Sheffield Jazz - Spring 2026 season of gigs.
Friday, January 30, 2026
Sheffield Jazz has announced its gig schedule from February to May 2026. Events take place at Crooke's Social Club, The Crucible Playhouse & Theatre and Firth Hall. Fully detailed schedule attached.
Roy Saxby of Sheffield Jazz has provided the following information;
The Spring 2026 season at Sheffield Jazz features a wide variety of bands at our main venue Crookes Social Club including: Donovan Haffner Quartet, Emily Masser-Alex Clarke Quintet, Jonny Mansfield Quartet, Joe Webb Trio, Cloudmakers Trio, Let Spin and the Erik Palmberg Quartet. Our regular concert at the Crucible Playhouse is on 27 February and features the Denys Baptiste Quartet with rising star Sultan Stevenson on piano while our usual joint gig in collaboration with University of Sheffield at their Firth Hall venue is on 5 March and features Alice Zawadzki’s collaboration with Fred Thomas and Misha Mullov-Abbado. Our final date of the season on 16 May is a special concert, presented jointly with Music in The Round Sheffield at the Crucible Theatre and features Gwilym Simcock with Conor Chaplin & Rob Buckland alongside top soprano singer Claire Booth and Ensemble 360 for a programme that brings together jazz standards and classical works. Full details are on our website http://www.sheffieldjazz.org.uk.
Sheffield Jazz Spring 2026 Season
Crookes Social Club, Mulehouse Road, Sheffield, S10 1TD Tel: 0114 266 0114 Doors open at 19.20, music starts at 20.00, finish time 22.45. Prices: Full £18; over 60s, disabled, unemployed £16; 18-30 year olds, students with NUS card £10; 15–17 year olds £5; under 15s Free. Advance tickets from http://www.ticketsource.co.uk/sheffield-jazz.
Crucible Playhouse, 55 Norfolk Street, Sheffield S1 1DA Tel 0114 249 6000 (in association with Music in the Round) Doors open 19.00 music starts 19.30, finish time 22.00. Prices: Full £20; over 60s, disabled, unemployed £18; 18-30 year olds, students with NUS card £10; 15–17 year olds £5; Under 15s Free.
Advance tickets (no additional booking fee) from Crucible Box Office http://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk
Crucible Theatre, 55 Norfolk Street, Sheffield S1 1DA Tel 0114 249 6000 (in association with Music in the Round) Doors open 18.45 music starts 19.15, finish time 22.00. Prices: Full £23; UC, PIP & DLA; £14, Students & under 35s £5
Advance tickets (no additional booking fee) from Crucible Box Office http://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk
Firth Hall, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN Tel 0114 222 8888 (in association with University of Sheffield) Doors open at 19.00, music starts at 19.30, finish time 22.00. Prices: Full £19; over 60s, disabled, unemployed £17; 18-30 year olds, students with NUS card £10; 15–17 year olds £5 Under 15s Free.
Advance tickets from http://www.ticketsource.co.uk/sheffield-jazz.
For further details visit http://www.sheffieldjazz.org.uk
Friday 6 February
at 20.00
Crookes Social Club
Donovan Haffner Quartet
Donovan Haffner: alto saxophone:
Laurie Rich: piano:
Harry Pearce: bass:
Jack Thomas: drums
Rising star saxophonist Donovan Haffner is one of 2025’s breakthrough artists who won ‘Jazz Newcomer’ at the 2025 Parliamentary Jazz Awards. Born and bred in South East London, at age 11 Donovan joined the highly respected Tomorrow’s Warriors Young Artist Development Programme where he was mentored by Gary Crosby and
Binker Golding and at 18 he toured Italy with multi-award-winning drummer Moses Boyd. The drive and sophistication of his playing, as well as and his growing reputation as a bandleader and composer and how he interprets his own compositions, is bringing him to the attention of jazz fans across the country.
Friday 13 February
at 20.00
Crookes Social Club
Emily Masser-Alex Clarke Quintet
Emily Masser: vocals
Alex Clarke: saxophone
Graham Harvey: piano
James Owston: bass
Matt Home: drums
Emily Masser is one of the most exciting young voices and Alex Clarke one of the most in-demand, versatile young saxophonists emerging on the British jazz scene. Both initially came to prominence with Clarke Tracey’s bands in his ‘Art Blakey’ role recruiting emerging talent but have since formed their own bands and recorded their own critically acclaimed albums. Emily, praised for the warmth and maturity of her interpretations and Alex, for her intelligent ear for harmony and deep knowledge of repertoire across a broad spectrum of styles, have joined forces to play a mix of standards and bebop numbers backed by a top notch rhythm section.
Friday 27 February
at 19.30
Crucible Theatre
Denys Baptiste Quartet
Denys Baptiste: saxophone
Sultan Stevenson: piano
Larry Bartley: bass
Joel Barford: drums
Acclaimed saxophonist Denys Baptiste presents his new quartet, featuring rising star pianist Sultan Stevenson, who will explore an exciting mix of new compositions, standards and revisit compositions from his award-winning albums. An amazingly versatile musician with roots steeped in the jazz tradition, Denys incorporates ideas from other musical forms and popular culture. His powerful technique and an ability to improvise effortlessly across a wide range of musical styles have made him a much sought after soloist, playing with some of the biggest names in jazz and other genres. Expect an evening of deep swing infectious melodies and inventive solos.
