Serious Events

Portico Quartet + support

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 19:00:00 +0100

Hot on the heels of selling out Bethnal Green’s historic York Hall, Portico Quartet bring music from their new Real World album to the Roundhouse. Melting together Burial-inspired beats, fiery saxophones and ethereal hang with a very modern kind of jazz improv, their translucent music can both mesmerise and thrill.

"Genuinely innovative…there isn’t a band that sounds remotely like them." Observer

"Grooves and textures build into kooky dreamscapes in which electronica mixes with the hypnotic churn of systems music" Times

“Soundscapes run the gamut from ECM-ish ambient to the heavy-duty electronica of Aphex Twin or Flying Lotus" Uncut

'They feed on Steve Reich mathematics, Radiohead dread, African desert grooves and ECM northern melancholy to travel into a new, chiming cavernous sound-world that is exotic and hypnotic.' Mojo

Ruins, from new album Portico Quartet, released in January:

Clipper, from Isla:

Knee-Deep In The North Sea:

PAT METHENY UNITY BAND w/ Chris Potter, Ben Williams & Antonio Sanchez

Sun, 08 Jul 2012 19:30:00 +0100

World renowned guitarist/composer Pat Metheny brings together a new and specially hand-picked ensemble, to mark his first London concert in two years, and his only UK concert this year.

Saxophonist Chris Potter joins Metheny for a collaboration that is sure to strike sparks – a potent improviser, whose “works with” list includes Herbie Hancock, Dave Holland, John Scofield, McCoy Tyner and many others. There’s a real buzz developing around bassist Ben Williams – a young New York hotshot who has already caught the ear of contemporary jazz giants Wynton Marsalis, Terence Blanchard, and Herbie Hancock. Drummer Antonio Sanchez’s association with Metheny stretches back to 2003 – in the guitarist’s own words, “with Antonio, anything is possible.” Metheny’s own genius invariably brings out the very best in his fellow players – this band is sure to deliver music of rare spirit and imagination.

Penguin Cafe

Sun, 03 Jun 2012 10:00:00 +0100

Penguin Cafe's music has infiltrated daily life from films like Napoleon Dynamite to countless theme tunes, and they've played festivals from Bestival and The Big Chill to a sold out Royal Albert Hall as part of the BBC Proms. Their sound is at once familiar and new, combining acoustic power and a beguiling, feisty charm. They're back this summer following a sell-out UK tour in 2011.

“Penguin Cafe continues to occupy a unique place in music: nothing else has ever sounded quite like it. Eccentric, charming, accommodating, surprising, seductive, warm, reliable, modest and unforgettable: it's a true friend.” Brian Eno

“Upbeat folk strums, north African strains, a little blues, some classical minimalism, a hint of Calypso and a touch of Celtic fire - exquisite” Arts Desk

“This is music that is designed with a real generosity of spirit.” Guardian

"Arthur Jeffes led a ten-piece ensemble that displayed the intricacy, finesse and understanding you would usually associate with a chamber orchestra." Music OHM

Guildhall Jazz Band ft John Surman and John Warren

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 19:30:00 +0100

A very special concert reuniting two of the most respected names in jazz who have collaborated on many significant projects over a period of 40 years, performing alongside up-and-coming Guildhall jazz musicians.

Performers:

John Surman, saxophones
John Warren, composer/director

Kronos Quartet & Philip Glass: Dracula

Tue, 29 May 2012 20:00:00 +0100

Cinema’s most beguiling bloodsucker appears in a new light as Philip Glass’s revelatory score blows the cobwebs off the iconic 1930s movie Dracula. It’s a unique opportunity to witness one of the world’s most famous composers in action: Glass himself shares the stage with the internationally renowned Kronos Quartet, and his hypnotic music provides an eerie counterpart to the strange suspense of this creepy classic.

‘A night to remember… bewitching and hypnotic.’ Toronto Globe and Mail

Dracula (film screening, Certificate PG)

The performance lasts approximately 1 hour 20 minutes with no interval.

