Mulatu Astatke, London Brew goes live, Judi Jackson for Jazz Voice and more added to EFG London Jazz Festival 2023 line-up

With the festival running from 10 to 19 November, it’s now been confirmed that the opening night line-up will now include legendary Ethiopian multi-instrumentalist Mulatu Astatke - best known as the father of Ethio-jazz – who will celebrate his 80th birthday with an appearance the Barbican.

The following weekend, on Saturday 18 November, the Barbican will host the highly anticipated London Brew project for the first ever live performance of their epic eponymous album released earlier this year. Based on Miles Davis’ iconic album Bitches Brew, the London Brew sessions were recorded in lockdown and featured a star-studded gathering of UK jazz talent – including Raven Bush, Theon Cross, Tom Herbert, Nikolaj Torp Larsen, Dave Okumu, Nick Ramm, Dan See and Martin Terefe – who will reunite here with special guests (to be confirmed) for a collective, improvised night of cutting-edge music making.  

On the same day at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, one of the most prominent Kurdish singers of our time, Aynur, will bring a unique blend of her musical heritage, contemporary sounds and jazz influences to this key LJF stage. Her impressive voice and extraordinary musical narration represent the Kurdish music tradition and her cultural roots as a global genre.

The festival’s ongoing commitment to nurturing emerging UK artists sees a new ‘Homegrown Strand’ showcase artists at cutting-edge London venue, Lower Third. Names announced so far include soulful vocalist BINA., the acclaimed co-led Same Moon project from saxophonist Alex Hitchcock and guitarist Ant Law, plus the hotly tipped Rarelyalways who create a distinctive blend of jazz, rap, and alternative hip-hop soundscapes.

Also announced are the first group of guest vocalists for Jazz Voice, the sumptuous opening night gala which celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. To celebrate this milestone, its founder/arranger Guy Barker has handpicked some of his favourite previous vocalists to join him and the 40-piece London Jazz Festival Orchestra including China Moses, Omar, Brendan Reilly, Judi Jackson, and Vanessa Haynes, with more names to be announced soon.

Elsewhere, ECM-signed Norwegian saxophonist Mette Henriette, who released her critically acclaimed album Drifting earlier this year, will open for Charles Lloyd’s Ocean Trio at the Barbican on 17 November, with Henriette backed by Johan Lindvall on piano and Judith Hamann on cello. Also announced will be a performance from world-class dance group Clod Ensemble and Tomorrow’s Warriors’ Nu Civilisation Orchestra who present a new perspective on Charles Mingus’ iconic 1963 recording The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady on Friday 10 November at Shoreditch Town Hall, combining electrifying jazz dance and powerful large ensemble scores.

Also among further new additions are the captivating K-Music concerts featuring Jambinai and Leenalchi at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, where these boundary-pushing artists will fuse traditional Korean music with contemporary jazz influences, plus an enchanting collaboration between drummer Soojin Suh and pianist Kit Downes at the Purcell Room.

Newark-born drummer/pianist/composer Tyshawn Sorey will play two special shows, with the first at Kings Place (17 November) with pianist Aaron Diehl and bassist Matt Brewer. The following day he plays Cafe OTO alongside acclaimed British keyboardist Pat Thomas for what promises to be an avant-garde highlight of the festival. Further additions to the Kings Place concerts include the live premiere of Greg Foat and Gigi Masin’s recent collaborative album Dolphins which will feature guest drums and bass and Nok Cultural Ensemble, the new project from Edward Wakili-Hick (Sons of Kemet, Steam Down, Kokoroko) which will take the audience on a journey through Afro-diasporic traditions of Jamaican nyabinghi, drill and Brazilian baião to thrilling effect.

Saxophonist Sean Khan premieres his new project The Modern Jazz and Folk Ensemble (MJAFE) at the festival at the Grand Junction, Paddington (16 November) with very special guest Pentangle’s Jacqui McShee and rising stars Rosie Frater-Taylor and Kindelan. MJAFE brings together British Folk and jazz musicians, established and emerging, to celebrate songs from the classic era of British folk music that includes Nick Drake, Sandy Denny, Fairport Convention, John Martyn and Pentangle.

Ezra Collective trumpeter, Ife Ogunjobi will take the stage at Omeara (12 November), for a show that oscillates between spiritual jazz solos and dance fueled Afrobeat maximalism. And award-winning composer and saxophonist YolandDa Brown will bring her soulful reggae jazz fusion to Cadogan Hall on Saturday 11 November. On Sunday 12 November, accomplished singer-songwriter Judi Jackson will grace the stage at the Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall, to deliver a soul-stirring performance rooted in the Great American Songbook. Jazzwise is festival media partner.

The full list of third wave announcement concerts are as follows: 

Saturday 11 November

YolanDa Brown | Cadogan Hall 

Sunday 12 November

Judi Jackson | Queen Elizabeth Hall

K-Music: Soojin Suh & Kit Downes | Purcell Room Ife Ogunjobi | Omeara

Alex Hitchcock and Ant Law: Same Moon | Lower Third Adjunct Ensemble | Cafe Oto

Monday 13 November

Hiromi: The Piano Quintet opening for Hiromi’s Sonicwonder | Barbican

Wednesday 15 November

Rarelyalways | Lower Third

Thursday 16 November

Dina Ögon | Jazz Cafe

Modern Jazz and Folk Ensemble | Grand Junction

Friday 17 November

Mette Henriette opening for Charles Lloyd | Barbican Tyshawn Sorey Trio | Kings Place Hall 1

Nok Cultural Ensemble | Kings Place Hall 2

Saturday 18 November

London Brew | Barbican Aynur | Royal Festival Hall

Midori Jaeger opening for RIOPY | Queen Elizabeth Hall

Tyshawn Sorey / Pat Thomas (Duo) | Cafe OTO

 For more info and tickets visit efglondonjazzfestival.org.uk