The Soho Jazz Festival 2024 opens today, ushering in another chapter of Soho’s vibrant cultural scene.
SOHO, UK. 11th September, 2024 – Now in its 8th year, the Soho Jazz Festival is back from 11th to 14th September 2024, with an exciting lineup featuring some of the UK’s finest jazz artists. Over the course of 4 days, the festival will feature performances across 15 stages, with over 30 shows and more than 100 musicians taking part.
Soho has long been a cornerstone of the international jazz world, renowned for its atmosphere of innovation and creativity, particularly in live music. The energetic, ever-evolving spirit of jazz finds its home in this iconic entertainment district, which continues to be invigorated by new talent.
George Hudson, the festival’s producer and a veteran of the music industry, has successfully captured this essence since opening Piano Bar Soho in 2015. Over the past 8 years, he has worked to re-establish the renowned festival, originally founded in 1986. His work with Nathan Britton, Musical Director, also resulted in the founding of the Soho Live Music Club, a recording and production studio.
Together, George and Nathan have discovered and nurtured emerging talent, with many artists now making their mark on the international jazz scene. In March this year, they opened Alfie’s, a new venue on Greek Street, continuing their efforts to sustain and develop Soho’s jazz heritage. The Soho Live Music Club has built a vibrant community of fans who enjoy access to 1,000 performances annually for just £35.
George remarks: “The combination of the old and the new, the established and the emerging, perfectly captures Soho’s spirit as a jazz ecosystem and nurturing ground for talent.”
A highlight of this year’s festival is the Great Jazz Brunch, held on Saturday at James Court. Guests will savour gourmet dishes from four of Soho’s newest restaurants, accompanied by live outdoor jazz performances. After the brunch, attendees can enjoy the Soho Jazz Jam, a five-hour jam session at Alfie’s, featuring over 100 festival artists.
This year’s festival will showcase a new generation of jazz artists. Audiences can expect electrifying electro-jazz performances from Cosmic Fusion, JSPHYNX, and Jackson Mathod, while Tru Thought’s Bryony Jarmon-Pinto will introduce her latest album, Below North. South London’s jazz collective Tomorrow’s Warriors will present rising star Donovan Haffner, and Incognito’s lead singer Natalie Duncan will deliver her powerful vocals and piano mastery.
The Soho Jazz Festival also pays tribute to the rich history of “traditional” jazz sounds and the jam culture that has long resonated in the area. Festival-goers can enjoy spirited performances of the American songbook from Marvin Muoneké, “the young man with the old soul”, alongside rising stars Riketté Genesis, Fraser Smith, and Ineza Kerschkamp. Acclaimed jazz artists Andy Davies, known as “The King of Bebop”, and Ray Gelato, the “Godfather of Swing”, will also make much-anticipated returns.
Reflecting the diversity of Soho, the festival will feature performances from the London Django Collective, paying homage to Parisian gypsy-jazz legend Django Reinhardt, the salsa rhythms of the Sambroso All Stars, and the debut of Catalan pianist Tomàs Fosch’s new project Swing’ing. Other performers include Tjoe Man Cheung, Koko Collective, New Orleans trumpeter Jon Bauer, pianist Jay Verma, and saxophonist Reiss-Ellis Beckles.
Performances will take place across several iconic Soho venues, including Piano Bar Soho, Alfie’s Soho, Pizza Express Soho, Jack Solomons Club, Century Club, Karma Sanctum Hotel, Scarlett Green, Union Club, Soho House’s Café Boheme, Crazy Coqs, and more.
Rupert Power, Chairman of the Soho Business Alliance, comments: “The Soho Jazz Festival illuminates the work of artists who embody the energy of Soho, revitalising it as Europe’s premier entertainment destination.”
Proceeds from the festival will support the Soho Live Artist Development Fund, which provides grants to help artists promote, produce, and record their work, enabling them to advance their careers in live music.
All-access passes for the festival are priced at £35, giving attendees access to multiple daily performances, jam sessions, secret bars, and the exclusive Jazz Jam Bus. Individual show tickets start at £15. Visit https://www.sohojazzfestival.com to purchase tickets.