Original music by Philip Glass

Performed by Philip Glass and Kronos Quartet (Michael Riesman conductor) to the Universal Pictures 1931 film classic Dracula, starring Bela Lugosi.

Philip Glass keyboards

Kronos Quartet

Michael Riesman conductor

Esperanza Spalding: Radio Music Society

Mon, 28 May 2012 20:30:00 +0100

The remarkable story of Esperanza Spalding takes yet another leap forward with the launch of her brilliant new CD, Radio Music Society. Complementing the chart-topping Chamber Music Society, the new project merges r ‘n’ b, pop and nu-soul with her jazz roots. Featuring compelling original songs alongside covers such as Stevie Wonder’s ‘I Can’t Help It’, it’s confirmation of a style-spanning presence in today’s music that is certain to make an even wider global impact for the multi-talented vocalist/composer/bassist. A mesmerising live performer, Esperanza played two sell-out shows at the Barbican in 2011 with the music from Chamber Music Society following her unprecedented GRAMMY® Award last year. This exclusive UK concert in Koko’s intimate atmosphere promises to be one of the must-see highlights of 2012.

"Esperanza Spalding is a marvel. Everything this leggy, Afro-haired wunderkind does is of the highest order. The girl just can't help sounding hip.” Evening Standard

Click here to pre-order Radio Music Society, out April 2nd.

Visit Esperanza Spalding's website

Find Esperanza Spalding on Facebook

Kronos Quartet & Philip Glass: Dracula

Sun, 27 May 2012 20:00:00 +0100

‘A night to remember… bewitching and hypnotic.’ Toronto Globe and Mail

Dracula (film screening, Certificate PG)

The performance lasts approximately 1 hour 20 minutes with no interval.

Original music by Philip Glass

Performed by Philip Glass and Kronos Quartet (Michael Riesman conductor) to the Universal Pictures 1931 film classic Dracula, starring Bela Lugosi.

Philip Glass keyboards

Kronos Quartet

Michael Riesman conductor

Kronos Quartet & Philip Glass: Dracula

Fri, 25 May 2012 19:30:00 +0100

‘A night to remember… bewitching and hypnotic.’ Toronto Globe and Mail

Dracula (film screening, Certificate PG)

The performance lasts approximately 1 hour 20 minutes with no interval.

Original music by Philip Glass

Performed by Philip Glass and Kronos Quartet (Michael Riesman conductor) to the Universal Pictures 1931 film classic Dracula, starring Bela Lugosi.

Philip Glass keyboards

Kronos Quartet

Michael Riesman conductor

Kronos Quartet & Philip Glass: Dracula

Wed, 23 May 2012 19:30:00 +0100

‘A night to remember… bewitching and hypnotic.’ Toronto Globe and Mail

Dracula (film screening, Certificate PG)

The performance lasts approximately 1 hour 20 minutes with no interval.

Original music by Philip Glass

Performed by Philip Glass and Kronos Quartet (Michael Riesman conductor) to the Universal Pictures 1931 film classic Dracula, starring Bela Lugosi.

Philip Glass keyboards

Kronos Quartet

Michael Riesman conductor

Kronos Quartet & Philip Glass: Dracula

Tue, 22 May 2012 20:00:00 +0100

‘A night to remember… bewitching and hypnotic.’ Toronto Globe and Mail

Dracula (film screening, Certificate PG)

The performance lasts approximately 1 hour 20 minutes with no interval.

Original music by Philip Glass

Performed by Philip Glass and Kronos Quartet (Michael Riesman conductor) to the Universal Pictures 1931 film classic Dracula, starring Bela Lugosi.

