.com/

Welcome to Harborough Jazz

Who Are We?
Harborough Jazz Club focuses on promoting modern and mainstream forms of Jazz. We stage a monthly Sunday gig and a local jam session. We have an excellent reputation for providing jazz sessions from national and international names. Join as a club member and enjoy special rates and booking privileges.

Where to Find Us
We look forward to seeing you at our lunchtime sessions on the second Sunday in every month at The Three Swans Hotel, Market Harborough, UK to enjoy a friendly relaxed atmosphere, good food and the best in modern jazz. Our open jam sessions are held on the last Tuesday in the month the Coach and Horses pub in Lubenham (see Local Jazz News). https://harboroughjazz.com/local-jazz-news

Pete Oxley’s Time is of the Essence
The Three Swans , Market Harborough, LE167NJ
Sunday 14th June 2026
Pete Oxley: Time is of the Essence
Inspired by the stunning 1999 album by Michael Brecker, Time is of the Essence is an ‘organ quartet’: sax, guitar, organ and drums.  Formed in 2010, the band features original music along with pieces by the likes of Michael Brecker, Steely Dan, Wes Montgomery and Eddie Harris, falling very much into the ‘groove’ category of jazz!
Ollie Weston ~ Saxophones,  Pete Oxley ~ Guitars,  Martin Pickett ~ Organ, Keith Fairbairn ~ Drums
Tickets;
https://www.ticketsource.com/booking/select/npkpedezpxbg
PLEASE HELP US BY PURCHASING TICKETS IN ADVANCE

The Three Swans Hotel,
21 High Street,
Market Harborough,
Leicestershire,
LE16 7NJ

01858 466644

https://threeswans.co.uk/

Dean Stockdale Quartet, lunchtime event at Harborough Jazz Club, The Three Swans Hotel, Market Harborough, Leicestershire.

Date: Sunday, May 10, 2026

Featuring: Dean Stockdale Quartet

More details

From;
https://harboroughjazz.com/

Welcome to Harborough Jazz

Who Are We?
Harborough Jazz Club focuses on promoting modern and mainstream forms of Jazz. We stage a monthly Sunday gig and a local jam session. We have an excellent reputation for providing jazz sessions from national and international names. Join as a club member and enjoy special rates and booking privileges.

Where to Find Us
We look forward to seeing you at our lunchtime sessions on the second Sunday in every month at The Three Swans Hotel, Market Harborough, UK to enjoy a friendly relaxed atmosphere, good food and the best in modern jazz. Our open jam sessions are held on the last Tuesday in the month the Coach and Horses pub in Lubenham (see Local Jazz News). https://harboroughjazz.com/local-jazz-news

The Dean Stockdale Quartet
The Three Swans, Market Harborough, LE167NJ
Sunday 10th May 2026
Dean Stockdale is a highly regarded jazz pianist, arranger and composer known for his sensitive, swinging style, and regularly appears around the UK with his trio and with some of the best names in UK jazz. His biggest influences in jazz are the piano styles of Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, Gene Harris, Mulgrew Miller and Erroll Garner. He enjoys the tradition of mainstream jazz with a passion for the American Songbook. Also featured will be Tim Williams guitar, Gavin Barras bass and Gaz Hughes drums.
Tickets;
https://www.ticketsource.com/booking/select/zjkyakqmenen
PLEASE HELP US BY PURCHASING TICKETS IN ADVANCE

The Three Swans Hotel,
21 High Street,
Market Harborough,
Leicestershire,
LE16 7NJ

01858 466644

https://threeswans.co.uk/

Chris Coull at Harborough Jazz Club,  lunchtime event at Harborough Jazz Club, The Three Swans Hotel, Market Harborough, Leicestershire.

Date: Sunday, April 12, 2026

More details

From;
https://harboroughjazz.com/

Welcome to Harborough Jazz

Who Are We?
Harborough Jazz Club focuses on promoting modern and mainstream forms of Jazz. We stage a monthly Sunday gig and a local jam session. We have an excellent reputation for providing jazz sessions from national and international names. Join as a club member and enjoy special rates and booking privileges.

Where to Find Us
We look forward to seeing you at our lunchtime sessions on the second Sunday in every month at The Three Swans Hotel, Market Harborough, UK to enjoy a friendly relaxed atmosphere, good food and the best in modern jazz. Our open jam sessions are held on the last Tuesday in the month the Coach and Horses pub in Lubenham (see Local Jazz News). https://harboroughjazz.com/local-jazz-news

Chris Coull
The Three Swans, Market Harborough, LE167NJ
Sunday 12th April 2026
Chris has based himself in Brighton where his playful be-bop style has been in evidence in the clubs and festivals around the area. Chris has played with and led many collaborations including Alan Barnes, David Newton, Andy Panayi, and Toni Kofi.  Chris has appeared at many festivals and jazz clubs including, Appleby Jazz festival, Manchester Jazz Festival, Love Supreme, Leeds Jazz Festival, and Band On The Wall.
“Chris is a beautiful lyrical trumpet player who embraces the great musical lineage of jazz.” Dominick Farinacci, International jazz trumpeter and Wynton Marsalis protégé.
Tickets;
https://www.ticketsource.com/booking/select/yvdedmzezzoe
PLEASE HELP US BY PURCHASING TICKETS IN ADVANCE

The Three Swans Hotel,
21 High Street,
Market Harborough,
Leicestershire,
LE16 7NJ

01858 466644

https://threeswans.co.uk/

Norman Connors & The Starship Orchestra with Meli’sa Morgan & Bobby Lyle at Cadogan Hall, London.

Dates: Tuesday, May 05, 2026 - Wednesday, May 06, 2026

More details

We have received the following information regarding this event;

NORMAN CONNORS & the STARSHIP ORCHESTRA with Meli’sa Morgan & Bobby Lyle.

European exclusive dates for legendary American jazz-funk producer, composer and drummer Norman Connors and the Starship Orchestra with special guests Meli’sa Morgan and Bobby Lyle.

Born in Philadelphia, Norman Connors started his career as drummer with John Coltrane, Archie Shepp and Pharaoh Sanders releasing his debut album, ‘Dance of Magic’, as a bandleader in 1972. After signing with Buddha Records in 1974, where he also became the label’s A&R manager, Norman Connors scored his biggest crossover hits with ‘Valentine Love’ featuring Michael Henderson & Jean Carne (1975), ‘We Both Need Each Other’ (1976) and his signature song ‘You Are My Starship’ which was written and sung by Michael Henderson.

Norman Connors’ back catalogue features rare groove and jazz-dance classics such as ‘Mother of the Future’, ‘Captain Connors’, ‘Mr. C’, ‘Once I’ve Been There’, ‘Phoenix’, ‘Stella’, ‘Samba for Maria’ and many more.

Over the years, Norman Connors has performed and recorded with artists such as Herbie Hancock, Stanley Clarke, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Airto Moreira, Alphonse Mouzon, Cecil McBee, Gary Bartz, Eddie Henderson, Hubert Laws, Bill Summers, Carlos Garnett, Ron Carter, Anthony Jackson, Jean Carne, Phyllis Hyman, Lee Ritenour, James Gadson, Dorothy Ashby, Paulinho Da Costa, The Jones Girls, Nathan East, Glenn Jones, Peabo Bryson, Sun Ra, Mtume, Freddie Hubbard, Billy Paul amongst many others.

R&B /Soul singer Meli’sa Morgan is famed for the ‘Fools Paradise’ single and her cover of the Prince song ‘Do Me, Baby’. Her career started in the High Fashion group whose sole hit was ‘Feelin’ Lucky Lately’ (1982). Meli’sa has worked with Chaka Khan, Whitney Houston, Melba Moore, Kashif, Cool Million, & Freddie Jackson.

Keyboardist Bobby Lyle started his career in the Young-Holt Unlimited group in the late 1960’s. After stints touring with Sly & The Family Stone and Ronnie Laws, Bobby Lyle released his classic LP ‘The Genie’ (1977). Bobby Lyle has released 17 essential solo albums over his career and has performed with Anita Baker, George Benson, Phyllis Hyman, Al Jarreau and many more.

https://www.seetickets.com/tour/norman-connors-the-starship-orchestra

Cadogan Hall
5 Sloane Terrace
London
SW1X 9DQ

http://www.cadoganhall.com

Julian Martin Trio at The Small Space, Barry.

Date: Thursday, March 19, 2026

More details

Julian Martin writes;

It’s been a while since the trio had an outing, but we’ll be at the iconic “Small Space” in Barry on March 19th, playing some original material, along with some arrangements of some classic popular tunes from the 60’s to the 90’s.

As always the trio features:

Ian Williams, Drums
Ross Thomas, Bass
Julian Martin, Piano

There are only a few tickets left (It is a small space!) and it will be a rare opportunity to hear us in a very relaxed and intimate setting.
Tickets can be had via the link below.
https://www.thesmallspace.co.uk/whats-on

The Small Space
5 Island Road
Barry, CF62 7AR

Call: 07878 755387

Tommy Scott Trio at Cheltenham Jazz Club, The Irving Studio, The Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham, Glos.

Date: Monday, October 19, 2026

More details

From;
https://www.everymantheatre.org.uk/shows/jazz-in-the-studio/

Tommy Scott Trio
Mon 19th Oct
Tommy’s music takes listeners on a compelling journey, from sensitive and lyrical moods, to passionate and driving virtuosity. Although Tommy is influenced by the mainstream jazz tradition of Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock and McCoy Tyner, his music also has elements of latin grooves and classical composition. For this performance, Tommy makes a rare return to his hometown of Cheltenham, featuring a trio with the amazingly talented Max Luthert on Bass, and Euan Palmer on Drums.

Box Office:
01242 572 573

The Everyman Theatre
Regent Street, Cheltenham, GL50 1HQ.

The Jon Lloyd Quartet at Cheltenham Jazz Club, The Irving Studio, Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham.

Date: Monday, May 11, 2026

Featuring: Jon Lloyd’s European Quartet

More details

From;
https://www.everymantheatre.org.uk/shows/jazz-in-the-studio/

The Jon Lloyd Quartet
Mon 11th May
An original ECM-style European contemporary jazz group. The music is both sensitive and exuberant , melodic yet harmonically exciting, and has a persuasive way of reaching an audience.
Jon Lloyd - Saxophone
John Law - Piano
Nick Pini - Double Bass
Alex Goodyear - Drums

The Everyman Theatre
Regent Street, Cheltenham, GL50 1HQ.

Box Office: 
01242 572573

King Pleasure & The Biscuit Boys - 40th Anniversary Special at The Regal, Tenbury Wells, Worcs.

Date: Saturday, July 11, 2026

More details

We have received the following information regarding this event;

King Pleasure & The Biscuit Boys - 40th Anniversary Special

Saturday 11th July 2026 | 7:30pm

King Pleasure and the Biscuit Boys will celebrate an incredible 40 years on the road in 2026. Formed in 1986 in Darlaston, the band still features original members King Pleasure and Bullmoose ‘K’ Shirley and has performed more than 7,000 shows across 21 countries, sharing stages with legends including B.B. King and Ray Charles.

With 14 albums, dozens of radio and TV appearances, and a reputation as one of the world’s greatest jump, jive and swing bands, they’ll mark the milestone with special reunion gigs, international tour dates, festival headliners, and a commemorative album reissue throughout 2026.

Don’t miss out. Grab your tickets now and be part of the celebration!
https://www.regaltenbury.co.uk/events/king-pleasure-amp-the-biscuit-boys-40th-anniversary-special

The Regal, Tenbury Wells
47-49 Teme Street,
Tenbury Wells,
Worcestershire,
WR15 8AE.

China Moses at The Jazz Cafe, Camden, London.

Date: Saturday, September 12, 2026

More details

We have received the following information regarding this event;

Saturday 12 September, Jazz Cafe
China Moses

China Moses blends jazz, soul, blues, and groove with soaring vocals. Born in Los Angeles and raised in Paris by Dee Dee Bridgewater and Gilbert Moses, she’s built a global career spanning seven acclaimed albums and stages from Ronnie Scott’s to the Royal Albert Hall. Her high-energy shows mix playful storytelling with raw emotion, taking audiences somewhere entirely unexpected.

Tickets;
https://serious.org.uk/events/china-moses

Sat 12 September 2026
Stage time / 7:30pm
Doors / 7:00pm

Jazz Cafe,
5 Parkway
London
NW1 7PG

Tickets
£30 - £50 + booking fee

midori jaeger at St. Pancras Old Church, London.

Date: Wednesday, April 22, 2026

More details

We have received the following information regarding this event;

Wednesday 22 April, St. Pancras Old Church
midori jaeger (Un)planted EP launch
Cellist, composer and vocalist midori jaeger launches her upcoming EP (Un)planted with a full-band performance in the intimate surroundings of St Pancras Old Church. This show marks a special moment from the Take Five alumni as she unveils new music that brings her story, sound and band together in one space.

Tickets;
https://serious.org.uk/events/midori-jaeger-unplanted-ep-launch

Wed 22 April 2026
Stage time / 7:30pm
Doors / 7:00pm

Location
LONDON St Pancras Old Church,
Pancras Road
NW1 1UL

Tickets
£16.50 + booking fee

The Gas Giants All Stars at All Of the Above, Widcombe Social Club, Bath.

Date: Sunday, March 29, 2026

More details

We have received the following information regarding this event;

THE GAS GIANTS ALL STARS
Sunday 29 March
Widcombe Social Club
Doors and bars open 7.00pm (6.30pm for Pre Concert Suppers)
Show begins at 8.00pm

Yes - they’re back on the launch pad!  The Gas Giants - multi-instrumentalist and composer Will Gregory (of – amongst others – Goldfrapp and The Moog Ensemble) and percussionist and electronic wizz Tony Orrell (of every notable Bristol band for decades – and didn’t he once meet Deborah Meaden?) have been creating clever, witty, imaginative, sometimes pastiche-y, always relentlessly enjoyable music for cosmic light years.

And now comes the Big Bang Big Band, as the Gas Giants can’t resist the gravitational pull of an All Stars night with Celestial Guests stellar trombonist Raph Clarkson and the intergalactic Ross Hughes (is there any instrument he doesn’t play?)  Witness the creation of this new musical universe and orbit the Gas Giants’ new galaxy from planet All Of The Above – an experience even Elon Musk can’t buy…..but you can…. BOOK YOUR SPACE FLIGHT HERE
https://ticketscandy.com/e/aota-presents-the-gas-giants-all-stars-15538

Widcombe Social Club, Widcombe Hill, England, BA2 6AA,.

Cheltenham Jazz Festival 2026, various venues, Cheltenham, Glos.

Dates: Wednesday, April 29, 2026 - Monday, May 04, 2026

More details

11/02/2025
We have received the following press release;

Cheltenham Jazz Festival 30th Anniversary // Corinne Bailey Rae, Courtney Pine 40th anniversary, Emma-Jean Thackray, Bill Frisell, Lady Blackbird, Joshua Redman, Yazz Ahmed, Makaya McCraven, Camilla George and more

Cheltenham Jazz Festival Announces Star-Studded 30th Anniversary Line-Up

*Corinne Bailey Rae appointed the Festival’s new Guest Curator for 2026-2028*

**Miles Davis centenary to be marked with a special orchestral tribute from the Guy Barker Big Band & BBC Concert Orchestra**

Wednesday 29th April – Monday 4th May 2026
Lady Blackbird • Joshua Redman • Corinne Bailey Rae • Emma-Jean Thackray • Courtney Pine 40th anniversary • Bill Frisell • Nigel Kennedy • Makaya McCraven • Earth Wind & Fire Experience • Jalen Ngonda • Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra • Tinariwen • Roberto Fonseca • Georgia Cécile • China Moses • Emma Rawicz • Yazz Ahmed • Theon Cross • Camilla George • Gentleman’s Dub Club • The Puppini Sisters • Gotts Street Park and more

“Cheltenham Jazz Festival is the perfect stomping ground for newcomers and enthusiasts alike.”
The Guardian

***Tickets go on general sale 4th March and 25th February for members. All tickets available from http://www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/jazz***

Cheltenham Jazz Festival has announced details of its 30th anniversary edition, taking place from Wednesday 29th April to Monday 4th May 2026. One of Europe’s most popular jazz festivals, the six-day event will present a wide-ranging programme spanning international headliners, leading contemporary jazz artists, genre-crossing innovators and emerging UK talent.

30 Years Young: The Next Chapter
As Cheltenham Jazz Festival marks its 30th anniversary, the Festival celebrates three decades of championing world-class jazz, supporting emerging talent and bringing bold, diverse music to audiences in Cheltenham and beyond. Thirty years young, the Festival continues to look firmly to the future, building on a rich legacy of iconic performances while embracing new voices, fresh collaborations and innovative programming that will shape the next generation of jazz for years to come.

As part of the anniversary celebrations, the Festival has confirmed that double-Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Corinne Bailey Rae will become its new Guest Curator from 2026 to 2028. Taking over from Gregory Porter and coinciding with the 20th anniversary of her self-titled debut album, Bailey Rae will curate a series of specially commissioned performances and will play a central role in shaping the Festival’s artistic direction over the next three years. Her top picks for the Festival are Joss Stone, Lady Blackbird, Gotts Street Park, Ladies of Midnight Blue, Emma Jean-Thackray and Tinariwen.

Corinne Bailey Rae – Cheltenham Jazz Festival Guest Curator, said:
“I’m thrilled to be joining Cheltenham Jazz Festival as Guest Curator in its 30th year and to be helping shape its artistic journey over the next three years”, says Corinne Bailey Rae. “Jazz is such an important part of my life and learning journey, and I’m excited to celebrate its incredible legacy as part of the Cheltenham family, exploring new ideas and future collaborations while also bringing new voices to the forefront”.

The 2026 Festival will also mark the centenary of Miles Davis with a special orchestral tribute from the Guy Barker Big Band & BBC Concert Orchestra who’ll present Miles Davis Symphonic: Kind of Blue featuring exclusive arrangements and guest performers, celebrating the enduring influence of one of the most important and influential figures in jazz history.

World Class Performances and Jazz Stars
The Festival’s contemporary jazz programme continues its long-standing commitment to excellence, welcoming one of the most influential saxophonists of his generation Joshua Redman; US guitarist Bill Frisell performing a special show to mark his 75th birthday alongside mentor Eyvind Kang; Motown-inspired vocalist Jalen Ngonda; boundary-pushing drummer and producer Makaya McCraven; and the US singer dubbed “the Grace Jones of jazz” Lady Blackbird.

Celebrating the UK’s rich jazz and soul heritage, the programme also features Courtney Pine marking the 40th anniversary of his landmark debut album Journey to the Urge Within; Mercury Prize nominee Emma-Jean Thackray; Scottish retro soul-jazz singer Georgia Cécile; Leeds-based trio Gotts Street Park; fast emerging soul singer Nectar Woode; Gentlemen’s Dub Club celebrating 20 years since their formation; and London-based duo Blue Lab Beats.

In 2026, the newly titled DEYA Arena will expand its capacity to 900 and will be sponsored by Cheltenham-based DEYA Brewery as part of a new Partnership. The venue will host a strong international line-up including Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca; Saharan desert blues collective Tinariwen; along with a 90s mixtape from DJ YODA and vivacious contemporary jazz from home-grown talent, saxophonist and vocalist Kim Cypher.

This year’s Dunkertons stage brings bold blues influences to the Festival. The Easy Rollers deliver a set inspired by 1930s swing, Giacomo Smith brings sharp modern blues energy, and emerging talent Elysia Biro brings powerful vocals and contemporary soul.

Championing The Brightest and Emerging Talent
The Parabola Arts Centre (PAC) returns with a programme focused on adventurous new work and emerging talent. Highlights include forward-thinking saxophonist Emma Rawicz; a specially commissioned show from Yazz Ahmed; British jazz tuba player Theon Cross; acclaimed saxophonist Camilla George; BLACKSABBATHMODE – a reimagining of the music of Black Sabbath from the nu-jazz duo BIGHEADMODE (Robbie and Ewan Moore) and south London multi-instrumentalist Plumm; American singer and broadcaster China Moses and more.

International Crossover Stars
Among the headline performances at the Festival’s 2000-capacity Big Top are Brit-Award-winning singer-songwriter Jessie J, making her Cheltenham Jazz Festival debut; visionary singer-songwriter Van Morrison; a hit-filled set from Earth Wind & Fire Experience by Al Mckay; double Brit Award-winning soul star Joss Stone; the world-renowned Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra with special guests; 30 million-selling art-pop pioneers 10cc; an intimate acoustic set from Jack Savoretti; the world’s best-selling violinist Nigel Kennedy; 80s pop trailblazers ABC; and British singer-songwriter James Morrison performing music from his latest album Fight Another Day.

Nurturing the Talent of Tomorrow
Building on the charity’s landmark 80th campaign, which reached more than 80,000 children, this year’s Jazz Festival continues its year-round commitment to talent development and outreach. The Festival will present a range of family-friendly events, including Jazz It Up on the Free Stage, a Family Concert and a Jazz Concert for Schools, enabling hundreds of children to experience jazz music in a fun, welcoming and inclusive environment.

The Festival’s learning and participation activity also extends far beyond the Bank Holiday weekend. Through Musicate, its flagship education programme, the charity brings new and unfamiliar genres of music into schools throughout the year, inspiring pupils and teachers through hands-on and inclusive musical experiences.

As part of the Festival’s wider commitment to talent development and local arts scenes, across the week emerging and local talent will play in venues across Cheltenham including Joe Hicks, The Good Stuff and Dub Catalyst.

