Press room

Today (5 June) the Barbican and Associate Producer Serious announce the second wave of performances for this year’s EFG London Jazz Festival 2024 with more still to be announced later this year. Now in its 32nd year, the annual festival returns to the Barbican from 15 – 24 November 2024 as well as taking over 60+ other venues across the city. The Barbican is a key venue for the EFG London Jazz Festival, serving as a meeting point, platform and producer for some of the most exciting events each year. In collaboration with Serious, the Barbican helps bring to life unique projects, premieres and performances from some of the world’s greatest emerging and established artists.

EFG London Jazz Festival 2024 performances at the Barbican announced to date:

• EXTRA PERFORMANCE - Pat Metheny: Dream Box (Friday 15 Nov 2024, Barbican Hall, 7.30pm) 
• Pat Metheny: Dream Box (Saturday 16 Nov 2024, Barbican Hall, 7.30pm) 
• Anouar Brahem Quartet (Sunday 17 Nov 2024, Barbican Hall, 7.30pm)
• NEW - Charles Tolliver celebrates Max Roach @ 100 (Monday 18 November 2024, Barbican Hall, 7.30pm)
• Tim Garland’s Lighthouse Trio and Britten Sinfonia (Tuesday 19 Nov 2024, Milton Court Concert Hall, 7.30pm)
• London Symphony Orchestra x seed. featuring Cassie Kinoshi (Thursday 21 Nov 2024, Barbican Hall, 7pm)
• Cross Currents Trio: Zakir Hussain, Dave Holland, Chris Potter (Friday 22 Nov 2024, Barbican Hall, 7.30pm)
• NEW - Marilyn Mazur’s Shamania (Friday 22 Nov 2024, Milton Court Concert Hall, 7.30pm)
• NEW - Sikelela, 30 years on… A celebration of the South African jazz tradition and avant garde (Sunday 24 Nov 2024, Barbican Hall, 7.30pm)

In addition to his sold-out performance on Saturday 16th November, legendary guitarist Pat Metheny will play an additional night on Friday 15th November. Known for his unparalleled versatility across various musical genres, Metheny has collaborated with a diverse range of artists, from Steve Reich to Ornette Coleman to Herbie Hancock. His upcoming performance is in support of his forthcoming album, MoonDial, a solo guitar record recorded on baritone guitar without overdubs.

On Monday 18 November, trumpeter Charles Tolliver presents a landmark tribute to bebop pioneer Max Roach in celebration of what would have been the legendary drummer’s 100th birthday. Tolliver will be joined by Darrell Green on drums, Camille Thurman on tenor saxophone and an all-star UK big band led by Tony Kofi.

On Friday 22 November, percussionist and composer Marilyn Mazur’s tribal band Shamania brings a display of shaman-inspired power and rhythms to Milton Court with their new album REROOTING.

On Sunday 24 November, in the 30th anniversary year of democracy in South Africa, the Barbican will host a celebration of the country’s avant-garde music. Curated by The Brother Moves On’s Siyabonga Mthembu and pianist, composer, and singer Thandi Ntuli, the evening brings together a line-up including Bokani Dyer, Thandiswa Mazwai, Keenen Myer, Chelsea Carmichael, Soweto Kinch and many more.

Full listing details can be found below and here. 

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Pat Metheny: Dream Box

Pat Metheny, 20-time GRAMMY Award-winning guitarist and composer, takes to the Barbican stage to present his latest album, MoonDial. featuring a collection of personal and fan favourites from his illustrious nearly 50-year career.

With a genre-defining catalogue, Metheny brings his solo show to the Hall, offering audiences a unique glimpse into his innovative approach to music. Renowned for his ability to continuously explore new angles and perspectives, Metheny's solo performances are a testament to his creative evolution over the years. 

His groundbreaking album New Chautauqua (1979) played a pivotal role in defining an era of instrumental steel-stringed Americana, inspiring countless artists in its wake. Additionally, The Orchestrion Project, a pioneering venture where Metheny composed music and constructed instruments controlled by his guitar, remains a groundbreaking achievement in solo performance years after its inception.

Produced by Serious, part of EFG London Jazz Festival 

Find out more

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Charles Tolliver celebrates Max Roach @ 100

Pioneering bebop drummer Max Roach’s inimitable style has influenced generations of drummers. In what would have been Roach’s 100th year, trumpeter, arranger, and bandmate Charles Tolliver remembers his career and influence.

In 1967, early in his career, Tolliver was invited to join Max Roach’s group where he played the trumpet for several years and formed a lifelong musical relationship with the drummer. In 1971, Roach asked Tolliver to create a drum suite adaptation of an old Spiritual ‘Singin ’Wid a Sword In My Hand’ from the James Weldon Johnson book of Spirituals. It premiered that year at the Montreux Jazz Festival, featuring Roach, Tolliver, and Stanley Cowell. 

For this special tribute night, Tolliver will be joined by with Darrell Green on drums, Camille Thurman on tenor saxophone and an all-star UK big band led by Tony Kofi for a spectacular new show that will include not just the drum suite, but renditions of quintessential songs from the Max Roach/Clifford Brown Quintet Albums, followed by protest songs from Roach’s albums We Insist!, Percussion Bitter Sweet, and Members Don’t Get Weary.

Performers:

Charles Tolliver trumpet
Darrel Green drums
Camille Thurman tenor saxophone
Orchestra of London’s finest assembled by Tony Kofi 

Produced by the Barbican and Serious, part of EFG London Jazz Festival

Find out more

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Marilyn Mazur’s Shamania

Percussionist and composer Marilyn Mazur’s tribal band Shamania brings a display of musical power to the Barbican with new album REROOTING.

In 2015 Mazur founded Shamania - a band whose spirit is based on the idea of a modern tribal gathering of female musical forces that focuses entirely on rhythm, body and voice. The band is comprised of 10 trailblazing independent musicians on the Scandinavian scene, and hail from Denmark, Norway and Sweden. They combine to create fascinating rhythms and unforgettable atmospheres.

REROOTING comprises 16 songs in a combination of both Mazur’s brand new and older compositions, which have all been, with one exception, previously unreleased.

Produced by Barbican and Serious, part of EFG London Jazz Festival

Find out more

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Sikelela, 30 years on...

In the 30th anniversary year of democracy in South Africa, the EFG London Jazz Festival celebrates the avant-garde music coming out of this inspirational musical landscape. Taking the cue from the word ‘Sikelela’ meaning ‘blessing’ – the first word of the South African national anthem – this event celebrates a tradition of Ingoma as a practice in the intimate exercise of liberation in action.

This special concert invites the visionaries from the current scene, referred to as the New School of Jazz from South Africa. Working with duos and trios is a curatorial homage to the constraints of existing in one of the most unequal nations on the planet. These formats support intimacy by bringing together practitioners who capture the essence of a nation coming to terms with 30 years of freedom – a liberation Letta Mbuli aptly sums up as "Not yet Uhuru."

The performance is curated by The Brother Moves On’s Siyabonga Mthembu, and pianist, composer, and singer Thandi Ntuli, and brings together a stellar line-up including Bokani Dyer, Thandiswa Mazwai, Keenen Myer, Chelsea Carmichael, Soweto Kinch and many more.

Produced by Serious, part of EFG London Jazz Festival 

Read more about the project here and visit the Barbican event page here

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