Barbican nights include John Cumming all-star tribute, Tigran and Ravi Coltrane

One of the most influential jazz promoters of our time and founder and director of Barbican Associate Producer Serious, John Cumming died on 17 May 2020 aged 71, after suffering with cancer. A founder of the London Jazz Festival, and friend to adventurous musicians and creative types on and off stage from the 1960s until his death, Cumming pioneered and produced many musical happenings at the Barbican and in venues around the UK. Time for one more? will feature – along with afternoon performances on the Barbican’s foyer space on Level G – a celebration of jazz in all its forms. From the young and emerging members of Gary Crosby’s Tomorrow’s Warriors and cellist/singer Ayanna Witter-Johnson, to established artists such as Andy Sheppard, Nik Bärtsch, Guy Barker and John Surman, all were championed by John and Serious. Also confirmed for this celebratory event are Joanna MacGregor, Evan Parker & Spring Heel Jack, Yazz Ahmed, Orphy Robinson, Alice Zawadzki, Alexander Hawkins, Maciej Obara, Elina Duni, Nikki Yeoh, Dave Okumu and more to be announced.

The Barbican is also set to present several high-profile jazz names during the summer and into the autumn. These include award winning French-Lebanese trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf who presents a new show, Capacity to Love, joined by special guests on Monday 11 July; lauded LA-based Armenian pianist/ composer Tigran Hamasyan appears with his trio of bassist Matt Brewer and drummer Justin Brown to perform material from the keyboardist’s latest album StandArt on 14 July, while top US saxophonist Ravi Coltrane brings his Cosmic Music Project to the Barbican on Tuesday 11 October. For this contemporary exploration into the music of his parents, saxophonist John Coltrane and pianist Alice Coltrane, Ravi will be joined on stage by his quartet, featuring Gadi Lehavi (piano), Dezron Douglas (bass), and Elé Howell (drums).

Seven Septets play on 6 December at nearby Milton Court Concert Hall, in a special concert that sees seven unique musical voices in seven specially-created new works. Classical, jazz and experimental improvisation fuse in a showcase of cutting-edge music from the likes of drummer Jas Kayser; multidisciplinary percussionist and artist Angela Wai Nok Hui; ECM-signed multi-instrumentalist Fred Thomas; pianist Kit Downes; Héloïse Werner – codirector of 2021 RPS Young Artist Award winners The Hermes Experiment; cellist, vocalist and composer Laura Moody, and composer, cellist and record label founder Colin Alexander.

For full details visit www.barbican.org.uk/whats-oncontemporary-music