Ian George, Head of Programming for the Jazz Festival and co-CEO of parent charity Cheltenham Festivals:
“Reaching 30 years is a major milestone for Cheltenham Jazz Festival. This anniversary programme reflects everything the Festival has always stood for – world-class artists, boundary-pushing jazz and a platform for the next generation. We’re delighted to have appointed the brilliant Corinne Bailey Rae as our new Guest Curator and look forward to our collaboration over the next three years.”

Access To Music returns to Cheltenham Jazz Festival 2026 on Friday 1st May at the Cheltenham Town Hall, continuing its mission to bring together leading voices in music and accessibility. This year the conference will host keynote speakers including Grammy nominated artist Lachi; panels, lightning talks and presentations exploring the latest innovations and challenges; networking and technology discovery sessions throughout the day and roundtables, performances and research discussions coordinated by AEME.

Based in the Festival Village at Montpellier Gardens, Cheltenham Jazz Festival 2026 will once again offer a diverse mix of special one-off performances, free events, workshops, family shows and late-night jams, alongside shows across town including Cheltenham Town Hall and Hotel Du Vin.

Cheltenham Festivals is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation.

Part of Cheltenham Festivals, Cheltenham Jazz Festival is one of the world’s iconic jazz festivals, having launched in 1996 the Festival has welcomed some of the globe’s biggest stars and jazz legends including Van Morrison, Dionne Warwick, Gregory Porter, Jamie Cullum, Norah Jones, Ornette Coleman, Billy Cobham, Courtney Pine, Jools Holland, Esperanza Spalding, Chick Corea, Laura Mvula, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Robert Glasper and Melody Gardot. From Big Top big bands to bold, experimental performances as part of its PAC programme, the Festival champions the freedom to experiment while nurturing the next generation of talent and music-makers. Its ever-evolving programme deepens the connection between community, creativity and education, showcasing artists who are redefining the genre.

Since Cheltenham Music Festival was established in 1945, the charity’s enduring commitment to championing culture has grown to encompass four world-renowned Literature, Science and Jazz Festivals and year-round learning and participation and talent development programmes culminate in four world-class Festivals, offering everyone an opportunity to explore and create culture. Over 225,000 visitors a year are inspired by its Literature, Science, Jazz and Music Festivals.

Cheltenham Festivals’ charitable mission is only made possible by the ongoing support of its Patrons, members, funders, Partners and volunteers.

Cheltenham Festivals is signed up to the Keychange programme which aims for a 50:50 gender balance across the Festival line-up.

Cheltenham Jazz Festival is a PRS Foundation Talent Development Network Partner supported by PPL.

Cheltenham Jazz Festival 2026 Line-Up To Date:

Big Top
James Morrison
Van Morrison
Jessie J
ABC
Joss Stone
The Earth Wind & Fire Experience by Al McKay
10cc
Jack Savoretti
Mica Paris with Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra
Miles Davis Symphonic: Kind of Blue - Guy Barker Big Band & BBC Concert Orchestra
Jalen Ngonda

Town Hall
Nigel Kennedy
Joshua Redman
The Puppini Sisters
Bill Frisell & Eyvind Kang
Courtney Pine
Georgia Cécile – American Songbook
Lady Blackbird

DEYA Arena
DJ YODA
Gotts Street Park
Blue Lab Beats
Emma-Jean Thackray
Tinariwen
Makaya McCraven
Gentleman’s Dub Club
Roberto Fonseca
Nectar Woode
Kim Cypher featuring Ashley Slater
The Big Family Gig

Dunkertons
The Easy Rollers
Giacomo Smith
Elysia Biro

PAC
China Moses
Yazz Ahmed (Tony Dudley Evans Commission)
Theon Cross
Camilla George
Emma Rawicz
Black Sabbath Mode
RBC & Siena Co-collaboration
Ladies of Midnight Blue
Elaine Mitchener
Matt Carmichael
Robinson Khoury

Family Tent
Tots Tunes with Tara Franks
Jazz Kids
Discover Kathak with Sonia Sabri
Aga Serugo-Lugo: Family Sing
Afro-Latin Adventures: Ladies of Midnight Blue
Family Ceilidh
Suntou Susso
Alice Zawadzki

Superlocrian at Calstock Arts, The Old Chapel, Calstock, Cornwall.

Date: Saturday, March 28, 2026

More details

From;
ttps://calstockarts.org/event/28-march-super-locrian/

28 March: Superlocrian

Superlocrian are delighted to be performing at Calstock Arts as part of their UK performance series for 2026.

This seven-piece acoustic chamber jazz ensemble are one of the UK’s leading ensembles of its kind.

Featuring nationally-acclaimed jazz soloists alongside leading orchestral players, Superlocrian’s debut album “Hills & Valleys” received much critical acclaim on its release in 2024.

As featured live on BBC Radio 3’s “In Tune”, the band will perform a mixture of arrangements of jazz standards, audience favourites and thought-provoking originals based on the local area with something for everyone.

Here are some links to a couple of videos from our debut album:
Whitchurch Down – https://youtu.be/3ZK_7mi8CJI
Hills & Valleys – https://youtu.be/IjnLk_A7oZg

The band line-up is as follows:
Trumpet & Flugelhorn: Gavin Mallett & Hugh Davies
Saxophones & Clarinet: Edward Leaker
Saxophones & Flutes: Jade Gall
Trombone: Tom Green
Tuba: Mike Poyser

Between them, the band members have performed alongside Becky Hill, Matt Monroe, Phil Collins, Shirley Bassey and Ocean Colour Scene.

“This is subtle music, cleverly voiced and perfectly executed.” *** Peter Vacher, Jazzwise

“Affable, witty and entertaining, Superlocrian make for a splendid night out – catch ‘em when you can.” Kevin Whitlock, Jazzwise

“A supercharged septet…we can get them to do anything…made up of super players!” Sean Rafferty, BBC Radio 3 In Tune Live – 14 June 2024

“This versatile ensemble stylishly delivers its material with creative musicianship, all arranged with elegance and flair” Neil Duggan, All About Jazz

“The playing by group founder and trumpeter/composer Sam Massey, with Gavin Mallett and Hugh Davies also on trumpet and flugelhorn, Edward Leaker on soprano and alto saxophone, Jade Gall on saxophones and flutes, Tom Green on trombone and Mike Poyser on tuba, is consistently top notch.” Barry Fox, Jazz Views

TICKETS
£12 in advance (£15 on the door) £2 discount for FOCA
Doors & Bar 19:00
Performance 20:00

Calstock Arts
The Old Chapel
Sand Lane
Calstock
PL18 9QX

Phone: 01822 833183

Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Poppy Daniels at Music Spoken Here, The Marr’s Bar, Worcester.

Date: Thursday, April 23, 2026

More details

From;
https://musicspokenhere.club/event/poppy-daniels/

Poppy Daniels
April 23 @ 7:30 pm - 10:30 pm
£15

‘Go-to’ trumpet player on the London scene brings her own music blending London roots with jazz, latin and hip-hop.

Londoner Poppy Daniels has become an integral part of the UK jazz scene, and ‘go-to’ trumpet player for the likes of Blue Lab Beats, Daniel Casimir, Celeste, Jordan Rakei, Arlo Parks, Hak Baker and more, at world renowned venues at home and abroad.

After an extensive career thus far, Poppy is now focusing on her own music, blending her London roots with jazz, latin and hip hop influences. In 2025 she released her debut EP ‘Keep On Going’, on the progressive Jazz Re:freshed label. The EP was co-written with bassist Alley Lloyd (Colectiva, Fleur East, Poppy Ajudha, Yasmin Lacey) and features Allexa Nava, who played for us in November.

Poppy will be performing with her band featuring Eddie Lee (keys), Kian Cardenas (guitar), Patrick Hand (bass) and Lox (drums).

TICKETS
Admission for this event is complimentary for Music Spoken Here Club Members.
Non-members are welcome – just show up and pay £15 cash or card on the door.
You can find out more about our admission and membership options at A New Approach
https://musicspokenhere.club/a-new-approach/

Venue
The Marr’s Bar
12 Pierpoint Street
Worcester,
Worcestershire
WR1 1TA.

(01905) 613336

https://marrsbar.co.uk/

manchester jazz festival (mjf2026), various venues, Greater Manchester.

Dates: Friday, May 15, 2026 - Sunday, May 24, 2026

More details

09/02/2025
We have received the following press release;

manchester jazz festival: bringing in the next 30 years of jazz!

Manchester’s longest-running music festival is back this Summer for 10 days of jam-packed festival fun and musical vibes across the city this May!

manchester jazz festival (mjf2026) will take place between 15-24 May 2026 at venues and sites across Manchester, celebrating the latest up and coming talent from across the North, and the best names in contemporary jazz.

Headliners include: China Moses, Andy Sheppard Trio, Yellowjackets, Toni Kofi/Denys Baptiste Quintet, Cassie Kinoshi’s seed., Bel Cobain, Lau Noah, NOUT, Cotonete, Sarsen Drift + Tom Cawley, Olivia Cuttill & Friends, Orchestra Mambo International and many more…

Jazz lovers rejoice – manchester jazz festival is back for its 31st edition in 2026. Lighting up venues across the city, mjf2026 will see hundreds of northern, national and international jazz musicians descend on Manchester, showcasing the genre’s leading lights alongside its most exciting emerging talent.

mjf was first staged in the summer of 1996, hosting nine bands in one venue over the course of a single day. Who could have known that this would mark the start of what is now Manchester’s longest running music festival, radiating across the city for 10 whole days each year. And yet, for all it’s grown, mjf’s spirit remains the same, rooted in the joyful celebration and genuine support of the contemporary jazz world’s diverse and local artists.

Building on the success of the last few years, manchester jazz festival (mjf2026) begins with a spectacular FREE opening weekender at the vibrant neighbourhood: First Street (mjf @ First Street) from 15 – 17 May. There will be two event stages: Main Stage and the Ask Garden Stage, each celebrating the breadth and individuality of our home-grown scene and beyond: bands emerging through mjf’s artist development programmes alongside a host of northern success stories giving their homecoming performance at mjf (Lara Jones, Thanda Gumede). The opening night shines a light on tomorrow’s talent, including a pop-up performance curated by mjf’s Youth Advisory Board, with family-friendly activities on Saturday morning and food and drink offers throughout the weekend.

New for this year, a series of programme partnerships (Manchester Folk Festival, Oldham Coliseum Theatre) will bring mjf artists to new audiences and new artists to mjf audiences. You’ll see mjf spread across our usual range of venues and music nights: Matt & Phreds, RNCM, Forsyth Music Shop, The Stoller Hall, Low Four Studios, Stage & Radio and The Carlton Club. The festival closes with an extended weekend-long party at Band on the Wall, and an afternoon triple-bill at Aviva Studios, home of Factory International, that shines a light on three contrasting approaches to songwriting, against the backdrop of the special Women in Jazz Photography exhibition on display there throughout.

Featured in that triple bill will be Satnam Galsian, who’ll be presenting 2026’s mjf originals new work premiere, and whose music blends the rich tradition of Punjabi folk with contemporary, feminist storytelling. It’s a compelling piece that we’ve co-commissioned with Oldham Coliseum, Wigan Old Courts and Khushi Festival.

The mjf piano trail competition is also making a comeback! manchester jazz festival and Forsyth Music Shop have joined forces once again for the mjf2026 piano trail competition: to find Manchester’s hidden talents across a trail of at least 18 street pianos at locations across Manchester city centre and beyond, including Rochdale, Trafford, Salford, Oldham, Ashton-under-Lyne, and Wigan. From 29 March (which happens to be World Piano Day!) to 31 May, the mjf2026 piano trail competition encourages everyone to get involved and share their creativity and just have fun! For those who want to take part, there’s a chance to enter a competition to win a Yamaha electric piano and many more prizes, and there will be live performances at some of the pianos on the trail, more information to be announced soon.

Alongside the piano trail itself, there will also be two bespoke piano trail walking tours available, run by Free Manchester Walking Tours (FMWT), on the 17 and 24 May (£12 per adult, children go free) with some of the proceeds from the tours going to support the Play it Forward: Street Piano Fund, run by mjf and Forsyth Music Shop, which aims to expand the current network of street pianos across more boroughs and communities across Greater Manchester all-year-round.

Ticket prices for the festival start from £7.50 and there’s plenty of free-to-access music and activities taking place at locations across the city centre, including the entire opening weekender: mjf @ First Street, and gigs in the Copper Bar at Band on the Wall and at Matt & Phreds.

Festival fans have come to expect international debuts at mjf; this year we welcome artists from France, Spain, Poland, Italy, Cuba and Brazil. You’ll hear them first at mjf!
Tickets go on general sale at 10am on Friday 13 February at manchesterjazz.com

Highlights of the festival programme are as follows:

mjf @ First Street, 15 - 17 May
As well as some of the North’s leading artists gracing the Main Stage on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (15 - 17 May), there will be family-friendly activities launching the Saturday (16 May) morning vibes on the Ask Garden Stage, followed by performances from mjf’s talent development programme alumni, and on Sunday 17, mjf partners with Jazz North to present the Northern Line showcase: profiling five acts selected for the touring scheme by industry leaders.

The Stoller Hall 15 & 22 May (main venue and *Carole Nash Hall)
Andy Sheppard Trio
Andy Scott & Carmel Smickersgill + Simeon Walker + Her Revelation (triple bill)*

RNCM Theatre 16 & 23 May
Cassie Kinoshi’s seed.
Legacy - Coltrane and Cannonball: Tony Kofi & Denys Baptiste Quintet

Matt and Phreds, 15 - 24 May
Hijack Horns, M&P’s Big Band Brunch ft. DG Kollective, Kemani & Friends, Chinese Marbles, Tom Sharp Jazz Orchestra, M&P’s Big Band Brunch ft. DG Kollective, Three or Four Shades of Mingus, Hania Derej Trio, Beyond the Blue, The Plimp Souls, M&P’s Jazz Brunch ft. The Grant Russell Quartet, Suboptimal, Alligator Gumbo and mjf Wrap Party Jam ft. Ed Kainyek Quartet.

The Carlton Club, 18-19 May
Big Ideas x mjf and Brume x mjf

Low Four Studios, 20 May
mjf presents a special double-bill performance in the intimate surroundings of Low Four Studios.
Sarsen Drift + Tom Cawley (double-bill)

Whittles, Oldham, 20 May
OCT x mjf presents: Vipertime + support

Forsyth Music Shop, 21 May
Olivia Cuttill & Friends play the Legends of Jazz

George St Chapel, Oldham, 21 May
OCT x mjf presents: Her Revelation + Lullaby - Sonic Cradle

Band on the Wall, 19 - 24 May
Main venue: Yellowjackets, Bel Cobain + support, Lau Noah, Cotonete + support, Tara Lily, China Moses + support.
Copper Bar gigs: Beat the Jams x mjf: Tom Thorp & George King, Calico, Finite Experience, Yoni Mayraz, Thiara Collective, Manchild, Jon Onabowu, Nout, Flo/ra and Band on the Wall Jazz Workshop Band.

Stage & Radio, 22 May
The GreensKeepers Jam x mjf

The Social, Aviva Studios, 24 May
Dilettante, Caraway and Satnam Galsian + Special Guests.

Steve Mead, mjf CEO and Artistic Director, said:
“After last year’s bumper 30th anniversary celebrations, we’re heading purposefully into our fourth decade with mjf’s trademark array of contemporary sounds, surprising discoveries and the promise of good times.  Festivals are a prized possession for a city: no other occasion presents so many opportunities to come together with friends old and new, to embark upon curious adventures and to simply spend time surrounded by exceptional music of the highest calibre. Music offers something valuable to each of us – be it cultural nourishment, escape or good company.  In a time of ongoing financial, social and political challenges, music has the power to unite us and remind us of the values that are important for us all. I hope you’ll choose to spend some of your valuable time in our company and be rewarded at mjf this summer.”

mjf2026 will take place from 15 – 24 May 2026 in venues across Manchester city centre. Tickets go on sale at 10am on 13 February at http://www.manchesterjazz.com

electro//acoustic day 2026 at Cambridge University Music West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge.

Date: Thursday, March 19, 2026

More details

We have received the following information regarding this event;

electro//acoustic day 2026

electro // acoustic day on common ground | unfolding : carmack competition, new compositions, concerts, in conversation with composers
19th March 2026
West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge
9.30am-9pm
Free

Installation: on common ground | unfolding
West Road Foyer – All day long, opening at 9:30am

Carmack Composition Award
West Road Concert Hall, 10 – 11am
Public performance of the finalists’ original compositions for vocal ensemble. Choral Consort, conducted by Edward Wickham.

concert 1 | voices
West Road Concert Hall, 1 – 2.15pm
This concert, curated by Marta Gentilucci and Edward Wickham, spans vocal music from the Italian Trecento and the English Baroque through to Luciano Berio’s vocal and electronic works, alongside a new piece by Tim Watts.

intermezzo | cries
West Road Foyer, 2:30 – 3:15pm
Richard Causton and Marta Gentilucci host a conversation with Olivier Tonneau and Edward Wickham.

concert 2 | chambers
West Road Concert Hall, 3:30 – 4:30pm
Contemporary music performed by the Riot Ensemble

intermezzo | exiles
West Road Foyer, 6:30 – 7:15pm
Richard Causton and Marta Gentilucci in conversation with Monty Adkins, Edmon Colomer and Isaías Fanlo.

concert 3 | solos
West Road Concert Hall, 7:30 – 8:30pm
Margit Kern: Contemporary accordion repertoire with electronics and Roberto Gerhard’s tape experiments

Tickets here;
https://www.electroacousticday.com/

Deborah Rose at Breda Viva La Vie, Roeselare, Belgium.

Date: Sunday, September 20, 2026

Featuring: Deborah Rose

More details

Wed 20 September – Belgium | Breda Viva La Vie, Roeselare

Bruanestraat 1, Roeselare, Belgium, 8800

https://www.facebook.com/bredavivalavie

https://www.facebook.com/events/1387920556420939

Deborah Rose at Credenhill Church, Credenhill, Herefordshire (part of the Traherne Festival).

Date: Saturday, June 06, 2026

Featuring: Deborah Rose

More details

Sat 6 June – Traherne Festival, Credenhill Church.

https://thomastraherneassociation.org/

Kings Heathens With Deborah Rose at Red Lion Folk Club, Kings Heath, Birmingham.

Date: Wednesday, March 25, 2026

More details

From;
https://redlionfolkclub.uk/

Mar 25th
Kings Heathens
With Deborah Rose

David Fisher walked into Evan C Ritchie’s barber shop for a haircut carrying the implements of his busking trade.

Conversation revealed a mutual love of the traditional music of the ocean and the land, and Kings Heathens was formed.

The Red Lion, Vicarage Road King’s Heath,
Birmingham B14 7LY.

Wednesday 7.45 pm. Doors open 7.15 pm.
Finish around 10.30 pm.

Evan C Ritchie is from Texas and came to the club for the first time in 2022. Individually they are great: together spectacular.

Philip Clouts Quartet at Music Spoken Here, The Marr’s Bar, Worcester.

Date: Thursday, April 09, 2026

Featuring: Philip Clouts Quartet

More details

From;
https://musicspokenhere.club/event/philip-clouts-quartet/

Philip Clouts Quartet
April 9 @ 7:30 pm - 10:30 pm
£15

Gospel-powered earthiness, highly melodic, rhythmically varied and stylistically and culturally diverse compositions.

Cape Town-born pianist/composer Philip Clouts’ South African roots have inspired a voyage of discovery that has led to him soaking up the joyful passion of Caribbean calypso, the bluesy melodies of middle eastern praise songs, the exuberant sway of Cuban dance music and the tuneful essence of Gospel while honouring jazz heroes including Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett, and Charles Lloyd.

As a key member of the popular London-based world jazz ensemble Zubop and its offshoot ZubopGambia, with BBC World Music award-winner Juldeh Camara, Clouts created a solid body of work with African roots and since moving to Dorset in 2006 he has responded to his new surroundings with impressionistic compositons that complement his world music interests, resonating with strong themes and packing a mighty rhythmical punch.

The latest CD from the Philip Clouts Quartet is one of the first wave of releases on the jazz imprint from prestigious label Odradek Records. On this album, entitled Umoya (named from the Zulu word for life force), Clouts’ African inspirations extend beyond Cape jazz to Gnawa music and Afrobeat, and further to pan-European folksong and soul-jazz. Joined by rising star saxophonist Samuel Eagles, bassist Marcus Penrose and drummer Ted Carrasco, he brings his musical journey alive with superb musicianship and infectious vigour.

TICKETS
Admission for this event is complimentary for Music Spoken Here Club Members.
Non-members are welcome – just show up and pay £15 cash or card on the door.
You can find out more about our admission and membership options at A New Approach
https://musicspokenhere.club/a-new-approach/

The Marr’s Bar,
12 Pierpoint Street,
Worcester,
Worcestershire,
WR1 1TA.

Turn on The Sunlight / Mia Doi Todd / Miles Spilsbury / Aisha Vaughan, afternoon and evening event at Sy ; Gigs, St. Alkmunnds Church, Shrewsbury.

Date: Saturday, July 11, 2026

Featuring: Various Artists

More details

From;
https://sygigs.com/events/event/turn-on-the-sunlight-ft-miles-spilbury-mia-todd/

Turn on the Sunlight (Ft Mia Todd + Miles Spilbury) + Aisha Vaughan

Event Details
Date: 11 July, 2026
Time: 2:30pm - 10:00pm
https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Shrewsbury/St-Alkmunds-Church%2C-Shrewsbury%2C-SY1-1UH/Turn-on-the-Sunlight-Ft-Miles-Spilbury—Mia-Doi-Todd/41772578/

Event 3.0 of Season 4.0 unfolds as a full afternoon and evening of music, connection and shared experience within the beautiful setting of St Alkmund’s Church.