Philip Glass keyboards

Kronos Quartet

Michael Riesman conductor

Also on May 21 at 8pm

Krystle Warren + support

Tue, 22 May 2012 19:00:00 +0100

“Warren's voice is an extraordinary instrument, murmuring with tenderness at times, growling with intensity at others. It vividly recalls Nina Simone in its depth and smokiness, as well as John Martyn and Buckley in terms of virtuosic variety.” Guardian

Krystle Warren honed her distinctive musical style busking on the streets of New York and Paris. She’s since played a string of sell-out shows across the globe, garnering a raft of critical acclaim and an ever-growing international following. The last twelve months have seen her on the Nick Drake “Way To Blue” tour, at the Kate McGarrigle tribute shows in London and New York and on the road with Joan as Policewoman. She returns to a more intimate setting in May, to perform from her latest release, Love Songs: A Time To Embrace, out now on Proper Note.

“Warren's talents are extraordinary. She's the real deal.” The Observer

Kronos Quartet & Philip Glass: Dracula

Mon, 21 May 2012 20:00:00 +0100

‘A night to remember… bewitching and hypnotic.’ Toronto Globe and Mail

Dracula (film screening, Certificate PG)

The performance lasts approximately 1 hour 20 minutes with no interval.

Original music by Philip Glass

Performed by Philip Glass and Kronos Quartet (Michael Riesman conductor) to the Universal Pictures 1931 film classic Dracula, starring Bela Lugosi.

Philip Glass keyboards

Kronos Quartet

Michael Riesman conductor

Also on May 22 at 8pm

ROBERT GLASPER EXPERIMENT ft. Bilal

Mon, 14 May 2012 20:00:00 +0100

Robert Glasper has long kept one foot planted firmly in jazz, and the other in hip hop. His latest project is no exception. Following two sell-out shows at the 2011 London Jazz Festival, Glasper returns to London to mark the launch of Black Radio, a future landmark album for Blue Note that boldly stakes out new musical territory, drawing on jazz, hip hop, R&B and rock, but refusing to be defined by any one genre.

Robert Glasper Experiment EPK

The first full-length album from the GRAMMY-nominated keyboardist’s electric Experiment band - saxist/vocoderist Casey Benjamin, bassist Derrick Hodge, and drummer Chris Dave - Black Radio also features many of Glasper’s famous friends from the spectrum of urban music, a jaw-dropping roll call of special guests including Erykah Badu, Lupe Fiasco, Lalah Hathaway and Meshell Ndegeocello.

Ah Yeah featuring Musiq Soulchild and Chrisette Michele

Robert’s stunning live band will be joined by the extraordinary singer Bilal, who also features on the new CD - a further guest vocalist is still to be announced.

'It's a short list of jazz pianists who have the wherewithal to drop a J Dilla reference into a Thelonious Monk cover, but not many jazz pianists are Robert Glasper.' Los Angeles Times

TRIO LIBERO Andy Sheppard, Michel Benita, Sebastian Rochford

Fri, 11 May 2012 20:00:00 +0100

British saxophonist Andy Sheppard is joined by French bassist Michel Benita and British drummer Seb Rochford to perform from their new ECM album. From Rochford’s part in Polar Bear to Benita’s collaborations with Archie Shepp and Lee Konitz, Trio Libero is shaped by three leading individuals from today’s jazz scene. Under Sheppard’s lead, together they produce exquisite grooves and insinuating themes with an easy grace that belies the musical sophistication at work.

“The cooly moody tunes seep through your speakers like a series of poetic mists. Performing the graceful trick of being both airy and weight, it’s a wintry treat.” **** The Metro

"A masterclass in imparting ambiguity and depth to the smallest sounds – and a remarkable demonstration of how the catchiness of a pop song can be imparted to a tone poem that seems to barely rise above a murmur...Glowing with life." ***** John Fordham, The Guardian

Marcus Miller

Fri, 04 May 2012 19:30:00 +0100

Grammy Award-winning artist Marcus Miller returns to London for a special one-off concert at Royal Festival Hall. He has worked both as a performer and producer with artists as diverse as Aretha Franklin, Roberta Flack, Grover Washington Jr. Al Jarreau, David Sanborn, Mariah Carey, Bill Withers, Elton John, Bryan Ferry, Frank Sinatra, and LL Cool J. He also toured with his childhood idol, Miles Davies and produced his landmark 'Tutu' album.

