Sonny Rollins, Jan Garbarek and Chick Corea top 2007 London Jazz Festival

With the welcome news that BBC Radio 3 has renewed its sponsorship of the London Jazz Festival until 2012 still ringing in the organiser’s ears they’ve now announced the final line-up of this year’s event, which kicks off on Friday 16 November and runs until Sunday 25 November.

In what is easily its most extensive programme yet the festival, now in its 15th year and also sponsored by Jazzwise, presents a mind boggling 192 events in 41 venues across the capitol, from concert halls, theatres and museums to clubs, pubs and restaurants, as well as a vibrant free-of-charge gig programme at the RFH Ballroom, QEH Front Room, Royal Albert Hall Café Consort, Barbican Freestage and Ray’s Jazz at Foyles and an After Hours Jam at Charlie Wright’s International Bar every night.

BBC Radio 3 Controller, Roger Wright, announced the BBC’s continued support at the festival launch party in late September and said: “This new deal will ensure that live jazz will remain a key part of Radio 3's unique commitment to new music in the future.”

Just confirmed for the opening night We All Love Ella concert at the Royal Festival Hall are Claire Martin, Ian Shaw, Lizz Wright and Jamelia while a special John Dankworth Big Band concert has been added at LSO St Lukes on 18 November, an electrifying collaboration between free jazz drummer Steve Reid and Kieran Hebden, electronics overlord from Four Tet, will be at the Barbican on 20 November, Dune Records celebrate its 10th Anniversary with Jazz Jamaica and Abram Wilson at the RFH on 23 November and  The Baltic hosts an intriguing improv programme throughout the festival including Charles Gayle, Mark Sanders and Steve Beresford.

A strong American theme is represented by Charlie Haden’s Quartet West (QEH 16 Nov), Chick Corea and Bela Fleck (Barbican 19 Nov), Charles Tolliver Big Band (QEH 19 Nov), Joshua Redman (QEH 22 Nov), Sonny Rollins (Barbican 24 Nov) and a Tribute to Joe Zawinul from the BBC Big Band plus members of the Zawinul Syndicate (Barbican 25 Nov). A series of concerts by European innovators is headed by Jan Garbarek at the Royal Festival Hall on 18 November and includes Tord Gustavsen Trio plus Stefano Bollani and Enrico Rava (Barbican 21 Nov), Tim Garland band (Purcell Room 21 Nov), Bill Bruford and Michiel Borstlap (24 Nov) and John Surman with Chris Laurence and the Trans4mation String Quartet (Wigmore Hall 24 Nov). Paco De Lucia plays the RFH on 22 Nov, the Geoff Gascoyne Project play Cadogan Hall on 23 Nov and a  world jazz strand is planned including a rare appearance by the Fania All-Stars at the Roundhouse (17 Nov), Cesaria Evora at Royal Festival Hall (17 Nov), Vieux Farka Toure  (QEH 18 Nov) and Tuxedo Moon (Purcell Room 19 Nov).

In light of the sad death of Joe Zawinul, who was scheduled to close this year's Festival in a special collaboration with the BBC Big Band, playing the music from his acclaimed big band recording, Brown Street, the festival is now able to confirm that this concert will go ahead as a special tribute to the master keyboardist/composer, again built around the music from Brown Street, adding guest artists including members of the Zawinul Syndicate.  The full line-up will be announced shortly.

For more information visit the official website here.