This is a single, shared journey, an invitation to linger, listen and connect in and around the church across the day. Guests are welcome to come and go, settle in, explore, and shape their own rhythm as a community gathers around a carefully curated programme of exceptional musicians.

Throughout the day, the church gardens will host a curated Food Hub pop-up, inviting guests to explore their taste buds between performances. Thoughtfully prepared food and shared tables will offer space to pause, converse and enjoy the natural ebb and flow of the event.

At the heart of Event 3.0 are Mia Doi Todd and Turn On The Sunlight ft Miles Spilbury.

Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Mia Doi Todd is celebrated for her gentle, haunting songs and instantly recognisable voice. Across twelve solo albums, her work moves fluidly between folk, ambient, jazz and experimental music, always guided by emotional clarity and quiet depth. A sought-after collaborator, she has worked with Laraaji, Dntel, Fabiano do Nascimento, Surya Botofasina, José González, Tunde Adebimpe, Carlos Niño and André 3000.
Her recent album Music Life reflects on motherhood and creative practice, while Morning Music, released on vinyl, explores meditative instrumental sound. Her next album is due in 2026.

Turn On The Sunlight is a fluid, evolving collective centred around producer and multi-instrumentalist Jesse Peterson. Originally formed as a duo with the prolific Carlos Niño, the project has expanded to include friends and family, often featuring Mia Doi Todd. Their performances explore the uplifting, communal power of music – warm, open and gently transformative.

Event 3.0 also welcomes the return of familiar SY Gigs artists, reinforcing the series’ sense of continuity and community. Miles Spilbury, who performed with his ensemble in Season 2.0, returns alongside Aisha Vaughan, who appeared in Season 3.0.

Beyond the music, Event 3.0 expands into nourishment in a broader sense. The Food Hub pop-up will be brought to life and curated by Steve Guy. Describing himself first as an eater and then as a chef, Steve brings joy, generosity and deep care to food-making. Guests will be invited to share in a joyful, communal feast in the church gardens, woven naturally into the flow of the day.

Together, these elements form Event 3.0 – a rare, unhurried experience that nourishes body, mind and spirit.

Event 3.0 of Season 4.0
(One ticket provides access to all sessions)

Afternoon Programme
Doors: 2:30pm
Performances: 3:00pm – 5:00pm

Evening Programme
Doors: 6:30pm
Performances: 7:00pm – 9:30pm

See also;
https://www.facebook.com/p/Sygigs-100095324282062/

Awen Ensemble / Peiriant at Sy ; Gigs, St. Alkmunds Church, Shrewsbury.

Date: Saturday, March 28, 2026

More details

From;
https://www.facebook.com/p/Sygigs-100095324282062/

Event 2.0 — Season 4.0

This spring at St Alkmund’s Church, we welcome two artists exploring landscape, heritage and emotional connection through sound.

Awen Ensemble — a seven-piece alternative folk–jazz collective from Leeds — weave together modal and spiritual jazz with British and Irish folk traditions. Meaning “poetic inspiration” in Welsh, Awen creates expansive, expressive music rooted in folkloric heritage, place and shared emotional experience.
“The folk-jazz revival is most definitely on.” — UNCUT
“Absolutely stunning.” — BBC Radio 6
“An expansive folk-jazz workout.” — CLASH

Support comes from Peiriant, a Welsh duo working with violin, electric guitar and live electronics to shape immersive soundscapes inspired by the landscapes and cultural memory of Wales. Their new album arrives next month.
“Iridescent soundscapes summon spirit of the mountains.” — The Guardian

The poster artwork for this event has been created by the wonderful Kirsty Worrow. Like our last event, these exclusive posters will be available to purchase on the night.
A night of atmosphere, texture and deep listening awaits inside one of Shrewsbury’s most beautiful spaces — another SY Gigs gathering.

We remain committed to delivering these events for no profit, and to building a community that values well-being, kindness and connection.

Date: 28 March, 2026
Time: 6:30pm - 10:15pm

See also;
https://sygigs.com/

Aleph Aguiar “Sugar on my Blackbeans” Album Launch at PizzaExpress Live, The Pheasantry, Chelsea, London.

Date: Wednesday, April 22, 2026

More details

From;
https://www.pizzaexpresslive.com/whats-on/aleph-aguiar

Aleph Aguiar
“Sugar on my Blackbeans” Album Launch

PizzaExpress Live (Chelsea)
Venezuelan-born, UK-based guitarist Aleph Aguiar returns with Sugar on my Blackbeans, his third release and a nostalgic yet modern take on the lively, swinging Latin jazz of the 1960s. Across nine original compositions, Aguiar pays tribute to one of his favourite musical eras, when artists were boldly experimenting with Latin American rhythms and percussion.
£25.00

22 April 2026 6:30pm 8:00pm The Pheasantry (Chelsea)
Available
£25.00
https://www.pizzaexpresslive.com/whats-on/choose-seats/aleph-aguiar/1742008

Full Biography

Aleph Aguiar is an international musician and composer, originally from Venezuela. To date, Aleph has released two albums of Afro-Venezuelan Jazz, Pataruco (2015) and Maku (2017). Aleph’s upcoming album, entitled Sugar on my Blackbeans , continues to explore these musical roots whilst encompassing a broader range of jazz influences, reflecting his diverse career. Beginning his career in Venezuela, Aleph recorded as a session guitarist with Simon Diaz, Cecelia Toth and Maria Rivas.

In the UK, he has worked with award winning saxophonist Tony Kofi, trumpet player Quentin Collins and singer Heidi Vogel. He has recorded with Andy Watts Quartet and was the guitar and singing coach for Simon Bird in ‘The Inbetweeners 2’ movie. Currently Aleph is working with award winning jazz singer Georgia Cecil, recording guitars on her latest album and performing in her live band at renowned venues across the UK. In 2019, Aleph was the guitarist for the West End run of the musical ‘On Your Feet’, which went on to tour internationally.

Following this, Aleph toured the UK with ‘Hairspray’ the musical. Aleph has extensive experience in the field of Contemporary Dance, working as an accompanist at acclaimed institutions such as Trinity Laban, The Place, Roehampton University and English National Ballet School. Aleph has collaborated with a number of dance artists, composing music for companies/ choreographers, including: Loop Dance Company, Clarisse Roud Works, H2Dance and Daisy Farris Dance Collective.

In his own creative practice, Aleph is interested in exploring new technologies to expand the potential of the guitar as an electronic instrument. In 2022, Aleph initiated his own collaborative project, SoundStage, which brought dancers and music together through a unique interactive floor.

Band Lineup;
Aleph Aguiar (guitar)
Quentin Collins (trumpet)
Shane Forbes (drums)
Liam Dunachie (organ)
Will Fry (percussion)

The Pheasantry
152 Kings Road,
London SW3 4UT
020 3798 9192

Alex Clarke Quintet at Guildford Jazz, The Guildford Pavilion, Guildford, Surrey.

Date: Thursday, March 26, 2026

More details

Mick Thomas of Guildford Jazz writes;

Alex Clarke Quintet at Guildford Jazz, The Guildford Pavilion, Guildford, Surrey
Date: Thursday, March 26, 2026
More details
Alex Clarke Quintet
Thursday 26 Mar from 20.00 to 22.15 (doors open 19.00) at the Guildford Pavilion, Woodbridge Rd, Guildford GU1 4RP
Join us for this very special evening celebrating the 15th Anniversary of Guildford Jazz, with a rare all-female quintet featuring saxophonist Alex Clarke, a finalist at the BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year 2020, winner of the Rising Star category in the 2019 British Jazz Awards and Jazz Newcomer of the Year nominee in the 2021 & 2022 Parliamentary Jazz Awards.
With Andrea Vicari on piano, Sophie Alloway on drums, Marianne Windham on bass and Emily Windham on vocals.
For more details and to book tickets visit https://www.guildfordjazz.org.uk

Jazz Samba at Guildford Jazz, Cranleigh Arts Centre, Cranleigh, Surrey.

Date: Friday, March 20, 2026

More details

Mick Thomas of Guildford Jazz writes;

Jazz Samba at Guildford Jazz, Cranleigh Arts Centre, Cranleigh, Surrey
Date: Friday, March 20, 2026
More details
Jazz Samba
Friday 20 Mar from 19.30 to 22.00 (doors open 18.45) at Cranleigh Arts Centre, High St, Cranleigh GU6 8AS
Jazz Samba takes its inspiration and name from Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd’s ground-breaking bossa nova album, which topped the album charts on its release in 1962. Led by the outstanding tenor saxophonist Mark Crooks and the award- winning guitarist Nigel Price, this is a joyful celebration of the blending of Brazilian rhythms, jazz sensibility and the majestic compositions of Antonio Carlos Jobim, Joao Donato and Sergio Mendes.
With John Cervantes (p), Marianne Windham (b) and Demi Garcia Sabat (d).
For more details and to book tickets
visit https://www.guildfordjazz.org.uk

Julian Lage ft. John Medeski, Jorge Roeder and Kenny Wollesen at Royal Festival Hall, London.

Date: Friday, May 15, 2026

More details

Friday 15 May, Royal Festival Hall
Julian Lage ft. John Medeski, Jorge Roeder and Kenny Wollesen

Hailed as one of the most prodigious guitarists of his generation, Julian Lage takes over the Royal Festival Hall with his world-class quartet featuring John Medeski, Jorge Roeder and Kenny Wollesen.

Tickets;
https://serious.org.uk/events/julian-lage-featuring-john-medeski-jorge-roeder-and-kenny-wollesen

Fri 15 May 2026
Stage time / 7:30pm
Doors / 7:00pm

Location
Southbank Centre / Royal Festival Hall,
Belvedere Road
London
SE1 8XX
https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/

Tickets
£30 - £45 + booking fee

Julian Lage is a world-class guitar virtuoso and composer, hailed as one of his generation’s greatest talents by critics and colleagues alike. Born in California and currently based in New York City, Lage began his musical career at a very young age, and has charted a colorful, ever changing, and ever innovative path since, one that has, so far, earned him five GRAMMY nominations, one Independent Music Award and countless invitations to collaborate with the best and brightest working in music today.

Lage’s most recent studio release is 2024’s critically acclaimed Speak to Me (Blue Note Records), which was nominated for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album at the 67th annual GRAMMY Awards. Over the course of his multi-decade career, Lage has collaborated with fellow musical heavyweights including Gary Burton, Yoko Ono, Jim Hall, John Zorn and more.

Ludlow Piano Festival 2026, various venues, Ludlow, Shropshire.

Dates: Wednesday, May 20, 2026 - Sunday, May 24, 2026

Featuring: Various Artists

More details

We have received the following information;

Ludlow Piano Festival 2026 launch
We are delighted to announce the full programme for Ludlow Piano Festival 2026. Alistair’s introduction and ticketing information (with details of discounts) appears below, and you can then click through to our new website for complete event details, programmes and tickets.

UPDATE 26th JANUARY - 09:00
All events have been on sale for 24 hours.
An incredible 25% of tickets have been sold already.
Two events are already over 50% sold.
We have delivered almost £1000 of discounts through the LPF3-10 scheme (see below).
We will increase the quota of discounted tickets available but some events will now inevitably withdrawn from the scheme in the next week.
The earlier you purchase, the more choice you will have!

Alistair McGowan
LPF Chairman and Artistic Director
“This May, we will be bringing you some old friends, lots of big names and five days of non-stop, fabulous pianism!
Cally Beaton is back to host our legendary ‘Celebrity Concert’, we have Reverend Richard Coles telling Alistair McGowan his ‘Desert Island Piano’ choices (which will be played ‘live’ on stage by Anthony Hewitt), comedy from Rainer Hersch (last seen here as Victor Borge) with “Wagner’s Ring Cycle for People Who Can’t be Bothered to Sit Through It”, we have mellow jazz, another fascinating masterclass, solo recitals from exciting, young talent like self-styled ‘Working Class-ical Hero’ (and boxer) Ellis Arey (playing Scriabin, Mompou et al), local YouTube sensation, Luke Faulkner (with ‘By Special Arrangement’) and the 15-year old future Superstar, Elisey Mysin (giving two different concerts); Clara Rodriguez plays it ‘The South American Way’, Anne Lovett returns with her own compositions on two pianos (with audio-visual back-up), Ludlow’s own Liam Dunachie plays songs from the West End’s favourite musicals, and hot from the world’s biggest platforms: Danny Driver (playing Medtner et al), Peter Donohoe (playing Mozart et al) France’s leading pianist Vanessa Wagner (playing all the Études of Philip Glass for the first time on British soil) and Isata Kanneh-Mason (playing Beethoven and Ravel).
As Wolf Hall composer, Debbie Wiseman, said of us last year: “It’s a very special festival.” We think she’s right!”

Ticketing Information
Ticket sales for all events now open
Tickets for all events are sold on our behalf by Ludlow Assembly Rooms. Please note that some events take place at other venues, so do check the location carefully before you attend.
Tickets are issued electronically as QR codes, and are also available as Apple/Google Wallet tickets.
If you prefer, you can buy tickets in person or by phone via Ludlow Assembly Rooms on 01584 878141, during their normal opening hours.
Tickets are non-refundable, unless there is a waiting list for a sold-out event, in which case a full refund will be offered.

LPF 3-10
We are pleased to offer the LPF 3-10 discount again for a limited period. The earlier you book, the more choice you’ll have – and the more events you attend, the more you’ll save.
Buy adult tickets for three or more different eligible events in a single transaction and you will receive a 10% discount.
The LPF 3-10 Offer will close at our discretion, and some events may be withdrawn from the offer earlier than others depending on sales.
The offer applies to adult tickets only, and is not available on tickets for The Celebrity Concert or the Masterclass.
The discount does not apply to the £1 booking fee per ticket. For example, a £20 ticket will receive a £1.90 discount.

EVENTS:

From;
https://ludlowpianofestival.com/lpf-2026/

Wednesday 20th May 2026
St Laurences Parish Church
20 MAY 2026
The Celebrity Concert
St Laurence’s Church
7.00pm
Our ever-popular curtain-raiser is back with some new names and some old friends. Super Cally Beaton will host in her engaging, lively and cheeky way and interview and introduce players* such as: Rachel Parris, Rainer Hersch, Rev Rich Coles, and Colin Sell (I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue).
*Subject to change.

21 MAY 2026
Rainer Hersch:
Wagner’s Ring Cycle in One Hour
Ludlow Assembly Rooms
2.00pm
“Wagner’s Ring Cycle for people who can’t be bothered to sit through it.” After bringing us his hit comedy shows ‘Rainer Hersch’s Victor Borge’ and ‘All Classical Music Explained’ Rainer returns promising to get through Wagner’s 15-hour epic in under 60 minutes.

21 MAY 2026
Ellis Arey:
Working Class-ical Hero
Palmers Hall
4.30pm
Ellis Arey is a DECCA-signed British pianist whose performances have been featured on Channel 4, the BBC, and Sky Arts, where a short documentary was recently dedicated to his work. A two-time winner of the Leeds Besbrode Piano Competition, he has established himself as one of the most compelling young voices on the UK classical scene.

21 MAY 2026
Isata Kanneh-Mason
St Laurence’s Church
7.30pm
One of the most sought-after young British pianists comes to Ludlow with a programme full of variety. A very hot ticket!

22 MAY 2026
Liam Dunachie:
Music From The Musicals
Ludlow Assembly Rooms
2.30pm
The first of two ‘Local to Ludlow’ events. Ludlow-born Liam returns from London’s West End to play music from the West End’s greatest musicals.

22 MAY 2026
Clara Rodriguez:
The South American Way
Palmers Hall
4.30pm
London-based and Venezuelan-born pianist Clara Rodriguez – acclaimed by BBC Radio 3 as “the Queen of Latin American Classical Music” – has captivated audiences worldwide with her artistry.

22 MAY 2026
Richard Coles:
Desert Island Piano
Ludlow Assembly Rooms
10.30am
Richard Coles has done practically everything from losing on Strictly to almost winning in the Jungle to having number one singles, hosting Radio 4 shows, Have I Got News For You as well as writing hugely successful novels.

22 MAY 2026
Danny Driver
St Laurence’s Church
7.30pm
One of the country’s busiest pianists, Danny is a regular on Radio 3, at the prestigious Wigmore Hall in London and is known and respected for his very different and exciting programming.

23 MAY 2026
Luke Faulkner:
By Special Arrangement
Ludlow Assembly Rooms
11.00am
Local to Ludlow, pianist, composer and YouTube sensation, Luke Faulkner, plays arrangements of well-known symphonies, ballets, and operatic arias.

23 MAY 2026
Anne Lovett:
I, Just Lovett!
Ludlow Assembly Rooms
2.30pm
After enchanting us with film music and her classical choices (as well as her high heels and wild hair) in our first two festivals, French-born but London-based Anne returns with an hour of her own music from her latest album.

23 MAY 2026
Elisey Mysin:
The Concert
Palmers Hall
4.30pm
Fifteen years old. Diminutive. Extraordinary. Elisey Mysin is the very definition of a child prodigy. He has already worked as a soloist with many leading orchestras including the Greek National Radio and Television Orchestra, and The Russian National Symphony Orchestra.

23 MAY 2026
Peter Donohoe
St Laurence’s Church
7.30pm
Peter loved playing in Ludlow so much last year that he asked us if he could come back! Who are we to say ‘no’ to one of the country’s most respected soloists?

24 MAY 2026
Peter Donohoe:
Masterclass
Ludlow Assembly Rooms
11.00am
A chance to hear two promising students being given expert tuition from a master of the craft. Feel the experience, see the learning, hear the difference.

24 MAY 2026
Elisey Mysin:
The Encore
Palmers Hall
2.30pm
A second chance to marvel at the young mastery of the extraordinary Elisey Mysin. This time he brings us music by his countrymen: Rachmaninov, Stravinsky and Prokofiev. Prepare to be amazed!

24 MAY 2026
Martin Pyne Trio:
Small Blue
Ludlow Assembly Rooms
4.00pm
After accompanying our silent films for the last two years, this time Martin returns with his jazz trio playing their own smooth and mellow compositions from their last album. Perfect for a Sunday afternoon between the classics.

24 MAY 2026
Vanessa Wagner
St Laurence’s Church
6.30pm
Vanessa has been selling out France’s biggest arenas and today she makes a rare appearance on these shores.
Tonight, she plays (in full) one of the great contemporary landmarks – the twenty piano Etudes of Philip Glass, revealing its full emotional depth. For the listener, it’s a captivating journey where each piece unfolds into the next and Vanessa Wagner gradually and uniquely places these works among the great musical cycles.
A UK Premiere – in Ludlow!

‘International Piano in the Elms Festival’, at World Heart Beat Embassy Gardens, Nine Elms, London.

Dates: Thursday, March 12, 2026 - Saturday, March 21, 2026

More details

We have received the following press release;

Music venue World Heart Beat Embassy Gardens launches International Piano in the Elms Festival.

  This March, Nine Elms will be transformed by music. The International Piano in the Elms Festival, curated by World Heart Beat, returns for two weeks celebrating resilience, creativity and community through the universal language of the piano. The festival features six concerts by internationally acclaimed classical and jazz pianists, alongside a piano trail through Nine Elms, masterclasses, free piano lessons, café concerts, and a concert showcasing young pianists. The annual festival is inspired by the elm tree—the enduring emblem of Nine Elms—symbolising community and connection, and the place where World Heart Beat Embassy Gardens has been based since 2022.

At the heart of the festival lies the world premiere of jazz maestro’s Julian Joseph’s Nine Elms Suite, a landmark new work for piano and strings inspired by the history and transformation of this area, to be performed and recorded at World Heart Beat Embassy Gardens on Saturday 14 March.

The festival features piano masterclasses led by Hilary Coates, Professor of Piano at Trinity College of Music, and Cyrill Ibrahim, World Heart Beat Artist in Residence and an acclaimed concert pianist. Cyrill Ibrahim will lead a Chopin masterclass for young World Heart Beat pianists, with members of the public welcome to attend.

The festival opens with a performance by Liberian-Norwegian pianist Kamilla Arku alongside visual artist Jordan Söderberg working in installation, sculpture, and design (International Piano in the Elms Festival: Kamilla Arku & Jordan Söderberg (Thursday 12 March); the profound musicality of Romanian concert pianist Andrei Gologan - International Piano in the Elms Festival: Andrei Gologan (Friday 13 March); Jazz maestro and World Heat Beat Patron Julian Joseph presents his new suite - International Piano in the Elms Festival: Julian Joseph: Nine Elms Suite and String Orchestra (Saturday 14 March); Romanian-born pianist Cristiana Achim follows blending classical, jazz, and Romanian folk music - International Piano in the Elms Festival: Cristiana Achim (Thursday 19 March) and World Heart Beat Artist in Residence is British-Dutch concert pianist Cyrill Ibrahim presenting his unique insight on Frederick Chopin - International Piano in the Elms Festival: Cyrill Ibrahim – A Journey of Chopin’s Heart (Friday 20 March). The festival concludes with Greek piano virtuoso Nefeli Mousoura, with a focus on Mozart in the first half followed by the lyrical romantic masterworks of Liszt in the second - International Piano in the Elms Festival: Nefeli Mousoura (Saturday 21 March).

The piano festival supports arts and community engagement by hosting piano concerts and a piano trail across cafés, galleries, residential buildings, and public spaces. Audiences will experience a vibrant programme of piano performances, children’s concerts, free lessons, and world-class headline events including free café concerts as well as a young pianists’ concert. Local primary schools will receive free concerts and pre-performance discussion sessions delivered by the visiting artists.