For more than 20 years, Marcus enjoyed a musical relationship with R&B legend, Luther Vandross. Since the mid-1990s he has toured as a solo artist and in 2001 his album M2 ('M-squared') won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Jazz Album . In recent years Marcus has also turned his attention to composing for films such as House Party and Boomerang.

Concertgebouw – Queen’s Night Concert

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 22:30:00 +0100

The Amsterdam Concertgebouw stages a special musical encounter in aid of the Queen. Fink joins the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, conducted by Ivan Meylemans, in a challenging musical production that joins modern symphonic repertoire and songs from Fink in arrangements by Jules Buckley, bridging the boundaries between classical and popular music.

Saxophone Massive

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Composed and led by UK saxophonist and composer Andy Sheppard, this large scale participation project provides the opportunity for saxophonists of all ages and abilities to perform en masse in public spaces and unusual places.

The project was originally written and performed in 2006 as The Living Bridge to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Brunel and launched the new lighting for the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol. Since then, Saxophone Massive has evolved to include performances in the London Jazz Festival, Leeds Fuse Festival and as a charity fundraiser for the ARK Charity. Internationally, the project has been staged at Jazz sous les Pommiers in Coutances, France and in Stavanger, Norway, as part of its European Capital of Culture programme.

Most recently, Saxophone Massive was performed as the opening for the Norfolk & Norwich Festival on 6 May 2011. Crowds in their thousands gathered at the Forum in the city centre to hear saxophonists from seven to 77 play Sheppard’s acclaimed work. The performance was a huge hit with the Festival’s Children’s Choice Awards, who voted it Best Sound and Best Entrance.

Saxophone Massive was produced by the Norfolk and Norwich Festival with Serious as part of an ongoing programme linked to River of Music – the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad programme supported by the National Lottery and Paul Hamlyn Foundation.

Saxophone Massive

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 13:10:00 +0100

Tineke Postma

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 20:30:00 +0100

With a fresh, clear sound and profoundly thoughtful compositions, Dutch saxophonist Tineke Postma’s recordings and live performances have garnered countless awards and international acclaim. Following a series of sell-out performances internationally with Terri Lyne Carrington, James Genus and Dianne Reeves, Postma returns to London to perform from her 2011 release, The Dawn of Light, which features collaborations with Esperanza Spalding and Terri Lyne Carrington, and has been hailed “ingenious” by The Guardian.

“Tineke exhibits a vivacious stage presence along with commanding chops on both alto and soprano saxes, She is a remarkable new talent.” JazzTimes

Tineke Postma

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 20:30:00 +0100

“Tineke exhibits a vivacious stage presence along with commanding chops on both alto and soprano saxes, She is a remarkable new talent.” JazzTimes

Taraf de Haïdouks with the Hilliard Ensemble and Pekka Kuusisto

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 20:00:00 +0100

Supercharged gypsy outfit Taraf de Haidouks prepare to fill Glasgow’s Old Fruitmarket with a raucous cacophony of music drawn from the weddings, christenings and harvests of myriad Balkan cultures. They’re part of an adventurous weekend festival at the Old Fruitmarket which will be set up in an intimate cabaret setting reminiscent of Eastern European music clubs. This concert also features the Hilliard Ensemble (the great vocal group who’ve worked a lot with Jan Garbarek) and Finnish violin virtuoso Pekka Kuusisto.

Chick Corea & Gary Burton

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 19:30:00 +0100

Chick Corea joins forces with vibes player Gary Burton, in a rare reappearance of one of the most absorbing jazz partnerships around. This remarkable collaboration between two of jazz’s longest-standing musical pioneers produced the landmark album Crystal Silence in 1972, and has proceeded to grow, flourish and generate no fewer than three Grammy-Award winning albums over the ensuing years. Their latest offering is Hot House, due for release on Concord Records in early 2012, and the duo will perform both original music from this album as well as past works.

