Saturday 28 June 2025

KIRSTY KING QUARTET: A SUMMER'S REFRAIN! 

As June reaches its golden peak, join acclaimed jazz vocalist Kirsty King and her quartet for an evening that captures the romance and warmth of a summer night that feels suspended in time. With silky, expressive vocals and a deep affinity for the Great American Songbook, Kirsty brings elegance and soul to timeless jazz classics. 

Inspired by the slow burning charm of long forgotten evenings when music drifted through open windows and the night stretched on with promise, this performance evokes the softness of twilight and the gentle heat of midsummer air. 

From spirited swing to dusky ballads, Kirsty and her quartet reimagine classic tunes with style and spontaneity, creating an atmosphere that shimmers with jazz tradition and contemporary flair! 

Kirsty King is a jazz singer whose voice carries the elegance of the past and the feeling of the present—soulful, smooth, and deeply expressive. 

Inspired by the great female jazz pioneers, Kirsty brings her own modern sensitivity to the classics, telling stories through song with warmth, grace, and a touch of cinematic romance. Her sound is intimate yet expansive, blending silky tones with a quiet strength that draws listeners in. 

Having captivated audiences across London’s most loved venues, Kirsty creates performances that feel like a conversation where every note lingers, and every word matters. 

Line up:

Kirsty King - vocal

Rick Simpson - piano 

TBC – double bass

Manuel Filgueiras – drums

Pianist Rick Simpson is based in London playing a wide variety of music and leads his own group playing original jazz music. Rick is a regular performer at Ronnie Scott’s, the 606 Jazz Club, Pizza Express Dean Street, The Vortex, The Bull’s Head, and he has appeared at larger UK venues such as the Royal Festival Hall and the Purcell Room.   

Manuel Filgueiras is a Portuguese drummer and educator based in London, currently studying at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. He performs regularly at top venues like The Ned and is known for his versatility across jazz, funk, and world music. As an educator, he teaches students of all ages, sharing his passion and wide-ranging experience. 

www.kirstykingjazz.com

www.ricksimpsonjazz.com

Friday 14 June 2025

Eleonora Claps: Women In Love - a musical celebration of many anniversaries!

30 years since first visiting London, 10 years since the release of her first album and 1 since the launch of her second, 10 years of marriage....

Reflecting on many personal anniversaries in 2025 - and in her birthday week - singer-songwriter and drummer Eleonora Claps finds inspiration in the words and notes of some of the most celebrated women in music, to mark her own life milestones.

Focusing on the theme of romantic relationships, Eleonora tells the spark, development, and challenges of love through musical masterpieces by Joni Mitchell, Meshell Ndegeocello, Elis Regina, Sarah Bareilles and others -venturing into the Italian repertoire as well - all arranged for jazz quartet. 

Accompanied by a superb band (John Crawford on piano, Andy Hamill on bass, Andrea Trillo on drums), Eleonora shares duties at the microphone and behind the drumkit, taking the audience on a journey through the emotions of a love story, while celebrating her own love for life and its anniversaries!..

Musicians:

Eleonora Claps - vocals and drums

John Crawford - piano

Andy Hamill - bass

Andrea Trillo – drums

Singer-songwriter and drummer Eleonora Claps was born in Milano, Italy. She started playing drums in her teenage years and was soon joining pop and rock bands on the city’s scene, recording in studio, and performing live on stages across the country and abroad.

In 2007, she moved to London and was inspired to take on new challenges – studying jazz singing amongst them. Joining open mics around town was her first approach to performing as a singer. Having built a repertoire, including her own original material, she started gigging in London and across the country.

Her first album “Stars” (including originals as well as jazzy arrangements of pop tunes by Prefab Sprout, Cyndi Lauper, and Simply Red amongst others) was released in 2015, garnering support on UK press and radios. Her second album “10pm”, launching in March 2024, is a collection of ten original songs, featuring Eleonora as a singer and drummer, with John Crawford on piano and Andy Hamill on bass. A reflection on the speed and challenges of modern life, infused with nostalgia and memories of the past, the songs on Eleonora’s new album are a fitting continuation of a journey started with her debut album.

“I think we shall be hearing more of Eleonora Claps, and her own songs […] show a potential for successful songwriting” – Ian Maund, Sandy Brown Jazz

The self-composed songs also suggest real potential. The title track is fantastic, and hopefully we will be hearing more of her own songs in the near future” – Matthew Ruddick, Kind of Jazz

www.eleonoraclaps.com

Insta: Eleonora Claps (@clapseee) • Instag

TikTok: Eleonora Claps (@eleonoraclaps) | TikTok

Facebook: Facebook

Video 1 (Eleonora Claps & John Crawford Quintet – “Things” live): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8f95vUCb2Ug

Video 2 (Eleonora Claps - "Wild Horses"): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWEErn6YY3A

Friday 20 June2025

The Imperial College Big Band returns to Jazz Café POSK with a set full of swing, Latin, and funk. Blending classic big band sounds with fresh arrangements, the band brings lively ensemble playing and great solo features for a night of top-quality jazz!