With every concert ticket bought, audiences will enjoy outstanding performances by international pianists in a warm, intimate setting, but will also help support young musicians at World Heart Beat Music Academy. Every ticket contributes to the academy’s bursary scheme, enabling students who might otherwise face financial or social barriers to access the transformative power of music.

CALLOUT: LOCAL BUSINESSES AND PIANISTS TO TAKE PART IN PIANO FESTIVAL
World Heart Beat invites participation from local businesses and pianists keen to support arts and community engagement by hosting a piano concert and taking part in a piano trail across Nine Elms. Please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to register your interest.

HISTORY OF NINE ELMS
For centuries, a row of Nine Elm trees marked a place where travellers’ entering London along the south bank of the Thames rested beneath a line of elm trees, shared stories, and exchanged goods. The International Piano in the Elms Festival draws on this rich history of movement and connection, transforming Nine Elms once again into a meeting place, this time through the expressive, unifying voice of the piano at World Heart Beat Embassy Gardens.

March

International Piano in the Elms Festival: Kamilla Arku & Jordan Söderberg, Thursday 12 March 2026, 7:30pm (classical)
Liberian-Norwegian pianist Kamilla Arku draws on her diverse background as inspiration for her work as a performer, scholar and educator; she has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in the US, Europe and Africa. Recent highlights include performances for Chamber Music Society at Lincoln Center, Lyric Opera of Chicago, MoMA PS1, the Royal Opera House, the International Florence Price Festival, and Works & Process at the Guggenheim. Jordan Söderberg Mills is a Canadian visual artist working in installation, sculpture, and design objects; his work explores ideas of identity, perception and the sublime, playing with the borders between physical and digital realities, and pushing the material possibilities of light.

International Piano in the Elms Festival: Andrei Gologan, Friday 13 March 2026, 7:30pm (classical)
Deeply connected to the traditions of the past and eager to shape the future of classical music, Romanian Andrei Gologan is earning an international reputation as a thought-provoking concert pianist. His poetic interpretations have garnered the support of legendary pianists such as Sir András Schiff and Richard Goode, leading to invitations from some of Europe’s most prestigious festivals and concert halls, including the Herkulessaal in Munich, Wigmore Hall in London, the Schleswig-Holstein Festival, and Heidelberger Frühling. This concert is hosted in partnership with the Romanian Cultural Institute.

International Piano in the Elms Festival: Julian Joseph: Nine Elms Suite and String Orchestra Saturday 14 March 2026, 7:30pm (jazz)
Join us for an intimate performance by internationally renowned jazz maestro Julian Joseph and his powerful orchestra as together they perform the specially dedicated Nine Elm Suite.

International Piano in the Elms Festival: Cristiana Achim, Thursday 19 March 2026, 7:30pm (classical)
Bucharest-born classical pianist, composer and educator, Cristiana Achim is recognised as a standout talent for her generation. Graduating with First Class Honours in 2024 from the Royal College of Music in London, under the tutelage of Professor Nigel Clayton, she earned both a Bachelor of Music and a Master of Performance degree. An exceptional classical pianist whose repertoire spans classical, jazz and folk music, Cristiana creates a vivid solo piano show rooted in folklore, combining virtuosity, warmth and expressive freedom. She continues to inspire and nurture the next generation of musicians as a dedicated piano teacher at the World Heart Beat Music Academy.

International Piano in the Elms Festival: Cyrill Ibrahim – A Journey of Chopin’s Heart, Friday 20 March, 7:30pm (classical)
Chopin’s Heart is an intimate solo piano experience exploring the inner world of Frédéric Chopin — his exile, his loves, and the extraordinary journey of the physical heart he left behind. The programme centres on the Heroic Polonaise, a powerful expression of Chopin’s longing for Poland, and the monumental Third Sonata, one of his most personal and emotionally revealing works. These are interwoven with pieces by other composers that reflect themes of memory, identity, and belonging, creating a musical narrative that follows Chopin’s path across countries and across the fault lines of his own life. An immersive and atmospheric concert that invites audiences to experience the beating heart behind the musical genius, Cyrill Ibrahim.

Piano in the Elms: Nefeli Mousoura – Saturday 21 March, 7:30pm (classical)
Steinway Artist and Greek piano virtuoso Nefeli Mousoura’s presents in the first part of her recital a focus on Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, exploring different facets of his musical world through variations, minuets, and a sonata. The second part moves into the deeply expressive universe of Franz Liszt, featuring pieces such as the Consolations, a Hungarian Rhapsody, and Venezia e Napoli, tracing a journey from introspection to virtuosity and colour.

Venue Details
Address: World Heart Beat Embassy Gardens, 3 Ponton Rd, Nine Elms, London SW11 7BD
Tel: 0204 547 1075

Link to all Piano in the Elms Festival shows
https://worldheartbeat.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows?tags=international

About World Heart Beat
In 2023, World Heart Beat opened World Heart Beat Embassy Gardens, a state-of-the-art digital music education and concert venue in Nine Elms, featuring a 200-capacity auditorium and industry-standard recording studio. Through our Music Leader and EMERGE training programmes, and GLA-funded South London Music Mentors, programme we are supporting Black, culturally diverse, female and LGBT+ South London talent to find their path in the music industry. 

Wandsworth-based World Heart Beat Music Academy was founded in 2009 to meet the need for affordable music education, from grassroots to professional level, for South Londoners, no matter what their age, background or skills. Fronted by award-winning musician and educator Sahana Gero MBE, World Heart Beat is a leading music educator and hub – supported by Arts Council England as an NPO, and known for its inclusive global music programmes, youth-led approach and contribution to a more diverse and representative music sector. 

The charity provides music tuition and performances opportunities for c.446 young people each year outside of school hours. World Heart Beat’s mission is to provide opportunities for all, with an ‘open door’ approach that welcomes any young person interested in learning music. This commitment sees them providing bursaries and free instruments to more than half of the students that come through their door.

Ben Creighton Griffiths Trio, afternoon event at The Globe at Hay, Hay-on-Wye.

Date: Sunday, March 22, 2026

More details

From;
https://www.globeathay.org/whats-on-2/

Sun 22 Mar 2026
Ben Creighton Griffiths Trio
2.30pm

Ben Creighton Griffiths - Harp
Joseph Van Parys - Guitar
Benedict Stephens - Bass

Come and relive the era of swing with The Ben Creighton Griffiths quartet. Led by Ben Creighton Griffiths on harp, this performance will feature Joseph Van Parys on guitar and Benedict Stephens on bass. Expect to hear Swing classics, Django standards, and Bossa Nova during this exciting performance from three excellent musicians based in South Wales.

Benjamin Creighton Griffiths is an Internationally touring jazz and classical harpist based in Wales. He made his International debut at the 2004 1er Concours International de Harpe in Nantes, France where, aged 7, he came second in the Under 18 division. In 2006 he won the Under 13 Division of the Wales International Harp Festival before going on to win the 2008 Junior Lily Laskine competition in Paris, winning a concert harp in the process.
Originally classically trained with Catrin Finch, Elinor Bennett, and Ann Griffiths, he now specialises in jazz both as a soloist and with his bands – the Transatlantic Hot Club and Chube. His career has taken him across the world including to America, Australia, Canada, Singapore, Indonesia, China, the Caribbean, Hong Kong, India, Brazil, and across Europe and has seen him collaborate with excellent musicians in both the classical and jazz world including Dennis Rollins MBE (jazz trombone), Tatiana Eva-Marie (vocals), Adrien Chevalier (jazz violin), and Catrin Finch (harp).
As well as a performer he is a composer, most recently developing a concert schedule for his own Concerto for Jazz Harp & Symphony Orchestra. This has included performances with the The Chandos Symphony Orchestra (who commissioned the work), The Cardiff Philharmonic, Stratford on Avon Symphony Orchestra, Swindon Symphony Orchestra, and Trowbridge Symphony Orchestra. It received its first international performance in Tasmania with the Student Music Collective of Tasmania University.
Upcoming appearances at the time of writing include a UK and Corsican tour with the Transatlantic Hot Club, a UK tour with Tatiana Eva-Marie, and a first visit to Poland for the Polish Harp Societies European Congress.

Benedict Stephens is an award winning bass player based in Cardiff, Wales. He began developing his style of bass playing from an early age playing in rock bands with his friends at school, and later realised a strong relationship with his electric bass allowing him to pursue his passion of performing jazz music.
Growing up in Manchester, his interest in music started with rock music, and he later progressed his interest in jazz and funk music during his studies at Cardiff University with local legends Huw Warren (pianist) and Jason Charles Rogers (bass player). During this time he would become heavily influenced by the likes of Esperanza Spalding, Christian McBride and Herbie Hancock. Since graduating, Benedict has been performing regularly around the UK with his jazz band Yatra Quartet, funk group Calathea, rock band Up and Under, and function pop band The Laylads.

Joseph Van Parys  
Joseph Van Parys is a guitarist from North Yorkshire with a passion for swinging jazz. He’s played in and around South Wales/England, becoming a well known jazz guitarist on the scene after completing his studies at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. His particular focus is on the swing era of jazz, and his creative soloing and sensitive accompaniment alike has been praised by audiences across the South of the UK.

“A true virtuoso on the instrument” - The Jazz Mann

“Harp sensation” - Nation Cymru

“The musicianship on this is off the scale” - Adam Walton, BBC Wales Introducing

Book earlybird tickets £10.00 2.30pm
https://www.globeathay.org/checkout

The Globe at Hay
Newport Street
Hay on Wye
Hereford
HR3 5BG
United Kingdom

01497 821762

Al Di Meola at Barbican Hall, Barbican Centre, London.

Date: Thursday, June 25, 2026

More details

From;
https://serious.org.uk/events/al-di-meola

Al Di Meola
Thu 25 June 2026
Stage time / 8:00pm
Doors / 7:30pm

Location
Barbican,
Silk Street
EC2Y 8DS

Tickets
Presale tickets go live this Thursday 29/01/2026, 10am £35 - £65 + booking fee
https://serious.org.uk/events/booktickets/41601
Pre-sale tickets available to Serious subscribers this Thursday from 10am. Sign up to our mailing list receive your presale code

Al Di Meola returns with his acoustic band and the program “The Guitarchitect,” a refined concert experience that unites five decades of music, sweeping multimedia visuals, and the stories that shaped a lifetime of artistry.

This show will be a celebration of legacy, innovation, and the evolution of the Di Meola sound -performed with the unmistakable precision and passion that have defined his world-renowned career.

Join us for an evening that honours the past, embraces the present, and looks toward the future.

Presented in collaboration with Marshall Arts

2026 Swansea International Jazz Festival, various venues, Swansea.

Dates: Thursday, September 03, 2026 - Sunday, September 06, 2026

Featuring: Various Artists

More details

SWANSEA INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL 2026
Dates for diary…
THURSDAY SEP 3rd - SUNDAY SEP 6th!

https://www.swanseajazzland.co.uk/

‘Dave Jones’ Stratospheric’ and ‘Chube’ at The Drill Hall, Chepstow.

Date: Wednesday, July 01, 2026

More details

Dave Jones has forwarded the following information;

Weds 1 July at Drill Hall
A double-header concert with 2 unique bands, in Chepstow …
‘Chube’ and Dave Jones’ ‘Stratospheric’

“A totally cosmic experience … a melange of excellence” (BBC Introducing with Adam Walton re ‘Stratospheric’)

“Jazz, rock and electronics were all promised, and all were brilliantly delivered” (Ian Mann re ‘Chube’)

Further details and tickets are now available from the ‘Buy Tickets’ button below …
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/hybrid-jazz-club/chube-dave-jones-stratospheric/2026-07-01/20:00/t-dkayjmz

‘Chube’ / Dave Jones’ ‘Stratospheric’
Drill Hall, Chepstow, NP16 5HJ
Wednesday 1st July 2026 8:00PM

A double-header featuring ‘Chube’ and Dave Jones’ ‘Stratospheric’. Both bands have their own unique type of fusion - ‘Chube’ are an electro acoustic trio utilising an effected harp to produce new ambient and rock sounds alongside bass and drums, while Dave Jones’ ‘Stratospheric’ are a new 5-piece band with a jazz-influenced approach to material that’s in a Prog Rock style.

‘Chube’ are …
Ben Creighton Griffiths (harp)
Ashley John Long (bass)
Jon Bradford-Jones (drums)
“Jazz, rock and electronics were all promised, and all were brilliantly delivered.” (Ian Mann)

Dave Jones’ ‘Stratospheric’ are …
Ben Waghorn (saxes, flute)
Tim Rose (guitar)
Dave Jones (keyboards)
Ashley John Long (bass)
Scott Hammond (drums)
“A totally cosmic experience … a melange of excellence” (Adam Walton, BBC Introducing).

Event Details
Doors Open at 7:30PM
From 8:00PM to 10:00PM

Location
Drill Hall, Chepstow, NP16 5HJ

Lady Nade Sings Nina Simone at Ludlow Assembly Rooms, Ludlow, Shropshire.

Date: Friday, May 15, 2026

More details

From;
https://ludlowassemblyrooms.co.uk/show/lady-nade-sings-nina-simone/

Lady Nade Sings Nina Simone

Bills kitchen is open for pre-show suppers on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 5:30pm. Click here to book.
Renowned for her distinctive and award-winning vocal prowess, Lady Nade possesses one of the most singular voices in the UK music scene.

Critics and fans alike have often drawn comparisons between Lady Nade’s voice and the legendary Nina Simone. An artist known for paying homage to those who have profoundly influenced her journey, Lady Nade holds Nina Simone in high regard.

Nina Simone, an icon and consummate musical storyteller of the twentieth century, left behind a legacy of liberation, empowerment, passion, and love through her extraordinary body of work. By the end of her life, she had garnered an unprecedented level of recognition. Her music reached millions through recordings, film, television, and the digital sphere. In the last decade of her life alone, she sold over a million CDs, solidifying her status as a global best-seller.

As a black woman, Lady Nade acknowledges Nina Simone’s trailblazing role in paving the way for artists of her generation. Simone’s tenacity encouraged them not to abandon their dreams and aspirations. Lady Nade is honored to celebrate Nina Simone’s life and enduring legacy alongside some of the UK’s most accomplished musicians.

This high-energy performance is a heartfelt dedication to recreating the transformative sound that blended popular tunes of the era into a distinctive fusion of jazz, blues, gospel, and folk music.

Songs include:

Feeling Good

Love Your Loving Ways

Ain’t Got No, I got Life

Put A Spell On You

I Wish I Knew How

Take Care Of Business

My Baby Just Cares For Me

Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood Baltimore

Lilac Wine

Sinnerman

Love Me Or Leave Me

Mr Bojangles

Work Song

Line-up:

Lady Nade – Vocals

Chris Jones – Double Bass

Holly Carter – Guitar

Ruth Hammond – Piano

Matt Brown – Drums

Sophie Stockham – Sax

15 May 2026 - 20:00 @ Auditorium Lady Nade Sings Nina Simone
https://ludlowassemblyrooms.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873679592/events/129638074/seats?zone=Standard%20reserved

01584 878 141
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Assembly Rooms, 1 Mill Street, Ludlow, SY8 1AZ

Romarna Campbell Trio at Music Spoken Here, The Marr’s Bar, Worcester.

Date: Thursday, March 26, 2026

More details

From;
https://musicspokenhere.club/event/romarna-campbell-trio/

March 26 @ 7:30 pm - 10:30 pm
Romarna Campbell Trio
The Marr’s Bar 12 Pierpoint Street, Worcester, Worcestershire, United Kingdom

Jazz and hip-hop infused consciousness from an astoundingly creative drummer and her trio Romarna Campbell is an irrepressible force for good in music and in life. An Olivier Award-winning composer, drummer, and music educator, Romarna hails from Birmingham and is now based in London. Known for her dynamic artistry, she has toured globally with acts like Fever Ray, Benjamin Clementine, and Courtney Pine, gracing stages such as the Royal Albert Hall and Sydney Opera House.

In 2020 she self-released “25 Songs For My 25th Birthday” which she co-wrote, co-arranged, and co-performed with Soweto Kinch, Tomeka Reid, Sumi Tonooka, and Lady Sanity, among others. Her single “Inherently Political” is a super-charged sonic assault on racism, released in the same year.

A Berklee College of Music alumna and mentor, Romarna is deeply committed to nurturing the next generation of musicians. Mentored herself by Dr. Gary Crosby OBE, Terri Lyne Carrington, Neal Smith, and Billy Kilson, she now leads the Tomorrow’s Warriors Frontline Ensemble and has worked with the Ladywood-based Notebenders.

Romarna’s mission is to create music that reflects our current reality with artistic integrity, inspiring the next generation, especially those from diverse socio-economic, racial, and gender backgrounds, to find opportunities and solutions to follow a similar path.

TICKETS
Admission for this event is complimentary for Music Spoken Here Club Members.
Non-members are welcome – just show up and pay £15 cash or card on the door.
You can find out more about our admission and membership options at A New Approach
https://musicspokenhere.club/a-new-approach/

Branco Stoysin, ‘Recital for Nikola Tesla’ at Sarah Thorne Theatre, Fordoun Road, Broadstairs, Kent.

Date: Saturday, May 16, 2026

Featuring: Branco Stoysin

More details

We have received the following information regarding this event;

Saturday 16th May 2026 at Sarah Thorne Theatre, Fordoun Road, Broadstairs
CT10 2BN. 7:30pm, tickets £14 advanced, £16 at the door.

https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/broadstairs/the-sarah-thorne-theatre/branco-stoysin-in-a-recital-for-nikola-tesla/2026-05-16/d-wpqpbohmzvmqn

Branco Stoysin in a recital for Nikola Tesla
The Sarah Thorne Theatre, Broadstairs, CT10 2BN
Sat 16th May 2026

RECITAL for NIKOLA TESLA
Guitarist/composer Branco Stoysin, life-long aficionado of Nikola Tesla, performs his poignant tribute to Serbian born genius of electricity, marking 170 years since the birth of Nikola Tesla and 130 years since the birth of modern civilisation with the implementation of Tesla’s Polyphase AC System on The Niagara Falls in 1896. He’ll also play the tunes from his ninth CD album, Whispers From The Sun, and special three music/video projects about natural world. A recital for an audio and visual delight.

“A musical journey to warm the soul” Sarah Ward, Jazz FM.

https://www.brancostoysin.co.uk

Let Spin at Shrewsbury Jazz Network, The Hive Music & Media Centre, Shrewsbury.

Date: Saturday, April 11, 2026

Featuring: Let Spin

Venue

The Hive, Shrewsbury

5 Belmont,
Shrewsbury,
Shropshire.
UK

More details

From;
https://events.hiveonline.org.uk/

Apr
11
Sat
19:00

Let Spin
Tickets from £12
Saturday 11th April (Doors open at 6:30pm for a 7pm start)
https://events.hiveonline.org.uk/whats-on/let-spin-2026/

Let Spin are an egalitarian four-piece whose members Chris Williams (saxophones & flute), Ruth Goller (bass & vocals), Moss Freed (guitar), & Finlay Panter (drums) are active contributors to the fertile London, UK and European jazz scenes. The result is an explosive mixture of stylistic influences. Their collaborative way of working, with a focus on improvisation, leads to incendiary live performances as experienced at the Hive in 2023. The performance will be based on material from their fifth album ‘I am Alien’ which sees an expansion of their sound worlds and explorations with the additions of Ruth Goller’s vocals and Chris Williams’ baritone saxophone and flute. This has taken the band’s interplay and fusing of composition and improvisation to a whole new level, with spectacular results. Be ready!

“Electrifying live band whose grooves could wake the dead” ....The Guardian

Pat Metheny Side Eye III at The Barbican Centre, London.

Dates: Saturday, July 18, 2026 - Sunday, July 19, 2026

Featuring: Pat Metheny

Venue

Barbican Centre

Silk Street,
London.
EC2Y 8DS

More details

We have received the following press release;

Pat Metheny takes over the Barbican on 18 & 19 July with three special concerts
Tickets on-sale Friday, 9 January
Buy Tickets Here
https://serious.org.uk/summer-jazz-series-2026

Part of the Summer Jazz Series 2026, a celebration of world-class music across London this summer from the producers of the EFG London Jazz Festival, Serious

Twenty-time Grammy Award–winner Pat Metheny, one of the most influential and celebrated musicians of his generation, returns to the Barbican for a special weekend takeover in July with three shows across two days on 18 and 19 July 2026. In a career spanning more than five decades, Metheny has continually redefined the possibilities of jazz, blending lyricism, innovation and genre-crossing ambition to create a body of work that has inspired generations of artists and audiences alike. A tireless and prolific performer, he has sold out major London venues in recent years, including the Barbican and Hammersmith Apollo, affirming his enduring connection with UK audiences and his reputation as one of the most compelling live performers in contemporary music.

This Barbican residency places Metheny centre stage, offering audiences a rare opportunity to experience his music in depth across a concentrated series of performances. Renowned for his restless creativity and openness to collaboration, Metheny continues to balance landmark solo projects with bold ensemble work, championing both emerging talent and long-established voices while pushing his own artistry forward.

As part of this weekend, Metheny presents the latest evolution of his ongoing SIDE EYE project. SIDE EYE III sees him joined by Chris Fishman (piano and keyboards), Jermaine Paul (bass) and Joe Dyson (drums), a dynamic lineup that reflects Metheny’s long-standing commitment to mentoring the next generation of jazz innovators. Featuring new music alongside reimagined classics, the project embodies Metheny’s fearless approach to exploration, tradition and collaboration.

A bandleader since the 1970s and an artist who has often performed more than 100 concerts a year, Pat Metheny remains a vital creative force, continually evolving, questioning and redefining what modern jazz can be.

