EFG London Jazz Festival 2017 | a jazz plus guide

The 2017 EFG LJF starts this week and here’s our pick of 10 gigs you won’t want to miss:

Friday 10th November

Moses Boyd – Exodus | Jazz Cafe, 7pm | Moses Boyd is one of those guys at the forefront of the new jazz scene bubbling up at the moment – catch him with his equally talented band.

Saturday 11th November

Native Dancer | The Albany, 8.30pm | We’ve long been fans of Native Dancer here at jazz plus, with their tasty fusion of electro-soul-hop proving irresistible to our ears.  NAO also loves them.  Enough said.

Sunday 12th November

Miles Mosley + Vels Trio | Islington Assembly Hall, 7.30pm | Miles has collab’d with Kendrick Lamar and Kamasi Washington, Vels Trio are the progressive openers.

Monday 13th November

Knower + Skeltr | Scala, 8pm | The duo that is Knower are currently on a UK – wide tour (also appearing at the Cambridge Jazz Festival soon).  Futuristic funk-pop crossed with all sorts of other things.  Sam Healey’s terrifyingly powerful saxophone cuts above live electronica in new duo Skeltr.

london jazz festival efg jazz plus
SKELTR

Tuesday 14th November

Cory Henry & The Funk Apostles | KOKO, 7pm | An easy pick this one – if you’ve not heard or seen Cory’s indefatigable groove on the organ, where have you been?

Wednesday 15th November

Zara McFarlane + Gabriel Royal | Rich Mix, 8pm | Zara’s third album (on the Brownswood label, and prod. by aforementioned Moses Boyd) is full of groove inspired singer-songwriter stuff.

Thursday 16th November

Bill Laurance | Kings Place Hall 1, 7.30pm | This was a tough one to pick – Robert Glasper is also gigging this night, as are Resolution 88 (ones to watch).  Have the pleasure of seeing Snarky Puppy’s pianist’s solo project which explores the boundaries between classical and jazz though, you won’t regret it.

Friday 17th November

Beats & Pieces | Rich Mix, 8pm | Out of all the gigs happening at the Festival this year, this is definitely one of our high-picks.  The Mancunian jazz juggernauts have just come out of the studio, and we’re eagerly hoping to hear snippets of the new album – Ben Cottrell’s masterful writing for Big Band occupies a special place in the UK jazz scene.

london jazz festival jazz plus beats and pieces big band

Saturday 18th November

Bigyuki + Butcher Brown + Rohey + DJ Harrison | Rich Mix, 8pm | Big by name, big sound by nature.  Bigyuki fuses elements of jazz, classical, hiphop, rock and dance/trance into their set.  It’s hard to conceive how a trio can make such a sound.  Rohey’s equally huge helpings of soul and baggy grooves will ensure this will be a Saturday night not to miss!

Sunday 19th November

Ezra Collective | Islington Assembly Hall, 8pm | Emerging from the hotbed of young London talent, Ezra Collective are premiering music from their new EP – expect afro beat, hip hop and reggae.

Use the hashtag #wearejazz throughout the festival and follow @londonjazzfest


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