The renowned IC Big Band stands as the pre-eminent jazz ensemble of Imperial College London. Featuring a diverse group of scientists, engineers, and medics, ICBB showcases the depth of talent within the community, delivering a dynamic repertoire spanning from classic swing to contemporary funk and fusion. The ensemble is directed under the helm of Chris Dean, the current director of the esteemed Syd Lawrence Orchestra, and a seasoned musician in his own right, having recorded with music icons like Frank Sinatra and Quincy Jones!

In recent years, the IC Big Band has performed successful concerts at some of the UK’s top jazz venues, including the Pizza Express Jazz Club (Soho), Jazz Café POSK and the Bull’s Head (Barnes). Their music has also taken them abroad, with memorable performances in Berlin, Madrid, and other international stages.

www.icbigband.com

Video 1 (“Love for Sale” - live):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehWhWxhnBek&t=93s  

Video 2 (“Cold Duck Time” – live): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfkBfp-W9y4

Saturday 7 June 2025

Marta Mathea Radwan Quartet: Polish Jazz - Tribute to Kalina Jędrusik

A special concert commemorating the extraordinary actress and singer Kalina Jędrusik, star of the extremely popular Polish TV show “Kabaret Starszych Panów” (Elderly Gentlemen's Cabaret) made for TV in the late 1950s to mid-1960s. Songs from this show gained a long-lasting nationwide popularity, becoming Polish standards. On the 95th anniversary of the actress's birth, we recall her greatest hits, written by Jerzy Wasowski and Jeremi Przybora, in jazz arrangements.

Line up:

Marta Mathea Radwan - vocal

Anita Łazińska - piano

Mark Elton - bass

Eric Ford - drums

and Krzysztof Suwała - special guest on vocals

Marta Mathea Radwan is the award-winning conductor, composer, arranger, vocalist, and workshop leader. She has over 30 years’ experience on stage and in the music industry. Marta holds a doctoral degree from the F. Chopin University of Music in Warsaw with a specialism in jazz conducting. She works internationally, in Poland, Denmark and the United Kingdom. Currently she is a leader of several music projects in London including Offbeat Choirs, Norden Farm Centre for the Arts choirs, and others. She is co-founder of the Association of Polish Jazz Musicians in London. She teaches at Brunel University London and actively performs as a jazz singer. www.mmradwan.com

Anita Łazińska is a versatile musician - vocalist, pianist, composer, graduate of the Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz (Poland). Currently a leader of Anita Łazińska Quartet - a band in which she presents her ideas of compositions and arrangements. Anita is also a member of H3O, Muze Voices and Wild Whispers - bands in which improvisation and searching for unusual sounds plays an important role. She also had the pleasure of collaboration with great musicians of the Polish jazz scene like the Leszek Kułakowski Trio, Piotr Damasiewicz, Maciej Sikała.

Luke Fowler after spending his formative years in Perth Western Australia, studying at WAAPA until 2005, he moved to the UK where he has spent the last 15 years. Luke opened a Jazz Venue in South London called the Junction which soon became a hub for some of the best musicians in the UK, featuring the likes of Jim Mullin, Dave O’Higgins, Alex Garnett plus some of the new younger sensations coming out of London, including, Emma Rawicz and Rob Luft. After Graduating with his master’s in jazz performance at London’s acclaimed Guildhall of Music in 2020, Luke has been busy running a series of projects which he has presented around London.

Eric Ford has been resident in London since late 2006, after 4 years in Paris. He enjoys working across the spectrum of music and has played across the globe and on around 60 albums. He's performed at iconic venues such as Ronnie Scott's and the Royal Albert Hall, and with musicians as diverse as Ronnie Laws, Marc Almond, Clare Teal, the London Jazz Orchestra and Jason Rebello. He's also presented drum clinics in London and Beijing and has been a member of acclaimed contemporary jazz trio Partikel since 2009.

Specjalny koncert przypominający sylwetkę Kaliny Jędrusik - gwiazdy kultowego “Kabaretu Starszych Panów”. W 95 rocznicę urodzin aktorki przypomnimy jej największe przeboje pióra duetu Wasowski-Przybora w jazzowej odsłonie. Nie zabraknie “Bo we mnie jest seks”, “ Jesienna Dziewczyna”, “Dla Ciebie jestem sobą” i inn.