Exhibition ; The Jazz Photography of William Ellis at The Capstone Theatre Foyer, Liverpool.

Dates: Tuesday, February 03, 2026 - Wednesday, April 15, 2026

More details

We have received the following press release;

The Jazz Photography of William Ellis to be Celebrated in Liverpool

NB: This photographic exhibition will run in The Capstone Theatre Foyer from Tuesday 3rd Feb - Sun 15th April 2026, coinciding with Liverpool International Jazz Festival 2026. There will be a Private View event on Thursday 26th February 2026 at 6pm with the photographer, William Ellis, in attendance.

An internationally celebrated music photographer from Liverpool will be exhibiting work in his home city this February.

William Ellis’ photographs of iconic artists have appeared in The Times, The Guardian, New Statesman and on the BBC, magazines and record covers and he is a co-author of the forthcoming book Rethinking Miles Davis published by Oxford University Press.

His work has been exhibited in the United States, Canada, Cuba, South Africa, Europe, China and the Far East. They are in numerous private collections and those of National Portrait Gallery, London, the Archive of Contemporary Music, New York, The American Jazz Museum, Kansas City MO, and on display at Birdland, New York.

His reggae project One Love, produced in his role as Visiting Research Fellow in Photographing Popular Music Culture at Birmingham City University is in the archives of the University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica.

From 3rd February to 15th April 2026, Ellis’ images of musicians such as Herbie Hancock, Clark Terry and Dizzy Gillespie will be exhibited at The Capstone Theatre, coinciding with the Liverpool International Jazz Festival. Visitors will be able to see photographs of these music legends on stage, in rehearsal spaces, even in their own homes, revealing details about performance practices, instrumentation, fashion and interpersonal dynamics.

Creative Director of the Liverpool International Jazz Festival, Neil Campbell said: “Jazz is an art form rooted in improvisation and spontaneity - photography shares this instantaneous nature of creation in capturing for us an in-the-moment impression which provides a visual context that enriches our understanding and appreciation of the music’s cultural and social environment.”

There will be a Private View event on Thursday 26th February at 6pm with William Ellis in attendance. All are welcome to attend and pre-booking is not required. For more details please visit The Capstone Theatre website.
https://capstone.hope.ac.uk/whatson/lijf-2026-song-for-my-father-the-jazz-photography-of-william-ellis.html

The Capstone Theatre
Liverpool Hope University
Creative Campus
17 Shaw Street
Liverpool
L6 1HP

The Classic Blues Show at The Hive Music & Media Centre, Shrewsbury.

Date: Saturday, April 18, 2026

Venue

The Hive, Shrewsbury

5 Belmont,
Shrewsbury,
Shropshire.
UK

More details

From;
https://events.hiveonline.org.uk/

Apr
18
Sat
19:00

The Classic Blues Show
Tickets from £14
£14 (or £17 on the door)
Doors at 7pm
Show starts at 7.45pm
Seated gig
https://events.hiveonline.org.uk/whats-on/the-classic-blues-show/

Spend an evening in the company of this fine six-piece band to celebrate the British Blues explosion of the 1960s. From Muddy Waters to John Mayall and Peter Green, The Classic Blues Show recaptures the authentic sound of British Blues musicians and the artists who inspired them. The band’s engaging commentary weaves a narrative through the performance, providing a fascinating journey through the history of the Blues.

“A true journey through the history of blues by EXCELLENT musicians. If you’re a blues music fan then this is the band for you. Check them out, go see them live, a MUST SEE BAND.”
LIVE N LOUD

“A highly enjoyable and entertaining evening for classic blues fans! Professionally put together and played by experienced musicians…The first event was a sell-out and we’re delighted that the Classic Blues Show is returning”
Ludlow Brewery

“We look for variety but above all quality. I went to see the Classic Blues Show before I booked them and was very impressed. Individually and collectively they are excellent musicians and masters of their genre. I can heartily recommend working with them or just going to see them.”
Shrewsbury Abbey Event Manager

The Aspyrian Trio at Cheltenham Jazz Club, Irving Studio, Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham, Glos.

Date: Monday, April 13, 2026

More details

From;
https://www.everymantheatre.org.uk/shows/jazz-in-the-studio/

The Aspyrian Trio
Mon 13th Apr

2 album releases, 2 national tours and recipients of 2 awards from Help Musicians, ‘Aspyrian’ are fast gaining a reputation as one of the most ambitious new acts to emerge on the UK jazz scene. As well as drawing inspiration from many contemporary jazz artists, the London-based trio are influenced by an eclectic mix of soulful songwriters and alternative bands, resulting in an ensemble sound that is captivating and truly unique. The band features:
Robin Porter – Saxophones and Effects
Jack Gillen – Guitar
Matt Parkinson – Drums

The Everyman Theatre
Regent Street, Cheltenham, GL50 1HQ

Box Office: 
01242 572573

Esther Bennett Quartet at The Verdict Jazz Club, Brighton.

Date: Friday, March 20, 2026

Featuring: Esther Bennett

More details

From;
https://www.estherbennettmusic.com/event/the-verdict-brighton/

THE VERDICT BRIGHTON

Really looking forward to returning to this fabulous jazz venue in Brighton excellently run by drummer Tristan Banks
With
Mark Edwards on piano
Richard Sadler on double bass
Tristan Banks on drums

Date And Time
20-03-2026 , start 08:00 PM

Location
The Verdict 159 Edward Street, Kempton, Brighton and Hove BN2 0JB

Joe Masterson Trio at The Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock, Shropshire.

Date: Friday, September 18, 2026

More details

From;
https://edgeartscentre.com/?page_id=14

Friday 18 September 2026

The Joe Masterson Trio

Described by many as a rising star of the UK Jazz scene, Joe Masterson, a 2020 graduate from Leeds Conservatoire is a Birmingham based pianist making his mark on the Birmingham and Midlands Jazz scene. After playing to sell-out crowds across the midlands, and performing at the likes of Cheltenham and Birmingham Jazz Festival, Joe is also known for Jazz at Fletchers – a monthly jazz club in Kings Heath, Birmingham running for over the past 3 years. Here, along with his trio of Miles Levin and Simon Smith, he has collaborated with the likes of Simon Spillet, Chris Bowden, Suzi Woods, Steve Ajao, Alex Clarke, Ade Wakelin and many more.

Influenced by the likes of Monty Alexander, Oscar Peterson and Eddie Higgins, the trio play a variety of music, always looking to groove.

Simon Smith is one of the UK’s most in demand bassists. He has worked extensively as a freelance musician throughout the UK, Europe and the US, including a five year stint based in Los Angeles. Simon’s recording credits include Stevie Nicks, Sarah McLachlan, Wilson Phillips, Glen Ballard and Dave Stewart. He has worked in the live touring bands of artists as diverse as Idina Menzel, Linda Perry, Carl Barât and Carina Round performing at venues and events including Lincoln Center (New York), Ambassadors Theatre, Glastonbury Festival, South by Southwest and La Bâtie Festival (Geneva) amongst many others.

Miles Levin is simply one of the finest jazz drummers in the whole of the UK, respected and admired nationally. He has performed all over the UK and internationally with many of the UK’s leading artists.

Doors 18.30 Show 19.30
Tickets: £15
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/edgeartscentre/the-joe-masterson-trio/2026-09-18/19:30/t-oejvanp

Terence Collie at Pizza Express Jazz Club, Soho, London.

Date: Sunday, April 19, 2026

Featuring: Terence Collie

More details

From;
https://www.pizzaexpresslive.com/whats-on/terence-collie-quartet

Terence Collie Quartet
PizzaExpress Jazz Club (Soho)

Join MOBO Amplified Award winner Terence Collie, with support from Help Musicians, for a special evening of dynamic music. At the piano, Collie leads an outstanding quartet featuring Ted Carrasco (drums), Nick Lenner-Webster (double bass) and Cosimo Keita (percussion).

Following two sold-out shows, this performance offers an exclusive first look at brand-new material from Collie’s forthcoming album, recorded at Peter Gabriel’s legendary Real World Studios and set for release in mid-2026. Expect rich interplay, lyrical melodies and deep grooves from one of the UK’s most inventive jazz voices in the intimate surroundings of PizzaExpress Live Soho.

£30.00

19 April 2026 6:30pm 8:00pm PizzaExpress Jazz Club (Soho)
Available
£30.00

Full Biography

Born in Croydon and growing up in Cambridgeshire, Terence Collie knew that making music would be his career path. A self-taught keyboard player with a keen ear for pop tunes, he joined his first professional band in Jersey at 17. Between 1988 and 1995, Collie performed regularly in the Island’s hotels, pubs and nightclubs, and developed a deep passion for jazz at the Blue Note Jazz Bar, learning from experienced musicians and studying jazz piano alongside private classical lessons. During this period, he had the opportunity to support artists such as Teddy Edwards, The Average White Band, Georgie Fame, Andy Sheppard, Jason Rebello and Digby Fairweather.

In the late 1990s, Collie returned to the UK mainland and secured a six-day-a-week residency at PizzaExpress in Cambridge, performing solo and in duos. This intensive schedule enabled him to develop a substantial jazz repertoire and refine his improvisational skills.

In 2011, Collie formed the jazz-fusion group Prison Break, recording two albums of original compositions and gaining experience in self-recording and production. Two years later, he co-founded Mood Indigo Events, curating high-quality jazz concerts, including five TW12 Jazz Festivals. This platform allowed him to perform regularly with leading jazz musicians at events such as Riverside Arts Jazz and Jazz on the Plaza.

Collie has performed at a host of leading jazz clubs and festivals, including Cadogan Hall for the EFG London Jazz Festival, PizzaExpress Live, The 606 Club, Brecon Jazz Festival, and The Stables in Wavendon.

In 2025, Collie was awarded the MOBO Amplified Award with support from Help Musicians.

Band Lineup
Terence Collie (piano)
Ted Carrasco (drums)
Nick Lenner-Webster (bass)
Cosimo Keita (percussion)

Matt Skelton presents The Blackhawk Quintet: Celebrating Shelly Manne at Jazz at Progress, Progress Theatre, Reading, Berkshire.

Date: Friday, July 03, 2026

More details

From;
https://www.jazzinreading.com/jazz/jazz-at-progress/?future=true

Jazz at Progress | Matt Skelton presents The Blackhawk Quintet: Celebrating Shelly Manne | Tickets on sale soon
Friday 3 July 2026|  Progress Theatre, Reading | 7: 30pm | £20.00 (£18.00 concessions, £10 under 16) plus maximum 5% booking fee.
James Davison trumpet
Mark Crooks tenor saxophone
Leon Greening piano
Conor Chaplin bass
Matt Skelton drums
This will be a night of ‘cool jazz’ and a tribute to multi-poll winning drummer, Shelley Manne, one of the greats of the West Coast scene of the 1950s An extraordinary and selfless artist, Shelley (1920-1984) – band leader, Contemporary Jazz record label house musician, studio orchestra drummer for countless films and television and owner of ‘Shelley’s Manne Hole’ jazz club – has left an immense legacy of collaborations and recordings, which have enriched the lexicon of jazz percussion with virtuosic alacrity.
This project, masterminded by Matt Skelton, celebrates Shelley’s Quintet – Joe Gordon, trumpet; Richie Kamuca, tenor sax; Victor Felman, piano; Monty Budwig, bass and Shelley Manne, drums – and their particular contribution to the Manne canon, inspired by a clutch of golden performances, captured live at the Blackhawk Jazz club in San Francisco between September 22-24,1959.
Tonight’s ‘stellar’ line-up has been hand-picked for the way they connect with, and are inspired by their corresponding original artists. They will aim to express the band’s own originality and collective inspiration with the Manne Blackhawk quintet as their DNA framework.
Matt Skelton’s Blackhawk Quintet has taken the UK jazz club scene by storm and by the time they make their Progress appearance will have completed a lengthy tour of Scandinavia.
You can expect the fireworks to be flying tonight!
‘An evening of pure jazz joy. Thank you Matt for giving us the opportunity to hear and be part of this important and uplifting music. Jazz night’s don’t come any better than this. We are still smiling.’ – Watermill Jazz Club – Dorking

Progress Theatre
progress theatre - jazz in reading
http://www.progresstheatre.co.uk | The Mount, Off Christchurch Road, Reading RG1 5HL
Bar at all gigs from 7:00pm. Drinks may be taken into the auditorium during performances.
Progress Theatre is a self-governing, self-funding theatre group founded in 1947, maintained by volunteers. The Theatre itself is an intimate 95-seat venue. It is the oldest operating theatre in Reading and has a fully licensed bar. There is wheelchair access to the Theatre with a space for disabled patrons. In 2011 Sir Kenneth Branagh became the Patron to Progress Theatre.

Small Blue at Jazz at Progress, Progress Theatre, Reading, Berkshire.

Date: Friday, March 27, 2026

Featuring: Small Blue

More details

From;
https://www.jazzinreading.com/jazz/jazz-at-progress/?future=true

Jazz at Progress | Small Blue
Friday 27 March 2026 | Progress Theatre, Reading | 7: 30pm | £20.00 (£18.00 concessions, £10 under 16) plus maximum 5% booking fee.
Martin Pyne drums / composition
David Beebee piano
Marianne Windham double bass
Percussionist, composer and improviser Martin Pyne, when not working with contemporary dance or as a silent film accompanist, performs solo sets, leads bands, and collaborates with a range of musicians and other artists.
Formed in 2023, the jazz trio Small Blue is a result of just such a collaboration, with David Beebee on piano, and Marianne Windham on double bass.
Small Blue is a piano trio in the classic modern jazz tradition, featuring material including straight ahead swinging tunes and beautiful ballads , as well as African inspired grooves – but always with a twist.
Martin says that most of the tunes he composes have a back story, often being inspired by novels or poems he’s read, movies or art he’s seen, or places he’s visited.
The result is music that is intimate but ranges far and wide in tempo and mood – by turns lyrical, atmospheric, groovy, and mischievous – and takes in heartfelt ballads, mysterious grooves, evocative atmospheres and melodic swing along the way.
The trio’s second album, Furrow, has – like their debut album, The Stealthy Moon – been received with enthusiastic critical acclaim…
“Superb contemporary jazz” – Jazz Views
“Small Blue might be led by a drummer but this is one of the best ‘piano trio’ albums that I’ve heard in a long time” – THE JAZZMANN
“… high grade Bill Evans Trio territory … each track has its own picture, each track turns its own curve, put all together and Small Blue have themselves a minor masterpiece.” – Steve Day
“Pyne has written twelve exceptional compositions for the new group that immediately gives the trio an identity and repertoire that marks them out as rather something special … a composer of rare talent” – Jazz Views
“In terms of percussion improvisation, try to imagine something that runs from the Zen sound-painting of Frank Perry to the light swing of Billy Higgins. There’s nothing loud, nothing showy, nothing esoteric. Just a delight in the deft touch of a stick, a mallet, a finger or a wire brush on metal, skin or wood, and in the process of transforming sound into a sense of movement.” – Richard Williams, The Blue Moment
Sample the music here: https://tinyurl.com/ua6p5ndm

Progress Theatre
progress theatre - jazz in reading
http://www.progresstheatre.co.uk | The Mount, Off Christchurch Road, Reading RG1 5HL
Bar at all gigs from 7:00pm. Drinks may be taken into the auditorium during performances.
Progress Theatre is a self-governing, self-funding theatre group founded in 1947, maintained by volunteers. The Theatre itself is an intimate 95-seat venue. It is the oldest operating theatre in Reading and has a fully licensed bar. There is wheelchair access to the Theatre with a space for disabled patrons. In 2011 Sir Kenneth Branagh became the Patron to Progress Theatre.

Omar Sosa & Seckou Keita Suba Trio at Union Chapel, Islington, London.

Date: Friday, May 08, 2026

More details

From;
https://www.seetickets.com/event/omar-sosa-seckou-keita-suba-trio/union-chapel/3535169

Omar Sosa & Seckou Keita Suba Trio
Union Chapel, London. Friday 08 May 2026

AGMP Concerts presents

OMAR SOSA & SECKOU KEITA SUBA TRIO with Gustavo Ovalles

The Atlantic Ocean separates Cuba and Senegal, the respective birthplaces of piano virtuoso Omar Sosa and kora maestro Seckou Keita, a distance diminished by their shared ancestral connection to Africa. When the pair met in 2012, Seckou loved Omar for his musical spirituality, whilst Omar saw in Seckou a rare ability to collaborate but not lose his identity. Their debut album Transparent Water (2017) was hailed as “beautiful, rhapsodic… spiritual” (Songlines) and “mesmerising, evocative and sophisticated” (World Music Central).

Omar Sosa has released over 30 albums during an incredible career that has included nominations for seven GRAMMY or Latin GRAMMY awards; Seckou Keita is a multi-award winner, most recently as the prestigious BBC Radio 2 Folk Musician of the Year (2019). Recorded during lockdown and released in 2021, Sosa and Keita’s second album SUBA is a hymn to hope, to a new dawn of compassion and real change in a post-pandemic world, a visceral reiteration of humanity’s perennial prayer for peace and unity. Joining Omar Sosa and Seckou Keita in the studio and for live performances is the inimitable Venezuelan percussionist Gustavo Ovalles.

Union Chapel, London N1 2UN
Friday 08 May 2026 at 19:00.
Performing
Omar Sosa Seckou Keita

Makaya McCraven at Union Chapel, Islington, London.

Date: Wednesday, May 06, 2026

More details

From;
https://www.seetickets.com/event/makaya-mccraven/union-chapel/3556812

Makaya McCraven
Union Chapel, London. Wednesday 06 May 2026

MAKAYA McCRAVEN - in concert

“Balances jazz’s precious tradition and its present and future.” The Guardian

“Makaya McCraven has quietly become one of the best arguments for jazz’s vitality.” The New York Times

Direct from the USA, master drummer and producer Makaya McCraven brings his group to London for an exclusive ocncert in 2026.

Makaya McCraven was raised in a vibrant, creative community in the Northampton, Massachusetts area, where his father often played with artists like saxophonist and ethnomusicologist Marion Brown, multi-instrumentalist Yusef Lateef, and saxophonist Archie Shepp. After co-founding a jazz-hip hop band called Cold Duck Complex that ultimately opened for The Pharcyde, Digable Planets, and the Wu-Tang Clan, he moved to Chicago in 2006. Within five years he’d established a name for himself, gigging alongside Willie Pickens, Marquis Hill, and Jeff Parker.

Makaya McCraven released his debut LP ‘In The Moment’ in 2015 followed by ‘Highly Rare’ (2017), ‘Where We Come From’ (2018), ‘Universal Beings’ (2018), ‘Deciphering The Message’ (2021), ‘In These Times’ (2022), and ‘Off The Record’ (2025).

Makaya McCraven has recorded or shared the stage with artists such as Gil Scott-Heron, Kamasi Washington, Nubya Garcia, Shabaka Hutchings, Brandee Younger, Theon Cross, Joel Ross, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and many more.

An AGMP Concerts presentation.

Union Chapel, London N1 2UN
Wednesday 06 May 2026 at 19:00.
Performing
Makaya McCraven

The Herbaliser Band, official album launch at 229, London.

Date: Saturday, May 09, 2026

More details

We have received the following press release regarding this event;

THE HERBALISER BAND - Official Album Launch

Way back In 1995, Ollie Teeba and Jake Wherry AKA The Herbaliser, a sample-based beatmaking duo from Twickenham, South West London, released their debut 12” single ‘The Real Killer’ on UK label Ninja Tune.

They soon followed up with their first LP, ‘Remedies’  Establishing themselves as one of the main features of the Ninja Tune crew, as they expanded their roster of eclectic artists and DJs. The following year, as they were recording their second full length release, ‘Blow Your Headphones’, they extended their output to include an 8 piece live band.

The Herbaliser Band, (which would count among it’s members, the likes of Easy Access, Chris Bowden and Kaidi Tatham) continued on, touring internationally, to great reception, from diverse audiences and would become regulars at a multitude of electronic, dance, dub and jazz festivals, worldwide, for the next 2 decades or so.

Now, after something of a hiatus, The Herbaliser Band have reformed with a lineup that currently includes Easy Access AKA Ralph Lamb (trumpet/flugelhorn) & Andrew Ross (tenor/baritone sax-flute), James Morton (alto sax), Micah Moody (drums), Patrick Dawes (percussion) & Ollie Teeba on the turntables.

Tickets;
https://www.seetickets.com/event/the-herbaliser-band/229/3432592

229 London
229 Great Portland St, London W1W 5PN

Brass Band Bychan at Black Mountain Jazz, Melville Centre, Abergavenny.

Date: Sunday, March 29, 2026

More details

From;
https://www.blackmountainjazz.co.uk/event-details/brass-band-bychan

Brass Band Bychan
Sun 29 Mar |  The Melville Theatre

Time & Location
29 Mar 2026, 20:00 – 23:00
The Melville Theatre, 4 Pen-Y-Pound, Abergavenny NP7 5UD, UK

About the event

Black Mountain Jazz Club welcomes Brass Band Bychan to Abergavenny this March for an unforgettable night of bold brass, deep groove and high-energy creativity.

Hailing from Wales’ vibrant jazz scene, Brass Band Bychan brings together four outstanding musicians all familiar to us here at BMJ:

Gareth Roberts (trombone),
Gethin Liddington (trumpet),
Alistair Stewart (sousaphone) 
and Mark O’Connor (drums).

Led by award-winning composer Gareth Roberts, the band is renowned for its powerful blend of jazz, funk and street-band swagger - delivering a sound that is both rhythmically infectious and richly melodic.

