
Read on for our pick of the must-see performances...
Jazz Voice – opening gala
WHEN: Friday 15 November, 7:30pm
WHERE: Southbank Centre, Royal Festival Hall
Cécile McLorin Salvant and Sullivan Fortner
Barely pausing for breath from the night before, Salvant ditches the cover of the big band to expose the full brilliance of her vocal craft with just a piano for accompaniment. She joins Sullivan Fortner on keys to present her latest album, The Window, neatly entwining her own creations with modern reinventions of the Great American Songbook – think Stephen Sondheim, Arethra Franklin and Richard Rodgers. It’s as if the Miami-born maestro wants to address the rumours head-on: that she is the finest jazz vocalist of her generation.
WHEN: Saturday 16 November, 7:30 PM
WHERE: Barbican Centre
Judi Jackson
WHEN: Sunday 17 November, 7pm
WHERE: Islington Assembly Hall
Herbie Hancock
WHEN: Sunday 17 November, 7:30pm
WHERE: Barbican Centre
Chassol – LUDI
WHEN: Tuesday 19 November, 7:30pm
WHERE: Southbank Centre, Queen Elizabeth Hall
Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox
For a troupe that shot to fame on YouTube, the musicians of Postmodern
Jukebox certainly know how to put on a live show. The musical
collective’s vintage reworkings of modern hits (by Lady Gaga, Wham! and
Radiohead, among many others) never fail to please, and its rotating
musical line-up means no two gigs are the same. Glitzy, eclectic,
tongue-in-cheek… and you’ll know all the lyrics – what’s not to like?
WHEN: Wednesday 20 November, 7:30pm
WHERE: Southbank Centre, Royal Festival Hall
Georgia Cécile
Georgia Cécile makes her London Jazz Festival debut at the Pheasantry,
Chelsea, rounding off a memorable year that’s seen her touted as ‘One to
Watch’ by Jazzwise magazine and voted Best Vocalist at the 2019
Scottish Jazz Awards. It’s not hard to see why: Cécile combines silky
vocals with a commanding stage presence and has built a songwriting
partnership with pianist Euan Stevenson that is beginning to bear rich
fruit. Their stripped-back trio set should be well matched to the
intimacy of their cabaret club surroundings.
WHEN: Wednesday 20 November, 8:30pm
WHERE: The Pheasantry, Chelsea
Têtes de Pois
WHEN: Thursday 21 November, 8pm
WHERE: London Calling Sweden
Eliane Elias + Vinícius Cantuária
Eliane Elias and Vinícius Cantuária, two stars of the Brazilian jazz
scene, take to the stage in a joint recital that commemorates the
60-year anniversary of the development of bossa nova in their home
country. Elias, a pianist and singer with multiple Grammy awards to her
name, presents tracks from her latest album Love Stories,
contrasting nicely with the rock-infused multi-instrumentals that have
defined Cantuária’s career pioneering neo-Brazilian music. Together,
they’ll prove there’s a lot more to bossa nova than The Girl from
Ipanema.
Gold Culture Whisper members can redeem a free pair of tickets
WHEN: Friday 22 November, 7:30pm
WHERE: Barbican Centre
The Black Peril by Soweto Kinch
WHEN: Friday 22 November, 8pm
WHERE: EartH, Hackney Arts Centre
Jean Toussaint
Since moving to London in 1987, Grammy-winning saxophonist Jean Toussaint has released 11 critically acclaimed CDs as a leader, including 2018's Brother Raymond, nominated for Album of the Year in the Jazz FM Awards. The upcoming Cadogan Hall concert will see Toussaint present the release of his 12th album, Live at the Jazz Cafe, recorded at the end of the Brother Raymond tour.
Gold Culture Whisper members can redeem a free pair of tickets
WHEN: Saturday 23 November, 5PM
WHERE: Cadogan Hall
The Art Ensemble of Chicago – 50th Anniversary
WHEN: Saturday 23 November, 7:30pm
WHERE: Barbican Centre
Bitches Brew
Named in playful homage to Miles Davis’ famed 1970 album, Bitches Brew
was set up by bassist Emma Smith in 2015 to address the under-appreciation of women in jazz. For this year’s festival, the
project lands at the Barbican’s FreeStage with a varied line-up of four
improvisatory virtuosas: harpist Ailie Robertson, saxophonist Rachael
Cohen, singer-violinist Hannah Read and percussionist Signy Jakobsdottir.
Drawing on traditional and contemporary jazz styles – and, naturally,
making it all up on the spot – Bitches Brew offers up a shining light
for the future of jazz as an evolving artistic enterprise.
WHEN: Sunday 24 November, 2pm
WHERE: Barbican Centre, FreeStage (Level G)
Chrissie Hynde
WHEN: Sunday 24 November, 7:30pm
WHERE: Southbank Centre, Royal Festival Hall
Cleveland Watkiss
Cleveland Watkiss turned 60 this year and in recognition of this, the award-winning vocalist is using his London Jazz Festival performance to delve into a vast retrospective of music from his back catalogue, along with his celebrated album The Great Jamaican Songbook. The Southbank Centre concert is a chance to see Watkiss joined by a number of British-Caribbean musical legends: Orphy Robinson, Jason Yarde and Ayanna Witter-Johnson among them.
Gold Culture Whisper members can redeem a free pair of tickets
WHEN: Sunday 24 November, 7:30PM
WHERE: Southbank Centre, Queen Elizabeth Hall
What | EFG London Jazz Festival 2019 |
Where | Various Locations | MAP |
When |
15 Nov 19 – 24 Nov 19, Times vary for specific events |
Price | £ prices vary |
Website | Click here to find tickets |