London Jazz Festival 2009

We highlight the best gigs in this year's London Jazz Festival and, below, composer and virtuoso trumpeter Guy Barker tells us what he's looking forward to

Click here for full London Jazz Festival listings.

Our highlights of this citywide festival (with gigs in no less than 17 boroughs) include wonkily brilliant guitarist Bill Frisell (Barbican, Thur Nov 19) whose lush, blues-soaked Americana gets a sumptuous boost from arranger Mike Gibbs and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Politicised Brazilian icon Gilberto Gil goes in the opposite direction with a stripped-down acoustic set of his Tropicalismo classics alongside his son Bem Gil on guitar and cellist Jacque Morelenbaum (RFH, Thur Nov 19).

The clubby side of things kicks off in style too with Portishead-related noiseniks Get The Blessing and wildly funky Brooklynite synth merchant Taylor McFerrin heading up a double bill of biting buzz bass and twin-sax terror at the Jazz CafÈ (Thur Nov 19), contrasting perfectly with the floaty soul-jazz massive Build An Ark featuring the wondrous vocals of Dwight Trible at Cargo (Thur Nov 19).

One of the festival's big-hitters, bass deity Dave Holland, brings a suitably heavy band to town on Friday at the QEH (Fri Nov 20) with on-form ex-Steely Dan sax man Chris Potter leading the charge. But perhaps you'd prefer some smoky Parisian-style jazz-folk from the ever-alluring Madeleine Peyroux (Fri Nov 20) ñ with sterling support from rising twentysomething US pianist Gerald Clayton ñ at the Barbican instead?

And if pianos are your thing you'd be wise to catch wildly creative/devilishly humorous Italian piano genius Stefano Bollani on his four-night stand at Kings Place (Wed Nov18-Sat Nov 21 Nov) or hot Norwegians the Helge Lein Trio at Pizza Express (Fri Nov 20). Our own piano wunderkind Gwilym Simcock premieres his shimmering choral work, 'I Prefer the Gorgeous Freedom', at the Purcell Room (Sat Nov 21) and the Brit Jazz aristocracy (like, real aristocracy) Sir John Dankworth and Dame Cleo Laine celebrate 50 years in jazz in right royal style at the RFH (Sat Nov 21).

Guy Barker's picks
'I love Cleveland Watkiss he turns 50 this year and I've done quite a few arrangements for him. We go way back to the 1980s, when I used to run a jam session in Covent Garden. He used to come down every week and jam and I'm a year older than him!

Also John Dankworth and Cleo Laine will be great, John gave me my first professional job when I was still at the Royal College of Music, and I had gone out to New York and I got a call from my mum saying John Dankworth wanted to know if I'd do a week at the London Palladium with him and Cleo! And it wasn't long after that I left college because I had started working, and I've worked with them ever since.

All the singers on the Jazz Voice concert are all doing their own gigs ñ I'd love to see them as well. Carla Bley will be amazing and I'd love to see trumpeter Tomasz Stanko who I've never seen before. Guitarist Bill Frisell is playing with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Mike Gibbs ñ that would be a fantastic gig to see, and the Naturally 7 guys look like a lot of fun, so I'd love to see that too.'

Click here for full London Jazz Festival listings.