Preview: London Jazz Fest Gets Ready!

Live, Pat Metheny, Nduduzo Makhathini, Tigran Hamasyan

By Ammar Kalia I Oct. 29, 2024

Nduduzo Makhathini leads a focus on South Africa at the EFG London Jazz Festival.
(Photo: Arthur Dlamini)

Back for a triumphant 32nd edition and boasting over 350 gigs across 10 days of programming, the EFG London Jazz Festival is set to take over the English capital Nov. 15-24, filling venues from sweaty clubs to cavernous concert halls with the wildly varied sounds of international improvisation. Spanning legacy headliners like Pat Metheny, Crosscurrents Trio and Billy Cobham, as well as global sounds from Armenian pianist Tigran Hamasyan, Palestinian ney master Faris Ishaq and Turkish Singer Melike Sahin, plus homegrown talent from the likes of trumpeter Mark Kavuma, pianist Fergus McCreadie and saxophonist Emma Rawicz, the sprawling program seemingly has something for everyone.

One particularly engaging focus this year comes in a celebration of the 30th year of democracy in South Africa through several gigs showcasing the country’s youthful jazz scene. Acapella group The Joy kick off proceedings with its take on the Zulu singing tradition at Milton Court on Nov. 17, while Blue Note pianist Nduduzo Makhathini brings his blend of emotive, melodic phrasing and spiritual vocalisations on Nov. 21, and drummer Asher Gamedze his explosive, free improvisations on Nov. 16. On the program’s closing night, the festival pays tribute to South Africa’s improvisatory avant garde, featuring an all-star roster of players including pianists Thandi Ntuli and Bokani Dyer.

“We’ve been so inspired by South Africa’s improvisers exploring their country’s musical heritage alongside jazz tradition to produce music rich with tension and joy,” says Pelin Opcin, the festival’s sirector of programming. “It’s exciting, fresh artistry that is going to take the world by storm, and we’re very happy to highlight it here.”

From cutting-edge avant garde explorations in South Africa to the birthplace of jazz in the American South, the festival is equally committed to highlighting all aspects of this journeying music’s storied identity. Paying tribute to the African American origins of jazz as a music rooted in socio-political struggle and communal joy, the festival is programming a series of New Orleans-focused shows, including a Take Me To The River celebration on Nov. 23, featuring the likes of Crescent City stalwarts Cyril Neville and Big Chief Bo Dollis Jr., to party-starting ensemble The Dirty Dozen Brass Band and a free stage at the Southbank Centre, The Big Easy, on Nov. 24 where passersby can get a taste for the New Orleans flavour via Orphy Robinson’s Big Easy Big Band featuring amateur players and London youth group Kinetika Bloco.

The free stages are another key aspect of the EFG London Jazz Festival’s identity, producing showcases of new music for all ages throughout the festival at the Barbican Free Stage and in the Southbank Centre’s Clore Ballroom, encouraging the next generation of jazz fans to be inspired by curated programs of New Orleans and South African improvisation. Much of the homegrown talent on this year’s bill has previously performed on the festival’s free stages, from rising star saxophonist Emma Rawicz to trumpeter and record label head Mark Kavuma. For the 2024 edition of the festival, Parliamentary Jazz Award-winner Rawicz plays a headline show at Kings Place on Nov. 16, while Mark Kavuma’s Banger Factory records hosts a showcase of its artists on Nov. 17, including guitarist Artie Zaitz and Blue Lab Beats member David Mrakpor.

A unique, first-time meeting of improvisers will also be taking place on the closing night of the festival as monthly London jazz jam Moment’s Notice channels the distinct melting pot of the U.K. jazz scene by programming a concert at Islington’s Union Chapel featuring a unique band comprised of Courtney Pine, bassist Petter Eldh, Ezra Collective drummer Femi Koleoso, trumpeter Yazz Ahmed and others.

Alongside shows championing star headliners, traditional combos and rising stars, there are equally a range of gigs challenging standard instrumental formats to include global sounds like the ney flute and the setar in the Beyond Borders strand of programming as well as vast orchestral backings from the BBC Concert Orchestra and London Symphony Orchestra for performances celebrating everything from John Coltrane’s repertoire to drummer Billy Cobham’s 80th birthday.

Ultimately, the EFG London Jazz Festival 2024 is a mammoth undertaking, covering almost all bases. “We always have so many different strands of artistry that we want to celebrate at the festival, we end up with an incredible range of music to see,” Opcin says. “It’s inevitable that we will all miss out on some shows, but that means all the more reason to come back next year and see what else we have to offer!”

Visit efglondonjazzfestival.org.uk for more information. DB