Photograph of Tony Kofi & Alina Bzhezhinska by Gabi Dangel

4th BRICK LANE JAZZ FESTIVAL – Sunday April 27th 2025

“ Brick lane Jazz Festival returns for its fourth year with yet another mind-expanding and genre defying line-up that mirrors the vibrant convergence of London’s thriving underground music scenes. The focus, as always is on emerging talent , bringing together artists from jazz, hip hop, neo soul, and electronic music, who will perform across twelve iconic stages on and around Brick Lane”
Festival programme

Sometimes two or three groups had the same time slot, and time slots overlapped, added to which choices were complicated further by two of the biggest venues being a 10 to 15 walk away north of Brick Lane, and with all the venues being standing only, tiredness towards the end was setting in.

I did manage to see some of eight acts across five of the twelve stages but only one full set due to moving on to my next pick. Two of the acts, Alley Lloyd and Gary Crosby’s African Space Programme, have been reviewed by Dave Fuller for The Jazz Mann Sunday at;
https://www.thejazzmann.com/features/article/sunday-at-brick-lane-jazz-festival-london-27-04-2025

MARK KAVUMA and THE BANGER FACTORY – JUJU’S BAR & STAGE

Trumpeter and composer Mark Kavuma is committed to giving audiences a good time, and that’s exactly what he and The Banger Factory did.

I’d previously seen Kavuma in 2024 in a very different context playing in duos with Alex Ho, piano and Tommy Ramon, guitar, and as a trio in a concert entitled’ Standards and Monk’.

He’d set up The Banger Factory in the mid to late 2010’s as a collective with the aim of nurturing some of London’s emerging talent, and subsequently set up a record label with the same name whose releases include Kavuma’s and The Banger Factory’s second album.

The Banger Factory has a fluid line- up. For the Brick Lane gig they were out in force with a front line of three saxes, trombone and keys as well as Kavuma’s trumpet, plus guitar, double bass and drums. This was a mini jazz orchestra and the ensemble playing had a full rich tight orchestral sound. Kavuma’s soloing had a lyrical, graceful quality that he combined with traces of the hard bop style from his earlier years.

He did not dominate the soloing, the excellent arrangements, for which he WA presumably responsible, left plenty of space for others and all members of the front line and the guitarist had a moment and some more than one in the spotlight. Nearly all the soloing was high quality, with the keyboard player’s scat singing being an additional instrument.

The multi-generational crowd gave the band enthusiastic support from the outset, and were rewarded with a set that was as sunny as the weather outside, but that did not compromise on quality and was played in a great atmosphere. It was a terrific start to the day.

Mark Kavuma and The Banger Factory are part of the line-up on Friday May 2nd at The Cheltenham Jazz Festival.

Mark Kavuma has featured from his early days on The Jazz Mann site;

https://www.thejazzmann.com/reviews/review/mark-kavuma-kavuma

https://www.thejazzmann.com/reviews/review/mark-kavuma-the-banger-factory

https://www.thejazzmann.com/reviews/review/mark-kavuma-and-the-banger-factory-arashi-no-ato

ALLEY LLOYD at JAZZ RE: FRESHED NINETY ONE LIVING ROOM

This was a prime example of this festival’s focus on emerging talent, as this was bassist and singer Alley Lloyd’s debut as a leader, having been encouraged to step forward and form a group by the supportive Jazz Re: Freshed team. For a detailed report on how she and her colleagues got on please see Dave Fuller’s review.
https://www.thejazzmann.com/features/article/sunday-at-brick-lane-jazz-festival-london-27-04-2025

MIRIAM ADEFRIS at SIGNATURE BREW X MIRAVAL UNPLUGGED

Austrian – Ethiopian Miriam Adefris was the first of the two harpists I heard. Her publicity describes her as a sound artist as well as a composer-harpist and I heard twenty minutes of what was a continuous meditation as Adefris unfurled micro tonal shifts with only a tenor saxophonist, who sometimes took the lead, for company. There were hints of mystery and of danger woven into the sound tapestry the pair wove. While the overall the effect was trance like , even hypnotic, the seductive soundscape the pair created did have its visceral moments. Despite intrusive background chat that I could not entirely block out, I did fall under their spell and enjoyed being seduced by what the duo offered.
MIRIAM ADEFRIS (@miriamadefris) • Instagram photos and videos

ORII ORCHESTRA at JUJU’S BAR & STAGE

“Orii (is) the Yoruba reflective spark of collective consciousness, embedded in the human essence, our accumulative shared soul. When you obtain alignment with Orii, you inhabit your divine self. “ ( source: Introducing…Orii Community Jam Sessions – YouTube)

Juju’s was even more packed than for Mark Kavuma for the appearance of the Orii Orchestra. They are the official Orii Community house band, formed and developed through weekly jam sessions over the past three years.

