London Jazz Festival

The first London Jazz Festival took place in 1993. From the very beginning, experimental work, commissions, workshops and educational events all played a part in setting the agenda for a festival that would develop over the next twenty-five years to have an impact across the whole city.

It was to be a Jazz festival that didn't just have Jazz in it, but looked at Jazz's antecedents and connections with Caribbean, Latin, African, Indian and European music. Jazz was to be a touchstone, with musical ideas moving between, or colliding with, other genres. What has set the Festival apart has been its constant attempts to mix the familiar with new, tradition with experiment, one culture with another.

The Festival also branches out to other venues including the Wigmore Hall, the Arts Depot, The Royal Academy of Arts and Wapping Project. As well as dozens of concerts across some of London's major concert halls, the festival celebrates the clubs and independent producers that keep the flame burning year round. A mass of new work and collaborations can be heard in London's Jazz clubs and the extensive PizzaExpress FreeStage programme.

The immensely successful new writers' initiative continues for another year and is again looking for aspiring or semi-professional journalists to take part. In partnership with the South Bank Centre, BBC Radio 3, and Jazzwise magazine, Jazz enthusiasts will have the opportunity to work with professional journalists to improve their writing skills, receive insights into career paths and develop an understanding of Jazz criticism. Professionals involved include writer and broadcaster Kevin LeGendre and Jazzwise's Publishing Editor Jon Newey. As well as writing seminars, the initiative also includes attending lots of concerts.

Among the 2019 performing artists scheduled were Joe Lavano, Jean Toussaint, Dave Holland, Danilo Perez, Chris Potter, Marilyn Crispell, Carmen Castaldi, Cecile Mclorin Salvant, Bobby Watson, Bill Pierce, Essiet Essiet, Geoffrey Keezer, Brian Lyncsullivan Fortner, Jan Garbarek, Christian Sands, Camilla George, Marius Neset, Eliane Elias, Vinicius Cantuaria, Omar Puente, Alex Wilson, Courtney Pine, Byron Wallen, Dennis Rollins, Andrew Mccormack, Daniel Casimir, Shane Forbes, Ralph Peterson Jr, Trevor Watts, John Edwards, Mark Sanders, Veryan Weston, Marcin Wasilewski, Rainer Bruninghaus, Yuri Daniel, Trilok Gurtu, Makaya Mccraven, Rosie Turton, Lars Danielsson, Gregory Privat, John Parricelli, Magnus Ostrom, Lucia Cadotsch, Otis Sandsjo, Petter Eldh, Jan Bang, Matt Calvert, Dan Tepfer, Cassie Kinoshi, Theon Cross, Chelsea Carmichael, Claire Martin, Pete Long, Ryan Quigley, Sammy Maine, London Sinfonietta, Guy Barker's Orchestra and many more to ba announced.

The 2019 London Jazz Festival was held November 15 to 24.