London Jazz News

Gwilym Simcock is busy….He will be giving the London premiere of his choral commission “I Prefer the Gorgeous Freedom” this Saturday 21st in the Queen Elizabeth Hall at 2pm. It had a […]

Review: Carla Bley’s Lost Chords plus Julian Siegel Trio(Queen Elizabeth Hall, London Jazz Festival, November 17th 2009)I definitely feel the need to spare the reader today, to distil the strongest impressions from […]

There’s a sense of sadness and of shock in the UK jazz community at the sudden passing, on Monday, of bassist Jeff Clyne. One of those omnipresent, irreplaceable figures in British jazz […]

Review: Melody Gardot(Royal Festival Hall, London Jazz Festival, November 15th 2009, review by Alison Hoblyn)Melody Gardot’s lateness antagonised the Royal Festival Hall audience.But Melody Gardot – gradually – won over writer Alison […]

Branford Marsalis Quartet(Queen Elizabeth Hall, London Jazz Festival, November 15th 2009)Branford Marsalis ‘ Quartet has been out on the road for a couple of months now. Last night at the Queen Elizabeth […]

Congratulations to Courtney Pine, who collects his CBE from Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace later today.Which has absolutely nothing to do with this late work by German expressionist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (1880-1938)

Review: Robert Glasper Trio, feat. Bilal Oliver(Queen Elizabeth Hall, London Jazz Festival, November 15th 2009, Review by Peter Horsfall)A packed Queen Elizabeth Hall last night played host to one of the Blue […]

Review:Staff Benda Bilili(Barbican Hall, November 9th 2009, review by Adam Tait)There’s a lot that can be said about Staff Benda Bilili. For one thing, it is impressive that a group of disabled […]

New York singer Tessa Souter has sent LondonJazz this piece about her friend and mentor Sheila Jordan’s performance at the Royal Opera House yesterday.When Sheila Jordan fills in for Kevin Mahogany in […]

The Power of Three plus Bela Fleck and the Flecktones(London Jazz Festival, Barbican Centre, November 15th 2009- afternoon show- review by Rob Mallows)　　Bela Fleck and his brand of bluegrass-inspired fusion jazz was […]

Review: John Scofield’s Piety Street Band plus Dennis Rollins Velocity Trio(London Jazz Festival, Queen Elizabeth Hall, November 13, 2009, Review by Rod Fogg)Not everyone with tickets for the Scofield concert bothered to […]

Sonny Rollins Barbican Centre, November 14th 2009Don’t Stop the Carnival.The title of the calypso anthem says it all, really. This was the tune which brought Sonny Rollins ‘ Barbican appearance in the […]

Sheila JordanReview: Jazzvoice- Celebrating a Century of SongSoloists, London Jazz Festival Orchestra directed by Guy Barker(Barbican Hall, November 13th 2009)The London Jazz Festival got off to a spectacular, even epic start with […]

Yes, it starts today, Friday the 13th. Ten days of “extravagance” (Daily Telegraph).Look down on the left for our nine previews, for our four links to the national newspaper coverage, and for […]

In November 1959 the Bull’s Head in Barnes put on its first jazz gig. Nobody seems to know the precise date, but tonight, deservedly, they’ll be celebrating into the night down there […]