In the very buzzy febrile atmosphere the crowd and the band fed off each other, and it was an exciting place to be. From what I heard of their set, the line-up of trumpet, keys, lead and bass guitar, drums and singer were equally adept at slow smouldering soul jazz and energetic visceral numbers.

Spiritual jazz and Sun Ra were influences, and in one number I think there was the hook from ‘Shaft’. It was difficult to hear what was said from the stage, but as far as I could make out one of their numbers was titled ‘We Are in the Cosmic Groove”, and another seemed to have the refrain, “Jesus loves Garage.”

The leader of the group referred their singer as “The Priestess”, and with her spectacular feathered headdress and glittering costume she looked the part. The group tackled some difficult subjects, the singer sang movingly about her estrangement from her sister, and another number asked, “How can we live like this?”.

They came over as a band who want to deliver a message while giving everyone crammed into Juju ‘s a good time, which they certainly did.

Orii Orchestra’s debut album is not out yet but when it does emerge it will be fascinating to see to what extent it captures the vibrant atmosphere of them playing live.

GARY CROSBY’S AFRICA SPACE PROGRAMME at THE VILLAGE UNDERGROUND

A good number of festival goers made the ten to fifteen minute walk from the festival’s centre in Brick Lane to the festival’s biggest venue to see Gary Crosby, no doubt attracted by Crosby and the stellar line- up of his new group.

The award winning double bassist, Artistic Director of Tomorrows Warriors and Jazz Jamaica had suffered a stroke in 2018. This was the first time I’d had the pleasure of seeing him back on stage since his recovery. He’d assembled a quartet with legends Denys Baptiste and Steve Williamson on tenor saxophones and Winston Clifford on drums.

At the start Crosby told us to “strap yourself in,” and indeed it was a terrific set, especially as I think it was the quartet’s debut. I was quite moved to see Steve Williamson back on a big stage, and the contrast between his soloing style, often rich and full, and the more skittering and less dense one of Baptiste was engrossing. The unexpected addition of the tap-dancing Annette Walker served to emphasise the life- affirming nature of the quartet’s music. Having been launched, hopefully this was just the start, and what a great start, of the quartet’s journey.

For more on Gary Crosby’s Africa Space Programme please see Dave Fuller’s review Sunday at BrickLane Jazz Festival, London, 27/04/2025.
https://www.thejazzmann.com/features/article/sunday-at-brick-lane-jazz-festival-london-27-04-2025

FLOCK at VILLAGE UNDERGROUND

Described as a “UK supergroup” (Flock — Brick Lane Jazz Festival) Flock (not to be confused with The Flock or with Flook) is a quintet consisting of Bex Burch best known as the leader of Vulu Viel on gylii xylophone, drummer / vocalist Sarathy Korwar, pianist / keyboard player Al MacSween, multi-reeds player Tamar Osborn and synthesiser player / producer Dan Leavers, aka Danalogue of The Comet is Coming.

They were all about creating multi-layered atmospheric soundscapes. These ranged from what from the very ethereal to the anthemic with both the influence of Alice Coltrane and of club culture in the mix, and with drummer Sarathy Korwar adding a further layer at times with wordless vocals.

Flock following Gary Crosby’s group illustrated the variety that can occur by accident or design at the Brick Lane festival. I would have liked to have engaged more with the nuanced sound world they created with their unusual instrumental line-up, but I stayed at the back of the large room, probably not the best place to hear them, for a rare opportunity for a sit down on a chair. Also I still had the sound of Gary Crosby’s magnificent veterans still in my ears.

What I heard though was interesting and did wet my appetite and I hope I will get the opportunity to hear them in different circumstances.

