The once-a-year EFG London Jazz Festival is a moment to bring to wider attention venues which are the bedrock of our scene and courageously put on jazz all year-round….such as the Vortex in Gillett Square Dalston, which will present sixteen shows during the festival. Here is a selection of four of them:
Sunday 16 November – “The Great Reset” with Sunny Kim, Joanna Duda and Helen Svoboda
BOOKINGS
Sunny Kim – (Korea/Australia, voice and electronics), Joanna Duda – Poland, piano and electronics) and Helen Svoboda (Australia – Double Bass, voice and electronics).
“The Great Reset” is a co-commission by the Melbourne International Jazz Festival and Jazztopad Festival (Poland) and EFG LJF.
Polish critic Krzystof Komorek looks forward to the concert:
“These are all musicians who will be bringing something interesting and individual, and it’s going to be interesting to see their personalities interact. Joanna Duda – she has a great new trio album out (https://joannaduda.bandcamp.com/album/delighted ) – always seeks new forms of an expression and is open for stylistic innovations and novelties. Helen Svoboda – check out her Earshift Music releases – has a brilliant capacity to be both leader and sidewoman. And I’m also a fan of Sunny Kim – I’ve played quite a bit of her music on my Radio show in Poland.”
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Wednesday 19 NovemberJazz: B.H.A.M. w/Abi Asisa (Support) – Queer Jazz Residency
Arowah – Bass
Jay Phelps – Trumpet
Romarna Campbell – Drums
Lorenz Okello-Osengor – Keyboards
Gary Washington – Cello
plus Abi Asisa – Cello
Tina Edwards, who is co-curating the evening, writes
“Arowah and I host our Queer Jazz residency at The Vortex, and I’m stoked that B.H.A.M (of which Arowah is a member) will be making a rare live appearance. We have such a warm attentive community coming through every month, I’ve no doubt this will be another special night.”
There are four tiers of booking : Standard £15 / 2nd Tier £10 / 1st Tier £8 / Musicians or Low Wage £5 – BOOKING LINK:
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Friday 21 November – Gary Crosby’s Africa Space Programme
BOOKINGS
Composite of publicity photos supplied
Gary Crosby – Bass
Denys Baptiste – Saxophone
Winston Clifford – Drums
Here is the Vortex’s description of the night: “A preeminent figure on the British jazz scene for the last five decades, bassist, bandleader and Co-Founder of Tomorrow’s Warriors, Gary Crosby OBE brings his new project, Africa Space Programme, to Vortex as part of this year’s EFG London Jazz Festival.
Gary Crosby’s Africa Space Programme is a dynamic collective featuring core members Mercury Prize nominee and MOBO Award winning saxophonist Denys Baptiste, jazz drum maestro Winston Clifford, plus special guests. Inspired by the cosmic explorations of John Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders, the avant-garde brilliance of Sun Ra, and the free jazz innovation of Ornette Coleman, Africa Space Programme delivers a powerful and transformative musical experience.
Their music is characterized by raw, creative energy and fiercely independent improvisations, built on the deep trust and musical camaraderie these musicians have developed over years of collaboration. With their fearless approach to music, Africa Space Programme pushes the boundaries of jazz, offering audiences a journey through the cosmos of sound, rhythm, and emotion.”
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Saturday 22 November – NB earlier start time 7 pm – Nikki Yeoh’s Infinitum
BOOKINGS
Nikki Yeoh – Piano
Michael Mondesir – Bass
Mark Mondesir – Drums
Nikki Yeoh writes:” Infinitum has been my vehicle for compositional work since 1993. I met the Mondesir brothers when I was 16, and they have remained two of my most influential mentors and supporters to this day. This rare concert promises to capture the true essence of London jazz, filled with originality, and our usual fire and humour.” – BOOKINGS
