Music

The rightful heir to the Buena Vista Social Club legacy, pianist Fonseca had the daunting job of filling his hero the late, great Ruben Gonzalez's shoes. He ended up becoming the star of the show. Now a solo artist in his own right, he takes in...

Avant garde US trumpet and clarinet duo - who've worked with the likes of Andrew Cyrille, Archie Shepp and Sam Rivers - mix their knowledge of the jazz tradition with a decidedly free-wheeling approach to group improv.

Trumpeter/arranger extraordinaire Guy Barker leads this LJF opening night - inspired by the last 100 years of song writing - with a 40-piece jazz orchestra and a dizzying array of top-notch vocalists. With musical selections from Johnny Mercer...

An unplugged set from the nerdy polymath and celebrated vegan, who's run the musical gamut from hardcore to techno and chain-gang blues in his long and hugely successful career. Expect tracks from current LP, 'Wait For Me', as well as 'Why Does...

This free set following the Rachid Taha show is from Ethio-jazz legend Astatke, here with Afro-psych-jazz collective The Heliocemtrics. Plus Afrobeat pioneers Holmes and Vamanos (Secousse Sound System) and 19-year-old Brunel undergrad and MC...

Buenos Aires-based nouveau tango group pour raw acoustic energy into traditional Argentinean songs, with shirt-ripping passion and heartstopping power and an effortless, youthful update of this music.

Former Pulp main man, enthusiastic polymath, beloved national treasure and Parisian emigre returns for this intimate solo show.

Horn-heavy Dutch outfit - featuring brilliant saxophonist Benjamin Herman - recreate New York-style jazz funk jams, creating a dancefloor- filling funky brew. Here they update Quincey Jones' flamboyant '60s jazz- pop, big-band sounds as they...

The 'wild' clearly doesn't refer to the lineup, but rather to the benefitting cause, ie the Born Free Foundation. Funds raised will help save the lives of over 25,000 wild animals, including lions, tigers, elephants, wolves and dolphins. Lending...

Twisted folk songstress, performs songs on her keyboard and ukulele from her forthcoming album 'Coquette,' which includes tunes both created and inspired from themes of white cliffs and Spitfire pilots.

Nine-piece horns/drums powerhouse continue their residency, featuring special guests and one invited support act each month.

PRICES? TIMES? Bluesy, skiffly rock 'n' rollers with a spiky, fun-pop twist, who recorded their eponymous debut in front of 3,000 fans at the Roundhouse in one live take. In support, the intense Calvi tests out tunes from her new album, currently...

Blue Note-signed pianist Parks has leapt from relative obscurity to being one of the hottest names on the current global jazz scene, all thanks to his astonishing 'Invisible Cinema' album, that mixed far-sighted, rock-inspired melodies and...

Multi-Grammy award-winning banjoist Fleck has revolutionised the humble banjo with his staggering ability to combine bluegrass, classical and advanced jazz sounds. Here with phenomenal bassist Victor Wooten and his brother Roy on drums, this is a...

Nothing less than the foremost male singer in jazz today, Elling possesses a rarified voice of laconic beauty with all the world-weary charm and effortless virtuoisty of Mark Murphy, but it's his unusual choice of material (Keith Jarrett, Jobim,...

Celebrated avant jazz drummer Reid - who's worked with Fela Kuti, James Brown and Miles Davis over the years - here plays his own thunderous, avant garde take on Afro-beat and whacked-out funk laced with free jazz. All in aid of the launch of...

The defiantly oddball country soul-pop icon with the gravelly voice - and former squeeze of Tom Waits - might have stopped having hits, but what a back catalogue. Expect her first big hit of 1981, 'Chuck E's In Love' to jazz-inflected cover...

Italian outfit mix psychedelia and noir-ish pop and plug their fifth album, 'Forse Il Sole Ci Odia' ('Maybe the Sun Hates Us').

Fabulous jazz jam night led by superb young tenorist Zem Audu and members of bassist Gary Crosby's jazz talent jam sessions. This is the place to be to catch some of London's big names in an off-duty blowing session.

Now shorn of his Library, but riding the crest of a Kanye West-approved wave, Hudson returns with his off-centre but rather tame blend of R&B, soul, indie pop and funk with a glitchy edge, and promotes brand new album, 'Straight No Chaser'.

Sasu Ripatti, Berlin-based Finnish composer of minimal electronica - who's worked with everyone from Massive Attack to Black Dice and Ryuichi Sakamoto - headlines as VD with his soulful and evocative, experimental glitch and sweetly mournful...

The legendary '60s psychedelic Modsters get together for the first time in 40 years to play this one-off show.

Sixteen-piece, brass-heavy comtemporary jazz collective play material ranging from retro big band swing, through to funk, avant garde and third-stream classical styles.

Sultry Universal-singed chanteuse Gardot performs her dusky, folksy, blues-soaked songs from alluring recent album 'My One And Only Thrill'. Surviving a serious car crash, Gardot gained a feisty, if quiet, confidence that helps give her material...

US hard bop vibes veteran Hutcherson has added his mellifluous mallet work to many classics on the Blue Note label, alongside such greats as Eric Dolphy, Andrew Hill, Joe Henderson and Freddie Hubbard. He remains a vital player and still delivers...

Raw, textured, lyrically harrowing avant-rock from the Texan headliners, who sound like The Jesus Lizard torturing Bright Eyes, tonight play largely from their latest album 'Someday This Could All Be Yours, Vol. 1'. Cinematic pop 'n' squall...

Funky blues and soul in a Stax stylee from this feisty seven piece.

Drawing on everything from Messian to Beefheart, Tom Waits and Mr Bungle WSR vocalist Andrew Plummer sets a disturbed tone. The talent-heavy band feature sax monster James Allsopp, trumpeter Alex Bonney and acclaimed pianist Matthew Bourne, all...

Polymath jazz pianist/flamenco guitarist/tabla player/soundtrack writer/orchestral composer/comedian Sawhney is back on form with his recent album, a homage to our fair capital, 'London Undersound', on which he has collaborated with Imogen Heap...

Tony Haynes's exciting large ensemble fusing North Indian classical music, Bangladeshi folk songs, Chinese music, jazz improvisation and Latin rhythms. Along the way, they pick up a host of jazz players alongside Chinese poets, and Indian and...

Madcap mandolin-toting performance poet/comedian cooks up a lighthearted, jazz-inspired set of off-kilter standards and family-friendly musical fun.

Motown's legendary session musicians who've played on everything from 'My Girl' to 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine' to 'Baby Love' are joined by former Motown vocalists Mable John, Chris Clark and Brenda Holloway.

Punk-funk in the headline slot, with clattering, experimental rock from the openers.

Deeply funky jazz session bass guitarist best known for his work with Roy Hargrove, Steve Colemand and Meshell Ndegéocello, here lays down some 'phat' edgy grooves over which guitarist Jef Lee Johnson lets rip.

The B-3-bashing Hammond maestro may have been around longer than most, but latest album 'New World' shows this old dog still has plenty of new tricks. These include expansive flute/trumpet arrangements full of warm, Donald Bird-style jazz-funk...