UK Jazz News

Royal Albert Hall, 19 July 2025

25-year-old, 5-time Grammy winner Samara Joy looked right at home as she stepped out in front of the BBC Concert Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall for her much-anticipated Proms debut. Joining her were the septet who’ve accompanied her on [...]

Prague, Plzeň, Prachatice, Hluboka nad Vltavou, Brno, 8-15 July 2025

Rudy Linka, Artistic Director of the Bohemia Jazz Fest, is as surprised as anyone: “The people here are amazing,” he smiles, pointing to the richly diverse crowd filling the square in front of the stage in Hluboka nad Vltavou. “It’s [...]

The Famous Spiegeltent, St Andrew Square, 14 July 2025

(25 July)

The Parliamentary Jazz Group has extended voting to Friday 25th July 2025 at Midnight. (Release begins): “Voting is now open for the 2025 Parliamentary Jazz Awards. Entries are open to anyone with the final deadline set for Midnight on [Friday [...]

4-7 September 2025

International visitors to this year’s Ambleside Days festival in the Lake District include ZEFFIRELLI’S PROGRAMME Thursday 4th September 7.30pm John Etheridge guitar & Vimala Rowe vocal Second set 9.00 pm approx: Tim Garland saxophone, Asaf Sirkis Percussion and Gwilym Simcock [...]

If you wanted to assemble a dream team of British improvising musicians, there’s a good chance that the ones on this album would feature high on your short-list of possibles. This is Olie Brice’s fourth release as a bandleader/composer, not [...]

Ahoy Centre, Rotterdam – 11-13 July 2025

Three days/nights with a staggered programme of strict set times across 16 different stages, all within one large mainly undercover complex, needing just one ticket to see any of the performances, makes for one of the largest and most user-friendly [...]

15 July 2025

This was the only U.K. visit of John Scofield’s Long Days Quartet, the name apparently inspired by the long summer days of this July tour. It was also an opportunity for Scofield to reconnect with John Medeski. Talk from the [...]

(Full Autumn Jazz Series Announced)

Kings Place today announced the launch of the Kings Place Jazz Orchestra (KPJO), a project-based ensemble led by composer and trombonist Callum Au. Comprising top UK jazz musicians and emerging talents, KPJO aims to inspire young artists and uphold Kings [...]

Ten Years ago tonight, on 17 July 2015, John Taylor had a sudden heart attack on stage at the Saveurs Jazz Festival in Segré in Maine-et Loire in France (Sebastian writes). He was playing as part of bassist Stephane Kerecki’s quartet [...]

15 July 2025

Evolving from the ambitions of Robert “Sput” Searight (drums) and Nate Werth (percussion), the collective Ghost-Note is now highly regarded for their so-called deep-pocket funk and sophisticated percussive forwardness, since their formation a decade ago. Their sound reminds one of [...]

10-13 July

Walking through the grand Palace Hotel in the charming market town of Buxton, Derbyshire, guests are met with impressive chandeliers and a magnificent staircase, boasting an intricate, rouge patterned carpet. There is a sense of intrigue and excitement amongst the [...]

An impressive array of artists and premieres has just been announced for the 62nd Jazzfest Berlin, which will run from 30 October to 2 November. The full programme will be released on 11 September, and tickets will go on sale [...]

The full band on stage at Dizzy's Club. Audience members sit in the darkly lit club in the foreground.

New album with Chris Potter, Larry Grenadier and Eric Harland - ‘First Meeting: Live at Dizzy’s Club’

The following is an interview between jazz journalist Morgan Enos and pianist and composer Gonzalo Rubalcaba. His new album, First Meeting: Live at Dizzy’s Club, a collaboration with saxophonist Chris Potter, bassist Larry Grenadier, and drummer Eric Harland, was released [...]

Uncovering jazz gems #2

To my knowledge, nobody’s ever contemplated a special award for ‘Most Laid-Back Jazz Track’. But, should the category ever come under consideration, here’s my early nomination: ‘Hangin’ Around Boudon’, recorded in Paris, France by the Dicky Wells Orchestra on Wednesday [...]

British Summer Time review, 12 July 2025

In the middle of yet another heatwave in London, closing the BST Hyde Park 2025 festival, Stevie Wonder reminded us that love, light, and song aren’t just words, they’re a way of life. At 75, the legendary songwriter and spirit-lifter [...]

Advertisements

Wednesday Breakfast Headlines

Receive our weekly email newsletter with Jazz updates from London and beyond.

15 years of jazz news

Welcome to the newly redesigned website! After rebranding from London Jazz News to UK Jazz News, we’re excited to bring you a fresh, updated experience. We’re currently in the process of transferring our extensive archive of articles from (most of) the past 15 years to this new site. If you’re unable to find what you’re looking for yet, don’t worry—the old content will remain accessible for a while longer until everything has been moved over. Thank you for your patience as we make this transition, and enjoy exploring our new site.

Latest Album Reviews

with Will Vinson, Gwilym Simcock, Orlando le Fleming, Ernesto Simpson and Brigitte Beraha

Recent Regulars

UK Jazz News

Top 10 Most Read

Samara Joy at the BBC Proms

Bohemia Jazz Fest, 20th Edition

‘A Love Supreme’ at Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival 2025

New date for close of nominations for Parliamentary Jazz awards

Ambleside Days programme announced

Wednesday Morning Headlines

Receive our weekly email newsletter with Jazz updates from London and beyond.

Wednesday Breakfast Headlines

Sign up to receive our weekly newsletter