“One of jazz’s most celebrated collaborations.” Los Angeles Times

Interview with Chick and Gary talking about the new album:

Roberto Fonseca + Ayanna

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 19:30:00 +0100

This Buena Vista Social Club prodigy and Havana Cultura star has grabbed Cuban music by the horns and drawn it, hot, stylish and sultry, into the 21st century.

His new album, YO, is out soon and looks back to his Caribbean roots while striking forwards with red-hot grooves, electronic beats and sensuous lyricism that effortlessly updates Cuba's musical lineage.

“It’s a heartbeat for contemporary Afro-Cuban life.” Times

“A fabulously gifted pianist, composer and band leader with a gift for melody that outshines more celebrated peers...one of a new breed who can transcend musical boundaries through sheer quality” Guardian

“A genre-busting tour de force… the lyricism of his playing recalls Herbie Hancock but he can animate the courtly dramas of Cuban tradition... a joyous poignant offering” Observer

“Sensuous, fresh, modern - Roberto Fonseca brings the piano dazzlingly to life” Daily Telegraph

For a sneak peak of Roberto's new album, watch this:

Click here for more videos and to win a meet and great with the man himself.

Opening for Roberto on this Black Routes tour is Ayanna, the first non-American to win the legendary Amateur night Live at the Harlem Apollo Theatre, whose beguiling vocals skip and swing over intimate, honey-sweet cello. Her music was recently celebrated in an evening devoted to her work at the Kings Place Festival in London. Earlier this year she was commissioned to write a new piece for the Bath Festival, following her first UK tour last year and residencies at Wigmore Hall and Aldeburgh. She’s just finished a UK tour with Natty and recording in New York with Kronos Quartet, which neatly captures her full range.

"Ayanna has to be heard to be believed" Time Out

Give In To Sin from Ayanna's new album, Truthfully:

Roberto Fonseca + Ayanna

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 20:00:00 +0100

This Buena Vista Social Club prodigy and Havana Cultura star has grabbed Cuban music by the horns and drawn it, hot, stylish and sultry, into the 21st century.

“It’s a heartbeat for contemporary Afro-Cuban life.” Times

“A genre-busting tour de force… the lyricism of his playing recalls Herbie Hancock but he can animate the courtly dramas of Cuban tradition... a joyous poignant offering” Observer

“Sensuous, fresh, modern - Roberto Fonseca brings the piano dazzlingly to life” Daily Telegraph

For a sneak peak of Roberto's new album, watch this:

Click here for more videos and to win a meet and great with the man himself.

"Ayanna has to be heard to be believed" Time Out

Give In To Sin from Ayanna's new album, Truthfully:

Ambrose Akinmusire + Robert Mitchell 3io

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 20:00:00 +0100

Before he reached eighteen, Ambrose Akinmusire had already performed with a string of acclaimed musicians including Joe Henderson, Joshua Redman and Steve Coleman. He’s since gone on to play in the bands of Herbie Hancock, Jason Moran and Wayne Shorter and London’s Ronnie Scott’s was bursting at the seams for the blazing premiere of his own new Blue Note album When The Heart Emerges Glistening. Heralded as “a major creative figure in the making” (Jazzwise) and comparable “with some of the biggest names in African-American jazz, Miles Davis included” (Guardian), Akinmusire is quickly becoming one of the most exciting, fresh and striking figures on today’s jazz scene.

Support comes from award-winning pianist, composer and arranger, Robert Mitchell, who counts Steve Williamson, Norma Winstone Courtney Pine and Greg Osby amongst his many collaborators. In the words of the Metro, “Robert Mitchell creates chamber jazz of astonishing beauty. His music communicates rapt attention, inquisitiveness, high intelligence and refined feeling. Mitchell is a lyricist and a thinker, and British jazz is far richer for his presence.”

Confessions to My Unborn Daughter by ambroseakinmusire