Bex Burch’s debut album under her own name was reviewed in these pages:
https://www.thejazzmann.com/reviews/review/bex-burch-there-is-only-love-and-fear

Flock have released two albums, the second of which is:
https://flock.bandcamp.com/album/in-c

BROWN PENNY at JAZZ RE: FRESHED AT NINETY ONE LIVING ROOM

After the double tenor line-up of Gary Crosby’s Africa Space Programme, the London/Berlin based six piece Brown Penny had two alto’s played by Mercury nominated Cassie Kinoshi (Seed Ensemble and Kokoroko) and by Tyrone Isaac-Stuart in the front line.

While I was in the venue, which was not that long due to circumstances which had nothing to do with the band, I heard a scorching solo from Isaac-Stuart but mainly the alto duo operated in unison and as a chorus. Isaac-Stuart and bassist Isabella Burnham both contributed vocals.

But it was David Mrakpor’s superb vibraphone skills and musicality who completely stole what little of their hard driving, vibrant and rock influenced jazz I was able to catch. As well as appreciation from the crowd, some of his runs drew shouts of “naughty” and some tut tutting from one or two in the audience. A neighbour told me this was due to some of his vibraphone runs being the same as those of percussionist Lox who had been in the act that preceded Brown Penny. It added a frisson to what was anyway a hot house atmosphere in the room.

Brown Penny are in the line up for the Cheltenham Jazz festival. They released their debut eponymously titled album in 2024
https://www.instagram.com/brownpennymusic/?hl=en-gb

ALINA BZHEZHINSKA, TONY KOFI &  JOEL PRIME at RICH MIX

Harpist Alina Bzhezhinska and tenor saxophonist Tony Kofi’s musical partnership goes back to 2015. They were joined on stage by Joel Prime on drums/percussion. Whereas I’d experienced the the set from harpist Miriam Adefris as a single number, Bzhezhinska, Kofi and Prime’s set consisted of several varied short numbers yet had an overarching restorative quality at the end of what was an enjoyably busy, buzzy and very full day.

The spirit of Alina Bzhezhinska and Tony Kofi’s most recent and third album together, ‘Altera Vita’, which is inspired by the spiritual jazz of Pharaoh Sanders, was in the room. The first number I heard was ethereal, and the second contemplative, but the third one had a strong groove and quasi free jazz harp and seemed to spring from part of a Venn diagram where Sonny Rollins and late Coltrane intersected.

.Another number could have been the theme music for an American film noir, the anti-hero walking alone down a dimly lit street.

There were gorgeous melodies and lovely harmonies and I was left with an impression of meltingly beautiful music outstanding well played both individually and collectively not only by Alina Bzhezhinska and Tony Kofi who also played thumb piano , but by Joel Prime too. His sympathetic hand percussion and djembe con contributions were totally at one with and enhanced the sound of the two principles.

A day which began with the excitement of Mark Kavuma and The Banger Factory ended with music that in its way was just as exciting and as much a privilege to hear.

https://tonykofimusic.com/

https://www.facebook.com/AlinaBHarpist/?locale=en_GB

https://www.joelprime.com/

 

SUMMARY

I headed home with a jumble of impressions.

What is going on with the harp.? I’d seen two harpists but there were two more in Sunday’s line up. Was this just a one -off or is there a boom in jazz harp going on perhaps due to interest in Alice Coltrane?

A great strength of the jazz scene in the capital is that there are entities dedicated to mentoring and nurturing young, emerging talent: Jazz Re: Freshed, The Banger Factory and Tomorrows Warriors who ran a stage which I never got too. They are all doing great work in providing an infra structure to develop young talent.

Another reason for optimism about jazz’s future, at least in the capital, is there was a large younger element in the multi-generational audience at the festival. This suggests there is a younger audience out there who want to listen to jazz or jazz influenced music. This was particularly evident at performances in Juju’s and Ninety One Living Room where the audience were very enthusiastic and supportive from the first note.

Gary Crosby et al and Tony Kofi showed there is plenty of life in players from older generations, and they as much as the younger generation are playing music that’s relevant to the times we live in.

In a post festival mail out the organising team said “ Wow, what an incredible weekend at Brick Lane Jazz Festival. The consensus is that was our best edition yet ......morale is soaring in HQ and the artists are still riding the wave of your love and enthusiasm. Big ups to all of you who came and made this year’s festival one to remember..”

I agree. My Sunday was the best day.

COLIN MAY

blog comments powered by Disqus