Their live performances are full of personality - tight horn lines, driving sousaphone bass and irresistible drum grooves combine to create a small ensemble with a truly big presence.

Join us at Black Mountain Jazz Club for a night that promises joyous original music, fearless improvisation and the unique energy only a powerhouse brass group can deliver.

Tickets
Ticket type
General Admission
Price
From £9.50 to £19.00

Standard
£19.00

Friends of BMJ’s
£17.00

Under 18’s
£9.50

Dave Holland and Lionel Loueke Duo at Union Chapel, Islington, London.

Date: Monday, March 23, 2026

More details

We have received the following information regarding this event;

Monday 23 March, Union Chapel
Dave Holland and Lionel Loueke

Don’t miss these two musical giants, guitarist Lionel Loueke and bassist Dave Holland, unite their individual talents into one harmonious show, igniting creativity, honouring cultural roots, and showcasing music’s powerful role in fostering unity amidst societal division.

Tickets;
https://serious.org.uk/events/dave-holland-and-lionel-loueke

Two musical giants, guitarist Lionel Loueke and bassist Dave Holland, unite their individual talents into one harmonious recording, igniting creativity, honoring cultural roots, and showcasing music’s powerful role in fostering unity amidst societal division.

United is an inspiring testament to the power of collaboration, blending Loueke’s masterful guitar work with Holland’s deep, resonant bass. Both musicians have profoundly impacted the global jazz scene—Loueke, known for his innovative fusion of West African traditions Rider im Archiv!with modern jazz, has played with a who’s who of virtuosic and celebrated artists, most notably serving as Herbie Hancock’s guitarist for over 15 years, and collaborating with legends like Wayne Shorter, Sting, Terence Blanchard, Marcus Miller, and Esperanza Spalding.

Holland, one of the most influential bassists and composers in jazz, has shaped contemporary jazz since the late 1960s, performing with icons like Miles Davis, Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, Pat Metheny, Sam Rivers, and Jack DeJohnette. Though Loueke and Holland have worked together many times in various groups, this album marks their first collaboration as a duo. The result is nothing short of extraordinary.

Line Up
Dave Holland, bass
Lionel Loueke, guitar

Mon 23 March 2026
Stage time / 7:30pm
Doors / 6:30pm

Location
Union Chapel,
Compton Terrace
N1 2UN
https://unionchapel.org.uk/

Tickets
£35 + booking fee

Branco Stoysin: Recital for Nikola Tesla at The Stables, Wavendon, Milton Keynes, Bucks.

Date: Thursday, May 14, 2026

Featuring: Branco Stoysin

More details

From;
https://stables.org/event/branco-stoysin-recital-for-nikola-tesla#event-handling-fee-text

Branco Stoysin: Recital for Nikola Tesla
Thursday 14 May 2026 8:45pm

Guitarist/composer Branco Stoysin, life-long aficionado of Nikola Tesla, will be performing his epic new music/video project Aurora Tesla, that in the most lyrical, illuminating and concise way tells the story about Nikola Tesla, Serbian born genius of electricity. It’s a poignant tribute, marking 170 years since the birth of Nikola Tesla and 130 years since the birth of modern civilisation with the implementation of Tesla’s Polyphase Alternating Current System on The Niagara Falls in 1896. Every pylon, everywhere around the world, carries Tesla’s blood, The Electricity, to lighten your existence.

Branco will also play tunes from his previous eight CD albums and from his recent, triple anniversary, the ninth CD album, Whispers From The Sun, which marked 40 years of art-music making, of those 30 years in London. As an avid photographer and naturalist, for the finale of recital, Branco will perform special three music/video projects depicting the beautiful natural world right on our doorsteps. A recital for an audio and visual delight.

“A musical journey to warm the soul.” Sarah Ward, Jazz FM.

“Music of great delicacy and charm.” Chris Parker.

“The sound of a master craftsman at work.” Ian Mann.

http://www.brancostoysin.co.uk 

Tickets;
https://stables.org/boxoffice/ticket/507801

box office 01908 280800

The Stables, Stockwell Lane, Wavendon, Milton Keynes, MK17 8LU.

https://www.brancostoysin.co.uk

Buxton International Jazz Festival, various venues, Buxton, Derbyshire.

Dates: Thursday, July 09, 2026 - Sunday, July 26, 2026

Featuring: Various Artists

More details

Multi-disciplinary arts festival that includes the twelve gigs of the Jazz Weekender event from 9th to12th July.

For full programme please visit ;
http://www.buxtonfestival.co.uk

Jazz Weekender programme: View here.
https://buxtonfestival.co.uk/whats-on/jazz-weekender

The Hans Koller ‘Monk’ Quartet at Cheltenham Jazz Club, The Victory Club Ballroom, Burlington House, Lypiatt Road, Cheltenham, Glos.

Date: Monday, March 23, 2026

Featuring: Hans Koller

More details

From;
https://www.cheltenhamjazz.co.uk/

THE HANS KOLLER “MONK”  QUARTET
WHEN: 8.00 pm, Monday 23rd March 2026
WHERE: The Victory Club Ballroom, Burlington House, Lypiatt Road, Cheltenham.
Tickets: CJ Members £19.00, non members £22.00
Hans Koller – Piano, Tony Kofi – Saxophones, Calum Gourlay – Bass, Noah Ojumu – Drums
Well-established pianist/composer Hans Koller is a highly respected musician on the UK jazz scene. With over 16 critically acclaimed albums his sparkling cv includes work with a host of high-profile international artists, including the likes of Bill Frisell, Steve Swallow, Bob Brookmeyer, Mike Gibbs and Kenny Wheeler. Tonight Hans joins forces with the multiple Award-winning saxophonist Tony Kofi (World Saxophone Quartet, The Jazz Warriors, Gary Cosby’s Nu Troop) to perform music celebrating the great US pianist/composer Thelonious Monk. Along with these two master musicians, the bassist/composer/arranger Calum Gourlay, widely considered to be one of the leading bass players of his generation, and the amazing young drummer Noah Ojumu will complete this superb quartet.  The band will explore some of the lesser known Monk tunes, and will offer their fresh take on this iconic music.
Tickets available on the door or online at http://www.ticketsource.co.uk

Ana Popovic at The Jazz Cafe, Camden, London.

Date: Monday, March 30, 2026

More details

We have received the following press release regarding this event;

Direct from the USA, ANA POPOVIC announces exclusive London concert.

“One Helluva a Guitar-Player”
Bruce Springsteen

Ana Popovic blends smoking electric funk and slide guitar, jazzy instrumentals and a tight blues groove with soulful, feminine vocals.

Nominated for seven Blues Music Awards, Ana was added as the only female guitar-player to the 2014 -2018 all star Experience Hendrix lineup; a tour celebrating the music and legacy of Jimi Hendrix with Buddy Guy, Eric Johnson, Jonny Lang, & Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

Aside from that tour Ana Popovic has also shared the stage with B.B. King, Joe Bonamassa, Jeff Beck, & Gary Clark Jr.

https://www.seetickets.com/event/ana-popovic/jazz-cafe/3564533

Jazz Cafe, London NW1 7PG
Monday 30 March 2026 at 19:00.
Performing
Ana Popovic

2026 Gilmore International Piano Festival, various venues, Southwest Michigan, USA.

Dates: Thursday, April 30, 2026 - Sunday, May 10, 2026

Featuring: Various Artists

More details

THE 2026 IRVING S. GILMORE INTERNATIONAL PIANO FESTIVAL—NORTH AMERICA’S LARGEST GATHERING OF KEYBOARD ARTISTS—BRIDGES CLASSICAL AND JAZZ WORLDS IN A GROUNDBREAKING CELEBRATION OF PIANO ARTISTRY,
APRIL 30-MAY 10

Sullivan Fortner, winner of The Gilmore’s 2026 Larry J. Bell Jazz Artist Award, opens and closes the Festival

A Homecoming Moment: Joshua Bell and Shai Wosner Celebrate the Stulberg Competition’s 50th Anniversary in a Special Pre-Festival Recital

2024 Gilmore Artist Alexandre Kantorow’s first Festival appearance

Duo collaboration by Brad Mehldau and 2010 Gilmore Artist Kirill Gerstein

World premieres of Gilmore commissions include American Sputnik,  a monodrama co-commissioned by The Gilmore and the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, as well as a new work for Eighth Blackbird by Clarice Assad

U.S. premiere of The Kalamazoo Flow by Anders Hillborg performed by Alexandre Kantorow

2010 Gilmore Artist Kirill Gerstein Plays and Conducts Three of Beethoven’s Piano Concertos

Gilmore Festival Fellows Return for a 10-Day Immersive Residency Fostering the Next Generation of Pianists

KALAMAZOO, MI — The Gilmore has announced details of the 2026 Irving S. Gilmore International Piano Festival taking place Thursday, April 30 to Sunday, May 10, 2026, across multiple venues in Southwest Michigan. Drawing thousands of fans to the Kalamazoo region, this year’s Festival showcases the world’s preeminent classical and jazz pianists and artists in 75+ events including a world premiere monodrama, exclusive artist collaborations, Gilmore commissioned works, and family-friendly performances as well as master classes, film screenings, and more. Scroll down for a complete schedule of festival events.

“The Gilmore Piano Festival has established itself as a highlight for music fans. Over 11 days, thousands of patrons from around the world will transform Kalamazoo into a vibrant hub of creativity, culture and connection. For over 30 years, our Festival has brought together incredible artists, emerging talents, and enthusiastic audiences. Building on this success, as well as the Gilmore Artist Awards and this year’s inaugural Larry J. Bell Jazz Artist Awards, we’re excited to begin this exciting chapter shifting from a biennial Festival to an annual one that presents the top pianists of both classical and jazz music.”
- Pierre van der Westhuizen, Executive & Artistic Director

The 2026 Gilmore International Piano Festival bridges classical tradition, contemporary innovation, and the evolving landscape of jazz. Anchored by world premieres, interdisciplinary collaborations, and the inaugural Larry J. Bell Jazz Artist Awards, the Festival celebrates the piano as a catalyst for creative exchange across genres, generations, and cultures. Its programming highlights both legacy and discovery—pairing iconic artists such as Joshua Bell, Brad Mehldau, Kirill Gerstein, and Alexandre Kantorow with rising classical and jazz talents, while commissioning new works that reflect the piano’s vibrant role in today’s musical ecosystem. With performances spanning historic concert halls, intimate clubs, family offerings, and community spaces across Southwest Michigan, the 2026 Festival envisions the piano not merely as an instrument, but as a unifying force that transforms the region into a dynamic hub of artistic exploration, storytelling, and shared human experience.

The 2026 Festival coincides with the naming of The Gilmore’s first-ever Larry J. Bell Jazz Artist Awardee, Sullivan Fortner, as well as the Bell Young Jazz Artist Award recipients Esteban Castro and Tyler Bullock — all scheduled to perform at the 2026 Gilmore Piano Festival. Mirroring the Gilmore Artist Award for classical pianists, the Jazz Artist Awards were bestowed on jazz pianists selected by an anonymous committee. Since its founding in 1989, the Festival has taken place at venues in Kalamazoo and across West Michigan, a region characterized by rolling countryside—filled with orchards, wineries, art galleries, and farmers markets—and the natural beauty of nearby Lake Michigan. Building on the success of its 30-year history, the biennial Festival shifts to an annual one for the first time in 2026. The Gilmore is allowing more space for creativity, more audience goers and a plethora of multi-genre artists.

2026 GILMORE PIANO FESTIVAL ARTISTS
Aaron Diehl · Aaron Goldberg · Alexandre Kantorow · Ali Jackson · Allison Miller · Ambrose Akinmusire · Andrew Rathburn · Armando Gola · ARTEMIS · Bill Charlap · Bob Mervak · Brad Mehldau · Cameron Carpenter · CeciléMcLorin Salvant · Charlotte Hu · Christian Sands · Chuco Valdés · Cyrus Chestnut · Daniela Liebman · Eighth Blackbird · Elliott Wuu · Esteban Castro · Horacio El Negro Hernandez · Ingrid Jensen · Inon Barnatan · Jackson Symphony Orchestra · Janice Carissa · Joseph Lattanzi · Joshua Bell · Julian Kuerti · Justin Snyder · Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra · Kandace Springs · Kayvon Gordon · Keith Hall · Kent Philharmonic Orchestra · Kirill Gerstein · Lara Downes · Libor Ondras · Lisa Kaplan · Lori Sims · Marc-André Hamelin · Matthew Aubin · Matthew Natalie Tenenbaum · Nicole Glover · Nicole Zuraitis · Noriko Ueda · Omer Avital · Raquel González · Renee Rosnes · Richard Goode · Roberto Vizcaino Jr. · Sara Davis Buechner · Sean Hickey · Shai Wosner · Southwest Michigan Symphony · Stanislav Khristenko · Stewart Goodyear · Sullivan Fortner · Timo Andres · Tyler Bullock · Tyrone Allen · Vicki Chow · Yes! Trio

THE GILMORE’S LEGACY OF COMMISSIONING NEW WORKS

The Gilmore has a distinguished history of commissioning new works, continuing its mission to support the creation and performance of new music for the piano. Over the years, the Gilmore Piano Festival has become known for its commitment to expanding the repertoire through significant commissions from renowned composers. The Gilmore has commissioned, on its own and via Gilmore Artists and Gilmore Young Artists Award funds, more than 40 new works from composers including Matthew Aucoin, Michael Brown, Elliott Carter, Christopher Cerrone, Michael Gordon, Stephen Hough, Oliver Knussen, Brad Mehldau, Nico Muhly, Frederick Rzewski, and Tyshawn Sorey, among many others.

The commissioned works of the 2026 Gilmore Piano Festival include the U.S. premiere of The Kalamazoo Flow, a new work by leading Swedish composer Anders Hillborg, which Alexandre Kantorow commissioned through his 2024 Gilmore Artist Award (world premiere scheduled for January 2026 at Le Piano Symphonique Festival in Lucerne, Switzerland). The contemporary music ensemble Eighth Blackbird premieres a new work written by Clarice Assad whose music is deeply rooted in the early, folkloric rhythms of Brazil.

Co-commissioned with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, The Gilmore is thrilled to present the world premiere of American Sputnik, a one-act monodrama for baritone, piano and an orchestral ensemble by composer Evan Mack and Pulitzer Prize-winning librettist Mark Campbell. American pianist Van Cliburn instantly shot to superstardom after winning the inaugural International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow at the height of the Cold War. Exploring the impact of Cliburn’s historic win on his own life and on global culture, American Sputnik features baritone Joseph Lattanzi and Cleveland International Piano Competition-winning pianist Stanislav Khristenko dually portraying the role of Cliburn, joined by the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra under Music Director Julian Kuerti.

THE GILMORE FESTIVAL FELLOWS PROGRAM

The Gilmore Festival Fellows program, a career-advancement initiative for both classical and jazz pianists aged 18 or older, continues during this year’s festival. The immersive program blends the festival experience with a curriculum designed to develop the diverse skills—artistic, business, and personal—needed to build a successful career as a pianist. The 12 Festival Fellows take part in workshops and career coaching sessions focused on the business side of an artistic career and the personal and interpersonal challenges of life as a concert pianist.

This year’s Fellowship is a 10-day residency from May 1-10, 2026, including a May 8th public performance by select Classical Fellows. Jazz Fellows will perform on May 1-2 and 7-8 at the Crawlspace Theater. This season’s residency is overseen by Artist Teachers: Sara Davis Buechner, Bill Charlap, Stewart Goodyear, Marc-André Hamelin, Charlotte Hu, Renee Rosnes, and Lori Sims.

Festival artists share their talents and wisdom with Festival Fellows, who perform and learn from their teachers at Gilmore Festival master classes. The general public is invited to witness the creative process in action and gain insight into the dedication required to become an exceptional pianist. All master classes are free and open to the public. Scroll down for a complete schedule of classes. Visit Gilmore.org/education to learn more.

The Gilmore Festival Fellows program is made possible through the generous support of the Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne.

2026 GILMORE PIANO FESTIVAL LINE-UP

When: April 30 – May 10, 2026

Where: The 2026 Gilmore Piano Festival will unfold across more than a dozen venues throughout Southwest Michigan, from historic theaters and concert halls to intimate clubs, churches, and community spaces. This wide variety of locations activates the region as a network of stages, offering audiences exceptional musical experiences in settings of every scale and underscoring the Festival’s commitment to bringing world-class music to the broader community.
Tickets: Donor presale access begins November 20 at 10:00 a.m. ET for supporters who contribute $100 or more, with all tickets going on sale to everyone on January 29, 2026. To purchase tickets, visit http://www.thegilmore.org.

PRE-FESTIVAL EVENTS

CLASSICAL | SOLO RECITAL | SPECIAL EVENT
SAT 4.18 at 7:30 p.m. | Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor
Presented in collaboration with the University Musical Society
THE COMPLETE PHILIP GLASS PIANO ETUDES
Timo Andres | Inon Barnatan | Janice Carissa, 2022 Gilmore Young Artist | Vicky Chow | Aaron Diehl | Lara Downes | Lisa Kaplan | Daniela Liebman | Christian Sands | Justin Snyder
This distinctive concert offering of all 20 of Glass’s etudes features 10 pianists onstage, each offering a unique musical tribute to this masterful composer.

CLASSICAL | CHAMBER MUSIC | SPECIAL EVENT
FRI 4.24 at 7:30 p.m. | Chenery Auditorium, Kalamazoo
JOSHUA BELL
Joshua Bell, violin | Shai Wosner, piano
F. SCHUBERT             Violin Sonata in A Major, D. 574 (“Grand Duo”)
E. GRIEG                 Violin Sonata No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 45
S. PROKOFIEV           Violin Sonata No. 2 in D Major, Op. 94

CLASSICAL | CONCERTO
SAT 4.25 at 7:30 p.m. | Harold Sheffer Music Hall, Potter Center, Jackson
JACKSON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA WITH 2022 GILMORE YOUNG ARTIST JANICE CARRISA
Matthew Aubin, conductor | Janice Carissa, 2022 Gilmore Young Artist, piano
J. BRAHMS /arr. V. LEIDIG.          Academic Festival Overture
R. SCHUMANN                       Concerto for Piano in A Minor, Op.54
W.A MOZART                         Requiem, K.626 (Süssmayr)
OPENING NIGHT
THU 4.30 at 6:00 p.m. | Kalamazoo Institute of Arts & Parish Theater, Kalamazoo

SULLIVAN FORTNER SOLO GAME
The 2026 Gilmore International Piano Festival opens on April 30, 2025, aka International Jazz Day, with a rare solo performance by 2026 Larry J. Bell Artist Award Recipient Sullivan Fortner. Fresh off receiving the inaugural Bell Artist Award, Fortner revisits the spirit of his GRAMMY®-nominated album Solo Game — a kaleidoscopic journey across acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes, Hammond B-3 organ, and other keyboards. Blending jazz, gospel, and modern improvisation, Fortner moves fluidly between soulful lyricism and bold harmonic exploration, revealing why he’s regarded as one of today’s most imaginative and expressive voices in jazz.

CLASSICAL | MONODRAMA | CONCERTO | includes WORLD PREMIERE
FRI 5.01 at 7:00 p.m. | Chenery Auditorium, Kalamazoo
FROM CLIBURN TO KANTOROW: A CELEBRATION OF TCHAIKOVSKY
Julian Kuerti, conductor | Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra
Joseph Lattanzi, baritone | Stanislav Khristenko, piano
Alexandre Kantorow, 2024 Gilmore Artist, piano
The concert will feature the World Premiere of a new one-act monodrama by American composer Evan Mack and Pulitzer-prize winning librettist Mark Campbell, exploring the impact of Van Cliburn’s historic win on his own life and on global culture. Co-commissioned by The Gilmore and Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, American Sputnikfeatures baritone Joseph Lattanzi and Cleveland International Piano Competition-winning pianist Stanislav Khristenko dually portraying the role of Cliburn, joined by the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra under Music Director Julian Kuerti. Also on the program is 2024 Gilmore Artist Alexandre Kantorow — who followed in Cliburn’s footsteps as a winner of the Tchaikovsky Competition — joining the KSO to perform Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 2, one of the concertos that helped Kantorow earn his victory at the competition.
EVAN MACK /libst. MARK CAMPBELL   American Sputnik, WORLD PREMIERE
P. TCHAIKOVSKY                         Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Major, Op. 44

FAMILY CONCERT/FILM
SAT 5.02 at 2:00 p.m. | Chenery Auditorium, Kalamazoo
RIGHT IN THE EYE
Right in the Eye combines 12 short silent films by pioneering French filmmaker Georges Méliès — containing many special effects — with musical virtuosity, lighting design, and more. Three musicians perform on over 50 different instruments, including rare and unique ones, live onstage alongside the films, in a one-of-a-kind production ideal for children ages five and up.

JAZZ
SAT 5.02 at 4:00 + 7:00 p.m. | Bell’s Eccentric Café, Kalamazoo
CYRUS CHESTNUT TRIO
A gifted and innovative jazz pianist, Cyrus Chestnut possesses a soulful style that fuses gospel, classical music, and straight-ahead jazz. With two musical parents who were involved in the church, it was only natural that gospel music would become a major influence on Chestnut’s musical development, showing him not only how to be a better player but also how to connect with audiences. His original compositions are the heart of his latest album, Rhythm, Melody, and Harmony, on which he demonstrates his signature blend of rhythmic precision, emotive expression, and improvisational mastery.