Thursday 5 March
at 19.30
Firth Hall
Alice Zawadzki/Fred Thomas/Misha Mullov-Abbado
Alice Zawadzki: vocals, violin
Fred Thomas: piano, vielle & percussion
Misha Mullov-Abbado - double bass
Alice Zawadzki, a vocalist & violinist with considerable repute as “a genuine original” teams up with two long-term collaborators - sought- after multi-instrumentalist Fred Thomas and award-winning jazz bass player Misha Mullov-Abbado. Alice is also a songwriter while both Fred and Misha are renowned as composers and arrangers. The empathy and synergy harnessed by them is the result of a decade’s work together. As demonstrated on their acclaimed ECM album ‘Za Gorami’, the trio inhabits their own stylistic realm that encompasses Mediterranean folk songs, chamber music and improvisational jazz fused with free flowing interplay and fluid structures to meld a mesmerizing sound.
Friday 13 March
at 20.00
Crookes Social Club
Jonny Mansfield Quartet
Jonny Mansfield: vibes
Will Barry: piano
Will Sach: bass
Luke McCarthy: drums
Vibraphonist, composer and winner of the prestigious Kenny Wheeler Jazz Prize, Jonny Mansfield is regarded as one of the UK’s outstanding young jazz talents as his performance with Empirical at their Crucible concert in 2024 demonstrated. His band features the impressive Will Barry, whose performances at Sheffield Jazz with other bands have been excellent and with whom Jonny has also worked as a duo paying tribute to Gary Burton and Chick Corea. They are supported by the impressive Will Sach, a New Yorker now based in London and rising star Luke McCarthy. Expect superb musicianship, exhilarating collective interplay and dazzling solos.
Friday 20 March
at 20.00
Crookes Social Club
Joe Webb Trio
Joe Webb: piano
Will Sach: double bass
Sam Jesson: drums
Highly regarded pianist, jazz musician and composer Joe Webb has emerged as a leading force on the UK jazz scene today, seamlessly blending traditional jazz with contemporary flair. His innovative approach breathes new life into classic jazz idioms, creating a sound that is both familiar and refreshingly original. Originally from Wales but now based in London he is also in demand as a recording artist, showcasing his exceptional skills on both piano and Hammond organ.
Joe’s trio amalgamate the old and the new earning them a deserved reputation for pushing the boundaries of jazz while respecting its rich heritage.
Friday 27 March
at 20.00
Crookes Social Club
Cloudmakers Trio
Jim Hart: vibraphone
Michael Janisch: bass
Dave Smith: drums/percussion
Cloudmakers Trio brings together three of the most inventive players on the UK scene and blends downtown New York and European improvised music with world and rock influences. Since Jim Hart first came together with Michael Janisch and Dave Smith to create this project their original vision – to match the textural density of a piano trio,
but instead headed up by vibraphone – places exhilarating improvisation at the core. This has grown and sustained an international touring career, keeping them at the forefront of contemporary instrumental music. Through all their various collaborations, the vibes- bass-drums trio has remained the core of the Cloudmakers’ sound.
Friday 17 April
at 20.00
Crookes Social Club
Let Spin
Moss Freed: guitar
Ruth Goller: bass
Chris Williams: sax
Finlay Panter: drums
Based in London and Berlin, Let Spin are a cutting edge post-jazz quartet comprised of players at the forefront of the vibrant UK contemporary music scene who have been making waves in the UK and European jazz scenes since their formation in 2012. Their collaborative way of working produces an explosive mixture of stylistic influences
whilst their focus on improvisation leads to incendiary live performances, allowing the music to venture into territories that are unforeseen even to the musicians themselves. ‘I am Alien’, the band’s latest and strongest record, captures the chemistry and curiosity of a band that lives for adventure.
Thursday 23 April
at 20.00
Crookes Social Club
Erik Palmberg Quartet
Erik Palmberg: trumpet, flugelhorn
Anton Dromberg: piano
Niklas Wennström: double bass
Sebastian Voegler: drums
A Sheffield Jazz debut for Erik Palmberg’s group who’ve attracted glowing international reviews and captivated audiences well beyond jazz circles, playing evocative and cinematic jazz which is full of captivating melodies and harmony. Erik has an expressive, lyrical sound, embracing his Nordic roots while remaining firmly in the jazz
tradition. His music is poetic, emotional and played with deep seated lyricism while his compositions are imaginative and quietly reflective, but allow him to push boundaries. With a reputation for connecting with audiences through heartfelt performance and storytelling, the group promises a memorable experience for jazz fans and newcomers alike.
Saturday 16 May
at 19.15
Crucible Theatre
Gwilym Simcock & Friends
Gwilym Simcock: piano
Conor Chaplin: bass
Rob Buckland: sax
Claire Booth: soprano
Ensemble 360: various
Gwilym Simcock and his band are joined by world-class classical artists for what promises to be a hugely entertaining evening. His phenomenal talent breathes new jazz-inspired life into award-winning makeovers of classical music. In this exciting jazz-classical piano/voice collaboration with celebrated soprano Claire Booth and musicians from Ensemble 360, the programme brings together jazz standards and classical works by composers such as Debussy, including some newly commissioned arrangements by Gwilym. A meeting of genres which builds on his experience of merging jazz and classical music, not least for a BBC Radio 3 performance of Debussy’s Children’s Corner, but also his own compositions for larger ensembles.