Muzycy:

Marta Mathea Radwan – wokal

Anita Łazińska – fortepian

Mark Elton - bas

Eric Ford - perkusja

and Krzysztof Suwała - gosc specjalny, wokal

Marta Mathea Radwanjest wielokrotnie nagradzaną dyrygentką, kompozytorką, aranżerką, wokalistką i liderką warsztatów. Ma ponad 30-letnie doświadczenie na scenie i w branży muzycznej. Marta posiada tytuł doktora Uniwersytetu Muzycznego im. F. Chopina w Warszawie ze specjalizacją w dyrygenturze jazzowej. Pracuje na arenie międzynarodowej, w Polsce, Danii i Wielkiej Brytanii. Obecnie jest liderką kilku projektów muzycznych w Londynie, w tym Offbeat Choirs, chórów Norden Farm Centre for the Arts i innych. Jest współzałożycielką Association of Polish Jazz Musicians w Londynie. Uczy na Brunel University London i aktywnie występuje jako wokalistka jazzowa.

Video 1 („Wyrzezbilam twoja twarz w powietrzu” – live): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmC0NC58Oyw

Saturday 31 May 2025

Finn Genockey International Quartet!

Join us for an unforgettable evening with drummer & composer Finn Genockey and his quartet as they perform music from his upcoming debut album. Featuring the talents of Josh Short, Scottie Thompson, Nico Klöffer, and Finn himself, this ensemble will showcase compositions both new and old written by Finn, drawing from influences ranging from modern jazz to folk and classical music. Don’t miss the chance to be among the first to hear his new original music performed live, ahead of his debut album’s release!

Finn Genockey is a drummer and composer from London currently studying in his fourth year at the Guildhall School of Music. Since starting drums at the age of 6, Finn has had plenty of experience performing regularly with some of the most notable jazz artists such as Rufus Reid and Stan Sulzmann at some of the country’s top jazz venues such as Ronnie Scott’s, Pizza Express Soho, The Barbican and Vortex as well as across the world in places such as Germany, France and the Caribbean. He also regularly writes music for the ensembles he runs, including his own 20-piece Jazz Orchestra, The London Intercollegiate Jazz Orchestra, which he founded for a debut performance for EFG Jazz Festival 2023 as well as the international group: ‘Inc Quartet’.

He can be heard on a wide variety of recordings from Emma Rawicz’s debut album: Incantation to Orla Gartland’s hit single: I Go Crazy and is set to release his debut album Tacet Trust in June 2025.

Line up:

Finn Genockey – drums and compositions

Josh Short – trumpet and flugelhorn

Scottie Thompson - piano

Nico Klöffer - double bass

www.finngenockey.com

Video 1 (“Tacet Trust” – live): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R29dv4PFxmk

Video 2 (“Wide Lanes” – live): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XglmBcCoscs

Video 3 (“Avellino” – live): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1la_XibOrO8

Dołącz do nas w niezapomniany wieczór z perkusistą i kompozytorem Finnem Genockey i jego kwartetem, którzy wykonają muzykę z jego nadchodzącego debiutanckiego albumu!

 W skład tego zespołu wchodzą Josh Short, Scottie Thompson, Nico Klöffer i sam Finn, który zaprezentuje zarówno nowe, jak i stare kompozycje napisane przez Finna, czerpiące inspiracje z różnych gatunków, od nowoczesnego jazzu po muzykę folkową i klasyczną. Nie przegap okazji, aby być wśród pierwszych, którzy usłyszą jego nową, oryginalną muzykę na żywo przed premierą jego debiutanckiego albumu!

Finn Genockey jest perkusistą i kompozytorem z Londynu, który obecnie studiuje na czwartym roku w Guildhall School of Music. Od czasu rozpoczęcia nauki gry na perkusji w wieku 6 lat Finn zdobył duże doświadczenie w regularnym występowaniu z niektórymi z najbardziej znanych artystów jazzowych, takimi jak Rufus Reid i Stan Sulzmann, w najlepszych klubach jazzowych w kraju, takich jak Ronnie Scott's, Pizza Express Soho, The Barbican i Vortex, a także na całym świecie, w takich miejscach jak Niemcy, Francja i Karaiby. Regularnie pisze również muzykę dla prowadzonych przez siebie zespołów, w tym własnej 20-osobowej orkiestry jazzowej The London Intercollegiate Jazz Orchestra, którą założył na potrzeby debiutanckiego występu na EFG Jazz Festival 2023, a także dla międzynarodowej grupy: „Inc Quartet”. 

Można go usłyszeć na wielu nagraniach, od debiutanckiego albumu Emmy Rawicz: Incantation po przebój Orli Gartland: I Go Crazy, a jego debiutancki album Tacet Trust ma zostać wydany w czerwcu 2025 r.

Muzycy:

Finn Genockey – perkusja i kompozycje

Josh Short – trąbka i flugelhorn

Scottie Thompson – pianino

Nico Klöffer – kontrabas