CLASSICAL | SOLO RECITAL | includes U.S. PREMIERE
SAT 5.02 at 8:00 p.m. | Chenery Auditorium, Kalamazoo
ALEXANDRE KANTOROW, 2024 GILMORE ARTIST
The day after performing Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, 2024 Gilmore Artist Alexandre Kantorow returns to give a solo recital. Kantorow will present the U.S. premiere of a new work by leading Swedish composer Anders Hillborg, which Kantorow commissioned through his Gilmore Artist Award; he will premiere the work at the Le Piano Symphonique Festival in Lucerne in January 2026.
J.S. BACH /arr. LISZT       Variations on Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen S. 180.
N. MEDTNER                 Sonata in F Minor, Op. 5
F. CHOPIN                   Prelude in C-sharp Minor, Op. 45
A. SCRIABIN                 Sonata No. 10, Op. 70
L.v. BEETHOVEN             Sonata No. 32 in C Minor Op. 111
ANDERS HILLBORG         The Kalamazoo Flow, U.S. PREMIERE, commissioned by The Gilmore

FAMILY CONCERT
SUN 5.03 at 12:30 p.m., First Congregational Church of Kalamazoo
BABY GRANDS WITH HEITZIG AND JONES
This Baby Grands will feature The Gilmore’s very own Kory Heitzig on organ, with Dr. Garrett Jones narrating, presenting Rex: The King of Instruments written by Daniel Burton. This lively piece introduces the pipe organ through an energetic blend of organ music and narration. This will be followed by the OrgelKids workshop, an engaging, hands-on experience where kids collaborate to assemble a real working organ. This event is a family-friendly, interactive way to introduce kids to the organ.
Free and open to children of all ages.

CLASSICAL | SOLO RECITAL
SUN 5.03 at 2:00 p.m. | First United Methodist of Kalamazoo
CAMERON CARPENTER
In a rare organ performance for The Gilmore, Cameron Carpenter demonstrates the versatility and dramatic power of his chosen instrument. Committed to expanding the repertoire for the organ, Carpenter composes original music and also creates his own virtuosic arrangements of iconic works of classical music, including J.S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations and Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. Carpenter is the first-ever organist to be nominated for a GRAMMY® Award for a solo album (for his debut album Revolutionary), and has transfixed audiences worldwide with his dazzling technique and larger-than-life style.
J.S. BACH/arr. CAMERON CARPENTER Goldberg Variations BWV 988
J.S. BACH Prelude and Fugue in E-flat Major, BWV 552 (“St. Anne”)
M. MUSSORGSKY/arr. CAMERON CARPENTER Pictures At An Exhibition

CLASSICAL | SOLO RECITAL
SUN 5.03 at 7:30 p.m. | Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, Kalamazoo
RICHARD GOODE
Pianist Richard Goode is internationally renowned for his interpretations of Classical and Romantic music. His 10-disc recording of Beethoven’s complete piano sonatas remains a benchmark in the industry. Goode returns to The Gilmore to perform two cornerstones of the repertoire: Beethoven’s monumental Diabelli Variations and Schubert’s heartrending Sonata in B-flat Major, his final composition for solo piano.
L.v. BEETHOVEN           Thirty-Three Variations on a Waltz by Diabelli, Op. 120
F. SCHUBERT               Sonata in B-flat Major, D. 960

CLASSICAL | SOLO RECITAL
MON 5.04 at 2:00 p.m. | Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, Kalamazoo
STEWART GOODYEAR
Canadian pianist Stewart Goodyear is renowned for his large, dramatic sound, elegant technique, and omnivorous approach to keyboard music. Goodyear has attracted particular attention for his Beethoven “Sonatathons,” a term he coined to describe his epic performances of Beethoven’s complete piano sonatas in one day.
L.v. BEETHOVEN             Sonata No. 17 in D Minor, Op. 31, No. 2 (“Tempest”)
STEWART GOODYEAR     Rhapsody
L.v. BEETHOVEN             Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp Minor, Op. 27, No. 2 (“Moonlight”)
STEWART GOODYEAR       Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso
L.v. BEETHOVEN             Andante favori, WoO 57
                                Sonata No. 23 in F Minor, Op. 57 (“Appassionata”)

Jazz + Classical | DUO PIANO RECITAL
MON 5.04 at 7:30 p.m. | Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, Kalamazoo
BRAD MEHLDAU & KIRILL GERSTEIN IN DIALOGUE
Grammy Award–winning pianist and composer Brad Mehldau has long bridged musical worlds, shaping modern jazz with performances that blend intellect, emotion, and structure. 2010 Gilmore Artist Kirill Gerstein, equally at home in classical and jazz traditions, is celebrated for his dynamic artistry and curiosity, connecting diverse musical voices with insight and imagination. Their collaboration grew from a shared fascination with the space between composition and improvisation.

JAZZ
TUE 5.05 at 12:00 p.m. | Kalamazoo Civic Theater
ESTEBAN CASTRO TRIO | 2026 BELL YOUNG JAZZ ARTIST
Esteban Castro began playing piano at age four and at 13, became the youngest-ever First Prize Winner at the Montreux Jazz Piano Solo Competition. Now 20, Castro is already an in-demand bandleader and sideman. At The Gilmore, Castro and their trio will perform a mix of standards and Castro’s own award-winning compositions.

JAZZ
TUE 5.05 at 12:00 p.m. | Kool Family Community Center, Battle Creek
TYLER BULLOCK TRIO | 2026 BELL YOUNG JAZZ ARTIST
The regular pianist for the Roy Hargrove Big Band, and with collaborations with Samara Joy, Sean Jones, and Dee Dee Bridgewater already under his belt, Tyler Bullock is one of the most promising pianists of his generation. His original compositions for his trio and other configurations combine the lineage of jazz with his own fresh perspective.

CLASSICAL | CHAMBER MUSIC | includes WORLD PREMIERE
TUE 5.05 at 2:00 p.m. | Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU
EIGHTH BLACKBIRD
Four-time GRAMMY® Award-winning contemporary music sextet Eighth Blackbird is, according to The Chicago Tribune, “one of the smartest, most dynamic ensembles on the planet.” They perform Four Organs and Piano Phase, two seminal 20th-century works by pioneering American minimalist composer Steve Reich in his 90th birthday year, as well as the World Premiere of a new work written for them by Clarice Assad, commissioned by The Gilmore. A composer, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist, Assad creatively fuses elements of classical, jazz, and Brazilian music for a sound that’s completely her own.
ARI SUSSMAN               to no end
CLARICE ASSAD             WORLD PREMIERE, commissioned by The Gilmore
STEVE REICH               Piano Phase
                                Four Organs
NICO MUHLY                 Doublespeak

JAZZ
TUE 5.05 at 5:00 + 8:00 p.m. | D. Terry Williams Theatre, WMU
KANDACE SPRINGS
Hailing from Nashville, Tennessee, jazz pianist and singer Kandace Springs’s natural gifts for lyricism and soulfulness have propelled her to some of the world’s biggest stages. She has performed alongside Prince, Sting and Jack White, Norah Jones, Roy Hargrove, and more, and has released acclaimed albums of acoustic-based jazz. Her Gilmore set will include arrangements from her latest recording, Lady in Satin, a loving tribute to Billie Holiday and her 1958 record of the same name, with Springs on both keys and vocals, joined by her all-female trio.

JAZZ
WED 5.06 at 12:00 p.m. | Kool Family Community Center, Battle Creek
ESTEBAN CASTRO TRIO | 2026 BELL YOUNG JAZZ ARTIST
See May 5 for event description.

JAZZ
WED 5.06 at 12:00 p.m. | Kalamazoo Civic Theater
TYLER BULLOCK TRIO | 2026 BELL YOUNG JAZZ ARTIST
See May 5 for event description.

CLASSICAL | SOLO RECITAL
WED 5.06 at 2:00 p.m.  | Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, Kalamazoo
LORI SIMS
A pillar of the Kalamazoo musical community, Lori Sims returns to The Gilmore for a recital on piano and harpsichord, demonstrating how the harpsichord and Baroque musical forms can be updated and reworked in a modern context. Opening with J.S. Bach’s Partita for keyboard No. 6, Sims then jumps to works by two of the 20th century’s most important composers, György Ligeti and Sofia Gubaidulina, who both fused traditional Baroque forms—the Passacaglia and the Chaconne—with their distinctly modern musical languages.
J.S. BACH                 Partita No. 6 in D Minor BWV 830
G. LIGETI                 Passacaglia Ungherese
                            Hungarian Rock
                            Etudes, Book I, No. 5 “Arc-en-Ciel”
S. GUBAIDULINA         Chaconne
CLASSICAL | CONCERTO

WED 5.06 at 7:30 p.m. | Chenery Auditorium, Kalamazoo
KIRILL GERSTEIN & KALAMAZOO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA WITH BEETHOVEN’S PIANO CONCERTOS
Already respected for his solo piano interpretations, 2010 Gilmore Artist Kirill Gerstein unveils another facet of his musical life for Festival audiences: his role as conductor. In one evening with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, Gerstein both plays and conducts three of Beethoven’s beloved Piano Concertos. Beethoven himself frequently performed his own concertos while conducting from the keyboard, and Gerstein will offer Gilmore festival attendeesthe opportunity to experience these masterworks in much the same way that audiences would have in Beethoven’s day.
L.v. BEETHOVEN       Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Op. 15
                          Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37
                          Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58

JAZZ
THU 5.07 at 12:00 p.m. | Kalamazoo Civic Theatre
NICOLE ZURAITIS
A vocalist, pianist, songwriter, and arranger who originally trained in classical voice and opera, Nicole Zuraitis offers powerful interpretations of jazz, pop, and anything else she sets her mind to. How Love Begins, her album co-produced with Christian McBride, won Best Jazz Vocal Album at the 2024 GRAMMY® Awards, making her the first artist to win this award for an album entirely made up of original compositions and arrangements. Zuraitis leads a band of powerhouse artists, using her arrangements to showcase their considerable talents in the best possible light.

CLASSICAL | VOICE AND PIANO
THU 5.07 at 2:00 p.m. | Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, Kalamazoo
CHOPIN AND VIARDOT: A DIALOGUE
Charlotte Hu, piano
Raquel González, soprano
Pauline Viardot was an accomplished pianist who studied with Franz Liszt, a world-renowned mezzo-soprano, and a talented composer, yet her name is largely unknown today. In their collaborative recital, pianist Charlotte Hu and soprano Raquel González re-introduce Viardot to her rightful place alongside the greatest of Romantic composers, notably her friend and colleague Frédéric Chopin. Their program spans solo piano works by both Chopin and Viardot, Viardot’s piano-and-voice arrangements of Chopin’s mazurkas — which Chopin himself advised on and was pleased with — and some of Viardot’s own original songs for soprano and piano.
F. CHOPIN               Polonaise-Fantasie, Op. 61                            
                            Mazurka in E Major, Op. 63, No. 3
                            Mazurka in F-sharp Minor, Op. 59, No. 3
                            Mazurka in C Major, Op. 33, No. 3
P. VIARDOT/F. CHOPIN Mazurka Op. 50, No. 2 “Seize ans!”
                            Mazurka Op. 33, No. 2 “Aime-moir”
                            Mazurka Op. 6, No. 1 “Plainte d’amour”
                            Mazurka Op. 7, No. 1 “Coquette”
                            Mazurka Op. 68, No. 2 “L’Oiselet”
                            Mazurkas Op. 7, No. 3 and Op. 7, No. 2 “Faible cœur!”
P. VIARDOT               Mazurka
                            Deux airs de ballet
                            Serenade
F. CHOPIN               Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, Op. 60
P. VIARDOT               Original Songs for Soprano and Piano

JAZZ | DUO PIANO
THU 5.07 at 5:00 + 8:00 p.m. | D. Terry Williams Theatre, WMU, Kalamazoo
BILL CHARLAP & RENEE ROSNES
Two of today’s preeminent jazz pianists, Bill Charlap and Renee Rosnes have played together in a two-piano setting since the release of their 2010 Blue Note album Double Portrait, a set of duets that traverse their shared musical touchstones. Downbeat declared that “the counterpoint and compatibility are so perfectly balanced, the selections and arrangements so handsome, that Double Portrait is a prize.” On stage, the husband-and-wife duo share their interpretations of jazz standards, Great American Songbook and Broadway tunes, and their own original compositions, inspired by their work together.

JAZZ
THU 5.07 at 7:30 p.m. | Kool Family Community Center, Battle Creek
YES! TRIO featuring ALI JACKSON, AARON GOLDBERG, AND OMER AVITAL
United by three decades of friendship and a reverence for straight-ahead jazz and swing, the members of Yes! Trio are all superstar musicians in their own right. Ali Jackson has played with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra since 2005. Omer Avital synthesizes American jazz, Israeli, and other Arab styles into something new and vital. And Aaron Goldberg leads his own trio and tours with the Joshua Redman Quartet.

JAZZ
FRI 5.08 at 12:00 p.m. | Kalamazoo Civic Theatre
YES! TRIO featuring ALI JACKSON, AARON GOLDBERG, AND OMER AVITAL
See May 7 for event description.

CLASSICAL | SOLO RECITAL
FRI 5.08 at 2:00 p.m. | Cori Terry Theatre, Epic Center, Kalamazoo
GILMORE FESTIVAL FELLOWS SHOWCASE RECITAL
The Gilmore presents top-notch talents of some of this year’s class of Gilmore Festival Fellows, hand selected by The Gilmore’s artistic leadership. Today’s successful artists need to know much more than the music. The Festival Fellows program helps young artists better navigate the industry through mentorships, master classes, Festival performances, workshops, and networking with their peers.

JAZZ
FRI 5.08 at 7:30 p.m. | Kool Family Community Center, Battle Creek
NICOLE ZURAITIS
See May 7 for event description.

JAZZ
FRI 5.08 at 7:30 p.m. | Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, Kalamazoo
ARTEMIS
Equally beloved by audiences and critics alike, ARTEMIS conjures a powerful collective voice from its five members. Originally assembled by pianist and musical director Renee Rosnes, the all-female group is distinguished not only by the star power of its individual members, but also by its multi-national and intergenerational lineup. ARTEMIS features Renee Rosnes (piano/Fender Rhodes), Ingrid Jensen (trumpet), Nicole Glover (tenor saxophone), Noriko Ueda (bass), and Allison Miller (drums). At The Gilmore, ARTEMIS will perform tunes from their three acclaimed Blue Note albums, featuring a vibrant mix of original compositions by all five band members as well as Rosnes’s arrangements of pieces by Wayne Shorter, Burt Bacharach, and more.

CLASSICAL | CONCERTO
FRI 5.08 at 7:30 p.m. | St. Cecilia Music Center, Grand Rapids
KENT PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
Pianist Elliott Wuu, 2018 Gilmore Young Artist, returns to Michigan to perform Grieg’s Piano Concerto with the Kent Philharmonic Orchestra, Libor Ondras conducting.
B. SMETANA                 Dance of Comedians
E. GRIEG                     Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 16
A. DVOŘÁK                 Slavonic Dances, Op. 46

CLASSICAL | SOLO RECITAL | THEATRICAL
SAT 5.09 at 1:00 p.m. | Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, Kalamazoo
SARA DAVIS BUECHNER “OF PIGS AND PIANOS”
When asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, a young Sara Davis Buechner declared: “A piano player and a pig farmer.” Decades later, the first of those has decidedly come true. Of Pigs and Pianos is Buechner’s one-woman show, recounting Sara Davis Buechner’s life story through dramatic narration, musical performances, and projected visuals. As one of the first transgender women in the industry to transition mid-career, Buechner encountered overwhelming obstacles, and faced them with courage and integrity. The New York Times gave the premiere performance a rave review; Buechner herself calls it “one of the most significant artistic works of my life.” [CONTENT WARNING: Of Pigs and Pianos contains strong adult content and language. Recommended for audiences 16 and older.]

CLASSICAL | SOLO RECITAL
SAT 5.09 at 4:00 p.m. | Stetson Chapel, Kalamazoo College
MARC ANDRÉ-HAMELIN
Marc-André Hamelin, “a performer of near-superhuman technical prowess” according to The New York Times, is revered worldwide for his thoughtful interpretations and utter mastery of the most challenging works in the piano repertoire. His Gilmore recital opens with Haydn’s Piano Sonata in D Major, followed by Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 3, an early work dedicated to Haydn. The second half is devoted to Russian piano works, with short pieces by Nikolai Medtner, a younger contemporary of Scriabin and Rachmaninoff, as well as Rachmaninoff’s moody and intense Piano Sonata No. 2.
F. HAYDN                     Sonata in D Major, Hob. XVI:37
Lv. BEETHOVEN             Sonata No. 3 in C Major, Op. 2
N. MEDTNER                 Improvisation in B-flat Minor, Op. 31, No. 1
                              Danza festiva, Op. 38, No. 3
S. RACHMANINOFF         Étude-Tableau in E-flat Minor, Op. 39, No. 5
                              Sonata No. 2 in B-flat Minor, Op. 36 (1931 version)

CLASSICAL | SOLO RECITAL
SAT 5.09 at 7:00 p.m. | Peace Lutheran Church, South Haven
ELLIOTT WUU, 2010 GILMORE YOUNG ARTIST
As part of the South Haven Performance Series, Elliott Wuu gives a solo recital for audiences in South Haven, featuring piano sonatas by Beethoven and Liszt, Debussy’s Suite Bergamasque, and Liszt’s Bénédiction de Dieu dans la solitude.
C. DEBUSSY                 Suite Bergamasque, L. 75
L.v. BEETHOVEN           Sonata Op. 31, No. 3 (“The Hunt”)
F. LISZT                     Bénédiction de Dieu dans la Solitude
                              from Harmonies poétiques et religieuses. S. 173/3
S. RACHMANINOFF         Sonata No. 2, Op. 36

JAZZ
SAT 5.09 at 7:30 p.m. | Chenery Auditorium, Kalamazoo
CHUCHO VALDÉS ROYAL QUARTET
For over six decades, NEA Jazz Master Chucho Valdés has defined Afro-Cuban jazz through his work as a pianist, composer, and bandleader. A winner of multiple GRAMMY® and Latin GRAMMY® Awards, Valdés also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Latin Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and has been inducted into the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame. His Royal Quartet features virtuosos from the next generation of Afro-Cuban jazz: Horacio El Negro Hernandez (drums), Armando Gola (bass), and Roberto Vizcaino Jr. (congas). They will pay homage to Chick Corea, Mozart, American blues, Cuban folksongs, and more, all with their signature sense of joy and creativity.

CLASSICAL | CONCERTO
SAT 5.09 at 7:30 p.m. | Mendel Center at Lake Michigan College
SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN SYMPHONY
Matthew Aubin, conductor
Winner of the 2016 Cleveland International Piano Competition and featured at The Gilmore’s premiere of American Sputnik, Ukrainian pianist Stanislav Khristenko performs Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat Minor with the Southwest Michigan Symphony.
P. TCHAIKOVSKY           Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat Minor, Op. 23

JAZZ | FESTIVAL FINALE
TUE 5.10 at 4:00 p.m. | Chenery Auditorium, Kalamazoo
FINALE: SULLIVAN FORTNER TRIO featuring CÉCILE MCLORIN SALVANT & AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE
The 2026 Gilmore International Piano Festival concludes with an exclusive performance created especially for this occasion, uniting three of today’s most visionary artists. Sullivan Fortner, recent recipient of The Gilmore’s inaugural Larry J. Bell Artist Award, leads his trio alongside GRAMMY® Award–winning vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant and acclaimed trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, whose distinctive sound and compositional depth have earned him international recognition. Joined by Tyrone Allen (bass) and Kayvon Gordon (drums), they will explore new musical terrain where improvisation, storytelling, and collective imagination meet in a singular finale that promises to be both intimate and transcendent.

SPECIAL EVENTS

FILM +
TUE 4.28: MURRAY PERAHIA: NOT OF THIS WORLD
WED 4.29: PIANOFORTE
THU 4.30: OSCAR PETERSON: BLACK + WHITE
FRI 5.01: VAN CLIBURN: CONCERT PIANIST. FILM BY PETER ROSEN.
All showtimes at 12:00 p.m., Kalamazoo Valley Museum, Stryker Theatre

CONNECT WITH FILM SERIES
During this year’s Festival, the music comes to the silver screen with afternoon film screenings at the Stryker Theatre. Movies are free to the public. Tickets are made available at 10:00 a.m. on the day of each screening at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum or its website http://www.kalamazoomuseum.org.

JAZZ +
WED 4.29 + FRI-SAT 5.01-2 + FRI-SAT 5.07-8 | Crawlspace Comedy Theatre, Kalamazoo
GILMORE AFTER DARK
Throughout this year’s Festival, the music continues long into the night with Gilmore After Dark events at venues around Kalamazoo. Grab a drink or a bite to eat and enjoy performances by exciting jazz and classical artists, including this year’s talented class of Gilmore Jazz Fellows. It kickstarts April 29 with pianist, vocalist and songwriter Bob Mervak. On May 1-2, saxophonist Andrew Rathbun will host the Jazz Festival Fellows, followed by drummer Keith Hall on May 7-8.

FESTIVAL FELLOWS EVENTS +
FRI 5.01 at 2:00 p.m. A CONVERSATION WITH SEAN HICKEY, Kalamazoo Public Library, Central Library
SUN 5.03 at 10:00 a.m. STEWART GOODYEAR, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU
TUE 5.05 at 10:00 a.m. LORI SIMS, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU
WED 5.06 at 10:00 a.m. CHARLOTTE HU, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU
WED 5.06 at 4:00 p.m. BILL CHARLAP + RENEE ROSNES, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU
FRI 5.08 at 10:00 a.m. SARA DAVIS BUECHNER, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU
SUN 5.10 at 10:00 a.m. MARC-ANDRÉ HAMELIN, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU

MASTER CLASSES
Festival artists share their talents and wisdom with Festival Fellows, who perform and learn from their teachers at Gilmore Festival master classes. Audiences may witness the creative process in action and gain insight into the dedication required to become an exceptional pianist. All master classes are free and open to the public.

