Robert Glasper, Jaga Jazzist and Aron Ottignon added to EFG London Jazz Fest 25th anniversary Line-Up
Monday, September 4, 2017
This year's momentous 25th EFG London Jazz Festival, which runs from 10 to 19 November at over 50 venues across the capital has announced a final flurry of last minute additions to its already bulging set of headliners.
These include festival favourite, US hip hop influenced pianist Robert Glasper (above left), who returns to the Barbican (16 Nov) for a special concert to mark the festival's birthday year. Also added is a compelling Norwegian double bill of progressive jazz overlords Jaga Jazzist (previously announced in Jazzwise and on-sale 8 September), who roll up to the Royal Festival Hall (19 Nov) with their sprawling audio-visual extravaganza, with support from emerging ECM-signed singer Sinikka Langeland and her stellar band of Arve Henriksen, Trygve Seim and Trio Mediaeval.
Further additions include a twin-header of blues-soul-jazz trio Joon Moon, who feature vocalist Krystle Warren, plus support from progessive neo-classical pianist James Heather (Rich Mix, 16 Nov); forward-thinking Blue Note-signed pianist/composer Aron Ottignon – who combines beats and classical flourishes with his own nuanced piano playing – appearing at Archspace London (19 Nov); while dexterous experimentalists Black Top (Pat Thomas/Orphy Robinson) pay sonic tribute to the mercurial graffiti art of Jean Michel Basquiat with guest guitarist Jean Paul Bourelly, spoken word artist Anthony Joseph, and trumpeter Byron Wallen at LSO St Luke's (10 Nov).
The festival also presents its first event at the British Library (13 Nov) with a special jazz edition of the Classic Album Sundays, with its founder and vinyl aficionado Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy introducing John Coltrane's A Love Supreme (which will be played on high-end audiophile hi-fi) with special guest Denys Baptiste talking about the music ahead of his own Coltrane tribute concert at the Barbican (18 Nov).
– Mike Flynn
For full details on all these shows and tickets visit www.efglondonjazzfestival.org.uk