CLASSICAL
WED 5.20 at 6:00 p.m. MEIJER GARDENS X GILMORE, Utopia Room at Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, Grand Rapids
NATALIE TENENBAUM, piano
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park and The Gilmore Piano Festival are collaborating on a special evening of entertainment amidst the beauty of the CHIHULY exhibition at Meijer Gardens.

All performances, programs, and performance dates and times are subject to change.

ABOUT THE GILMORE    
Created in 1989 to honor the legacy of businessman and philanthropist Irving S. Gilmore, The Gilmore is the premier institution in the United States dedicated exclusively to commissioning, presenting and awarding extraordinary piano artistry. The Gilmore has presented 16 piano festivals, commissioned over 40 new works for piano, and awarded over $3 million as part of its internationally renowned Gilmore Artists Award for both classical and jazz pianists.
Based in Kalamazoo, Michigan, The Gilmore hosts its annual (previously biennial) Gilmore Piano Festival April 30-May 10, 2026, and continues to impact the lives of thousands of area children and adults through its year-round community engagement and music education programs including summer camps, music therapy, and much more.

Burghausen International Jazz Week, Burghausen, Germany.

Dates: Tuesday, March 17, 2026 - Sunday, March 22, 2026

More details

We have received the following press release;

Press release: 55th International Jazz Week Burghausen, March 17-22, 2026, Advance ticket sales start: November 26, 2025

The excitement is spreading: The program for the 55th Burghausen International Jazz Week from March 17 to 22, 2026, has been finalized and promises musical highlights! To mark this small anniversary edition, IG Jazz Burghausen is presenting a week full of diverse concert experiences, from international stars to promising new discoveries.

Following the traditional winners’ concert of the 16th European Young Artists’ Jazz Award, the Mike Stern Band feat. Leni Stern, Gabor Bolla, Noam Tanzer & Juan Chiavassa will open the main concerts in the Wackerhalle. Another highlight is the renowned German drummer Wolfgang Haffner. With his All Star Celebration, he celebrates his 50th stage anniversary and invites not only his long-time musical companions Simon Oslender (keys) and Thomas Stieger (bass), but also singer Viktoria Tolstoy, trombonist Nils Landgren, and DJ Shantel.

Also part of the line-up is trumpeter Theo Croker, who will be presenting his Miles Davis Centennial Blue Moods: Miles in the Golden Hour project. Multiple Grammy winner Cory Henry and his band The Funk Apostles will be providing a heavy dose of musical energy, as will the experimental collective Sonic Interventions, which was awarded this year’s German Jazz Prize for Newcomer of the Year. Lovers of avant-garde sounds will get their money’s worth with the duo Stian Westerhus & Maja S. K. Ratkje in the historic Ankersaal in the center of Burghausen’s old town.

The traditional Blues Saturday returns to its authentic roots and brings two outstanding masters of the genre to Burghausen with Paul Lamb & The King Snakes and Ronnie Baker Brooks.

The festival program is complemented by other impressive acts. These include Turkish saxophonist Korhan Futacı, the New York jazz collective Irreversible Entanglements, and London-based bassist, singer, and composer Amy Gadiaga.

Promoting young talent remains a key concern. In addition to the closing Sunday, which is traditionally reserved for newcomers and will be performed by Ayé, INUI, and the Jakob Bänsch Quintet in 2026, the Shuteen Erdenebaatar Trio will take over the nightly jazz cellar concerts. And, of course, the Burghausen Old Town will once again be transformed into an atmospheric musical promenade on Saturday after the main concerts with the Jazznight during the 55th International Jazz Week.

The complete program can be found here;
https://www.b-jazz.com/jazzwoche-burghausen-2026/

Advance ticket sales begin on November 26, 2025, and if you want to stay up to date on everything related to Jazz Week, the newsletter offers all the information and news first hand. You can register directly here.
https://www.b-jazz.com/newsletter/

Abel Selaocoe’s Mohopolo/Ancestral Memory Weekend at Barbican Centre / Milton Court Concert Hall, London.

Dates: Thursday, April 23, 2026 - Sunday, April 26, 2026

More details

We have received the following press release;

Barbican announces Abel Selaocoe’s Mohopolo/Ancestral Memory Weekend: a celebration of South African music, ancestry and connection.

South African cellist, vocalist and composer Abel Selaocoe returns to his roots for a specially curated Barbican weekend in April 2026. The Mohopolo/Ancestral Memory Weekend brings together artists from his homeland of South Africa in a powerful act of remembrance and celebration of shared history through music and will be a highlight of the Barbican’s Spring 2026 season.

Running from Thursday 23 April to Sunday 26 April 2026, and joined by Mbuso Khosa, Nduduzo Makhathini, Gontse Makhene, BCUC, Toya Delazy, Mthuthuzeli November and DJ SNO, Selaocoe traces the journeys of the Bantu people – exploring collective histories of community, resilience and resistance. Through music, movement and storytelling, the weekend reflects on the sonic legacies of the Anglo-Zulu War at Isandlwana, songs of rain, love and rebellion from the apartheid era, and the ancestral rhythms that continue to offer healing and hope today.

Showcasing the depth and diversity of South Africa’s musical landscape, the weekend-long event spans traditional Zulu music, Afro-psychedelic future pop, Afrorave, amapiano and contemporary jazz. Across the weekend, audiences are invited to experience exclusive performances, new collaborations and premieres that honour both heritage and innovation in South African music. In addition, rhythm workshops linked to the music that audiences will hear throughout the weekend will be announced at a later date.

Music is the ceremony of remembering.
To be a musician is to make peace with your own shapeshifting,
to fraternize with your fluidity, and in so doing, trace echoes of the self back through time.
Improvisation is not merely play, it is pilgrimage. A surrender.
A sacred getting-lost so that something ancient might be found.
                                          – Anonymous

Mohopolo/ Ancestral Memory Weekend events:

Tracing the Echoes (Thu 23 Apr, Milton Court, 7.30pm)
BCUC / Toya Delazy / DJ SNO (Sat 25 Apr, Barbican Hall, 7.30pm)
Simunye (We Are One) ClubStage with DJ SNO (Sat 25 Apr, Level G, 9.45pm)
Sithunyiwe / We Have Been Sent (Sun 26 Apr, Barbican Hall, 7pm)

More details about each of the events in the Mohopolo/Ancestral Memory weekend can be found below:

Tracing the Echoes 
Abel Selaocoe & Friends 
Thursday 23 April 2026, 7.30pm
Milton Court Concert Hall
Tickets from £25 plus booking fee
In the opening concert of his Mohopolo/Ancestral Memory Weekend, South African cellist, composer and vocalist Abel Selaocoe brings together a remarkable group of collaborators for an intimate evening exploring ancestral connection through music.
Tracing the Echoes unites Selaocoe with legendary Zulu musician Mbuso Khosa, celebrated pianist Nduduzo Makhathini, and percussionist Gontse Makhene to share songs and stories drawn from their respective tribal traditions. Together, they trace musical lineages that move between the sacred and the spontaneous, where improvisation, ritual and memory intertwine.
Part of Mohopolo/Ancestral Memory Weekend, curated by Abel Selaocoe
Produced by the Barbican

BCUC / Toya Delazy / DJ SNO
Saturday 25 April 2026, 7.30pm
Barbican Hall
Tickets from £20 plus booking fee
South African artists BCUC (Bantu Continua Uhuru Consciousness) and Toya Delazy join forces for a powerful collaboration as part of Abel Selaocoe’s Mohopolo/Ancestral Memory Weekend. Blending heavy electronic and traditional beats, their performance channels ancestral energy through a fusion of punk-rock, psychedelia, hip-hop and African rhythms.
In this special event, they create a sound that is both contemporary and deeply rooted in history – a reflection on the lives, struggles and spiritual resilience of communities whose stories are often unheard. Drawing inspiration from the spirit world of their ancestors, the performance celebrates Africa not as a continent defined by scarcity, but one rich in tradition, ritual and belief.
Part of Mohopolo/Ancestral Memory weekend, curated by Abel Selaocoe 
Produced by the Barbican

Simunye (We are one)
Saturday 25 April 2026, 9.45pm
Barbican ClubStage, Level -1
Free
“Jiva kuze kuse / Dance till the sun comes up!”
Following the concert, audiences are invited to continue the celebration with Simunye (We Are One) – a late-night ClubStage led by South African DJ SNO. Expect an exhilarating journey through South African jams across time and space, driven by SNO’s unshakable spirit of joy and movement. Nothing stands still on her dance floor.
Hailing from the township of Bophelong, SNO (Selina Nongaliphe Oliphant) sees music as a beacon of strength and hope for the marginalised — a vision rooted in her formative years growing up under apartheid. A genuine innovator in musical curation, she brings together the rhythms of jazz, funk, and Amapiano to create a space of togetherness, energy and freedom.
Part of Mohopolo/Ancestral Memory weekend, curated by Abel Selaocoe 
Produced by the Barbican

Sithunyiwe / We Have Been Sent
Abel Selaocoe & Friends 
Sunday 26 April 2026, 7pm
Barbican Hall
Tickets from £25 plus booking fee
A brand-new multidisciplinary performance commissioned by the Barbican closes Abel Selaocoe’s Mohopolo/Ancestral Memory Weekend, bringing together music, dance and storytelling in an expression of ancestral connection and collective spirit.
Sithunyiwe – “we have been sent” – means we have been sent by our ancestors to invigorate the spirit of those that are around us. Selaocoe describes this new project as following ‘a child-like surrender to the instincts of our bodies and how we hear’. Created by acclaimed choreographer and dancer Mthuthuzeli November (Ballet Black, Royal Ballet, Stormzy, The Chemical Brothers), this new dance work channels the deep spirituality of South African traditions through the body.
Music is created and performed by Mbuso Khosa, Abel Selaocoe and Nduduzo Makhathini, joined by the Bantu Ensemble, led by Rakhi Singh, and joined by Gontse Makhene, Sidiki Dembélé and friends.
Together they craft a spontaneous, immersive performance that seeks to heal, educate and unite – a celebration of togetherness and renewal.
Part of Mohopolo/Ancestral Memory weekend, curated by Abel Selaocoe
Commissioned and produced by the Barbican

About the Barbican
The Barbican is a catalyst for creativity, sparking possibilities for artists, audiences, and communities. We showcase the most exciting art from around the world, pushing traditional artistic boundaries to entertain and inspire millions of people, create connections, provoke debate, and reflect the world we live in.
We are an international arts and events centre rooted firmly in our own neighbourhood, collaborating with local communities and putting the City of London on the map as a destination for everybody. Central to our purpose is supporting emerging talent and shaping opportunities that will accelerate the next generation of creatives.
As a not-for-profit, we rely on the generosity of individuals and organisations, including our principal funder the City of London Corporation. Every ticket purchased, donation made, and pound earned supports our arts and learning programme and enables the widest possible range of people to experience the joy of the arts.
Opened in 1982, the Barbican is a unique and audacious building, recognised globally as an architectural icon. As well as our theatres, galleries, concert halls and cinemas, we have a large conservatory with over 1,500 species of plants and trees, a library, conference facilities, public and community spaces, restaurants, bars, and a picturesque lakeside oasis.
We’re proud to be the home of the London Symphony Orchestra, our Resident Orchestra, and a London base for the Royal Shakespeare Company. We regularly co-commission, produce and showcase the work of our Artistic Associates the Academy of Ancient Music, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Boy Blue, Darbar Arts, Culture and Heritage Trust, and Serious, who produce the EFG London Jazz Festival, alongside other associates and partners including Doc’n Roll Film Festival, London Palestine Film Festival, and Trafalgar Theatre Productions.
For more information, visit our website or connect with us on Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify | LinkedIn

The Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, Greater London, EC2Y 8DS

https://www.barbican.org.uk/

Yetii at Kidderminster Jazz Club, St. Ambrose Parish Centre, Kidderminster, Worcs.

Date: Friday, May 01, 2026

Featuring: Yetii

More details

From;
https://www.kidderminsterjazzclub.co.uk/2025-2026-season-shows;

Kidderminster Jazz Club
Fri, May 1, 2026 @ 7:00PM
£15.00

We welcome “Yetii” to Kidderminster Jazz Club for this very special one-off gig as part of their UK “Inner Worlds” Album Tour. Yetii released their debut album “Live at The Greenbank” to widespread critical acclaim and have since played at jazz clubs, festivals and arts centres across the UK as well as supporting “The Bad Plus” on their recent UK Tour.

The trio play original compositions combining flowing melodies with expansive group improvisations, interlocking grooves and evolving soundscapes. The band have built their following with a sold-out monthly residency in Bristol including collaborations with Iain Ballamy, Ant Law, and Arun Ghosh, and look forward to their biggest tour to date in support of this release! For fans of EST, The Bad Plus, and Fergus McCreadie.

“a performance that both enthralled and delighted the audience ★★★★★” The Jazz Mann

The Band
Alex Veitch - piano
Ashley John Long - double bass
Alex Goodyear - drums

St Ambrose’s Parish Centre
Leswell St,
Kidderminster DY10 1RP

Bring Your Own Bottle/Drinks

Brick Lane Jazz Festival, various venues, London.

Dates: Friday, April 24, 2026 - Sunday, April 26, 2026

Featuring: Various Artists

More details

27/09/2025.
We have received the following press release;

Brick Lane Jazz Festival announces the first wave of artists for their fifth birthday edition, including first headliner Brian Jackson

24th – 26th April 2026 | Early bird tickets start from just £29.95

Alexander Flood, Alici , Amanda Whiting, Arjuna Oakes, Brian Jackson, Charlie Stacey, Daoud, Footshooter (live), Gabriele Poso (Live), IAMNOBODI, Knats, Kwame Yeboah, Leif Kaner-Lidström, Levitation Orchestra, Meron T, Ruby Rushton, Saiming, SHOLTO & Finn Rees, TABLE, Tia Gordon, Wilfy D

Today, Brick Lane Jazz Festival announces the first wave of artists for their fifth birthday edition, which will take place from 24th – 25th April 2026.

Growing from its modest debut across four venues in 2022 to a 12-stage extravaganza spanning Brick Lane and Shoreditch in just three years, the festival was named #1 Best London Festival by The London Standard in 2024, and has earned plaudits from the likes of The Guardian, Metro, NOTION, Clash, The Line Of Best Fit, Jazzwise, All About Jazz, UK Jazz News, Elle, Wonderland, TimeOut, Jazz FM, Rinse FM, One Jazz, Worldwide FM, and many more. Since 2024, the festival has also amplified its impact with the launch of BLJF Presents - a year-round series of events showcasing the UK’s most exciting artists, record labels, and parties. After sell-out shows in Manchester, Brighton, London and more, BLJF Presents is heading to new heights in 2025/26 with more regional stops in the likes of Bristol and Glasgow, as well as two international shows in Brussels in November.

Having firmly established itself as a cornerstone of East London’s musical landscape, Brick Lane Jazz Festival has earned a reputation for spotlighting local artists and emerging trailblazers from the city’s thriving underground scenes, whilst honouring the jazz legends that have come before them. 2026’s edition sees them continue to hold down this tradition, bringing together an eclectic range of genre-defying artists to play against the backdrop of some of the capital’s most renowned cultural hotspots. All the festival venues are within a short walk from the central hub at the iconic Truman Brewery space on Brick Lane, transforming the site and surrounding area into a vibrant hive of gig-hopping excitement for three days every April.

Reflecting on this fifth birthday edition, the festival’s Founder, Juliet Kennedy says, “From day one, Brick Lane Jazz Festival has been about shining a light on the incredible talent in London’s jazz scene. Five years on, Brick Lane Jazz Festival has grown into a landmark celebration of the UK’s underground music community. It’s been incredible to see the festival become a space where artists and audiences connect so powerfully – and this is only the beginning. Our ambition is to keep pushing boundaries and championing the next wave of talent for many years to come. We’re only just getting started!”

The first wave of 2026’s stellar line-up sees them bringing together a borderless array of artists that span jazz, alt-rap, neo-soul, R&B, neo-classical, electronic music, and more. It also sees the announcement of the festivals first headliner, jazz-funk legend and Gil Scott-Heron collaborator, Brian Jackson. It also brings together the likes of Australian beat-master Alexander Flood, recent Geordie Greep (ex-black midi) and Eddie Chacon touring band Knats, spiritual jazz collective Levitation Orchestra, Tenderlonious-led South London jazz outfit Ruby Rushton, Ghanian multi-instrumentalist Kwame Yeboah, and many more.

The full line-up so far is as follows:
Brian Jackson
Alexander Flood, Alici , Amanda Whiting, Arjuna Oakes, Charlie Stacey, Daoud, Footshooter (live), Gabriele Poso (Live), IAMNOBODI, Knats, Kwame Yeboah, Leif Kaner-Lidström, Levitation Orchestra, Meron T, Ruby Rushton, Saiming, SHOLTO & Finn Rees, TABLE, Tia Gordon, Wilfy D

2026 will mark the first year that the Greentea-Peng-approved venue Mad Cats will feature as one of the festival’s stages alongside Village Underground, Ninety One Living Room (hosted by Jazz re:freshed), Rough Trade East, 93 Feet East, Rich Mix, Juju’s Bar & Stage, The Brick Lane Tap Room (hosted by Tomorrow’s Warriors), and many more.

2026 will once again see the festival partner with Jazz re:freshed and Tomorrow’s Warriors, both vital community organizations that nurture emerging talent in UK jazz. As always, those without tickets can also enjoy free-entry spaces throughout the site, including The Brick Lane Tap Room, The Big Chill, 93 Feet East, and Cafe 1001.

Early bird tickets for the festival are now on sale with day passes starting from just £29.95, and weekend passes from £89.95. Tickets and more info are available HERE
https://bookings.kaboodle.com/tickets?t=kaboodle-9y4i4&c=202&p=24960&k=878a15279e5367e1334b6a2dbf51879bedb52c5d

Follow Brick Lane Jazz Festival:
Instagram
TikTok
Facebook
LinkedIn

Booker T. Jones at Koko, Camden, London.

Dates: Friday, April 17, 2026 - Saturday, April 18, 2026

More details

We have received the following press release regarding these events;

As leader of the legendary Booker T. & The MG’s, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, GRAMMY lifetime achievement award recipient Booker T. Jones is arguably the most famous Hammond B3 player in History.

Working alongside Otis Redding, Albert King and more at Stax Records, Booker T. Jones has also worked with Willie Nelson, Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave, Bill Withers and countless others.

Do not miss this chance to catch one of the finest musicians of all time as part of the Ace Records 50th Anniversary Concerts Series.

Tickets here;
https://agmp.seetickets.com/tour/booker-t-jones

Aynur at The Barbican Centre, London.

Date: Thursday, April 02, 2026

Venue

Barbican Centre

Silk Street,
London.
EC2Y 8DS

More details

Serious have forwarded the following information regarding this event;

Thursday 2 April 2026, Barbican
Aynur

One of the most prominent Kurdish singers of our times, Aynur, is back to perform at London’s Barbican for 2026!

Since her last performance at the EFG London Jazz Festival in 2023, Aynur released her acclaimed album Rabe (meaning ‘stand-up’ or ‘rise-up’ in Kurdish), which secured the number one position on the Transglobal World Music Chart last year, and is described by Songlines Magazine as “one of her strongest albums”.

Over the past 25 years, she has created a timeless musical language, combining the treasures of Kurdish traditions with modern arrangements that connect generations and cultures. Don’t miss your chance to see this multi award winning cultural icon in the UK in 2026.

Tickets and further information here;
https://serious.org.uk/events/aynur-3

The Bad Plus with Chris Potter and Craig Taborn at The Barbican Centre, London.

Date: Monday, March 30, 2026

Venue

Barbican Centre

Silk Street,
London.
EC2Y 8DS

More details

Serious have forwarded the following information regarding this event;

Monday 30 March, Barbican
The Bad Plus Chris Potter and Craig Taborn

Witness The Bad Plus with Reid Anderson, Dave King, Chris Potter, plus Craig Taborn live at the Barbican as they celebrate the enduring legacy of Keith Jarrett, one of the most visionary improvisers in jazz history.

Tickets plus further information at;
https://serious.org.uk/events/the-bad-plus-chris-potter-craig-taborn

Nearly Dan at The Jazz Cafe, Camden Town, London.

Date: Sunday, March 29, 2026

More details

We have received the following information regarding this event;

Nearly Dan are the Spirit & Sound of Steely Dan.

Less tribute and more homage, Nearly Dan are saviour to the growing legions of Dan fans, desperate to hear the meticulously crafted grooves and allusive lyrical style of Donald Fagen & Walter Becker. Nearly Dan’s approach is faithful, though not reverential, and relaxed but as tight as their namesakes.

It’s been over 40 years since the release of the first Steely Dan album Can’t buy a Thrill, featuring the hits Do It Again and Reelin’ In The Years.

The 9-piece Nearly Dan promise all the Steely Dan favourites in a two hour­ plus show, featuring tracks from the groove of Countdown to Ecstasy to the super cool of celebrated albums The Royal Scam, Aja, Gaucho plus Donald Fagen’s solo masterpiece The Nightfly.

https://www.seetickets.com/tour/nearly-dan-perform-steely-dan

Mostly Jazz Funk & Soul Festival 2026, Moseley Park, Birmingham,

Dates: Friday, July 10, 2026 - Sunday, July 12, 2026

Featuring: Various Artists

More details

Mostly Jazz Funk & Soul Festival
10th – 12th July 2026. Moseley Park, Birmingham.
https://mostlyjazz.co.uk/