Press room

Today (12 July) the Barbican announces the third wave of artists, support acts and performances, for this year’s EFG London Jazz Festival in November 2023, in collaboration with Barbican Associate Producer Serious. New performances announced today include Ethio-jazz legend Mulatu Astatke and a star-studded line up for the debut performance of London Brew – a celebratory improvisatory work inspired by Miles Davis’ iconic album Bitches Brew. In addition, the Barbican also announces a new show with composer, producer, musician, and DJ Laurel Halo taking place in September 2023.

• Laurel Halo, Milton Court Concert Hall, 10 Sep 2023, 8pm

EGF London Jazz Festival 2023 new performances and support acts:

• Mulatu Astatke, Barbican Hall, Fri 10 Nov 2023, 7.30pm
• Hiromi’s Sonicwonder + Hiromi: The Piano Quintet, Barbican Hall, Mon 13 Nov 2023, 7.30pm
• Charles Lloyd Ocean Trio + Mette Henriette, Barbican Hall, Fri 17 Nov 2023, 7.30pm
• London Brew, Barbican Hall, Sat 18 Nov 2023, 7.30pm

More information about today’s announcements are below and full listing details for the EFG London Jazz Festival 2023 are here.

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Laurel Halo presents Atlas + Leila Bordreuil

Composer, producer, musician and DJ, Laurel Halo returns to the Barbican programme with a performance at Milton Court Concert Hall to present her latest album Atlas (Awe, released 22 Sep 2023).

Born in Detroit and based in Los Angeles, Halo draws inspiration from a range of music lineages, maintaining a signature aesthetic across a stylistically diverse output - from pop, to ambient, leftfield club, experimental electronica, and film score. Her latest album Atlas, which she will reconfigure for her performance at Milton Court in September 2023, is a suite of orchestral ambient jazz collages created during 2021-22 and features instrumentalists Bendik Giske, Lucy Railton, James Underwood and Coby Sey. For the performance at Milton Court, Halo will be joined by cellist Leila Bordreuil, who will also perform an opening set. Since 2012 Halo has released a number of albums ranging in genre-fluidity, complexity and scope, including Quarantine (2012, Hyperdub), In Situ (2015, Honest Jon's), Raw Silk Uncut Wood (2018, Latency), and Possessed: OST (2020, Vinyl Factory).

Across her career, Halo has performed in venues, festivals, clubs and institutions across the world, including the Southbank Centre, Sydney Opera House, The Kitchen, Kölner Philharmonie, CTM/Transmediale, Sónar, and Montreux Jazz Festival. She has collaborated with artists and designers including Moritz von Oswald, Metahaven, Kevin Beasley, Julia Holter, Hanne Lippard, Eckhaus Latta, John Cale, and the London Contemporary Orchestra. Alongside her forthcoming album release, Halo also announced her new imprint, Awe, in July which Atlas will be released on, and which is also the name of her monthly show on NTS Radio.

Produced by the Barbican

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EFG London Jazz Festival

Fri 10 Nov – Sunday 19 Nov 2023

Various venues

EFG LONDON JAZZ FESTIVAL 2023 ACTS ANNOUNCED TO DATE:

• NEW - Mulatu Astatke (Fri 10 Nov, Barbican Hall, 7.30pm)
• Makaya McCraven + LCO: In These Times (Sat 11 Nov, Barbican Hall, 7:30pm)
• Joep Beving (Sun 12 Nov, Milton Court Concert Hall, 7.30pm)
• Joshua Redman Group feat Gabrielle Cavassa (Sun 12 Nov, Barbican Hall, 7:30pm)
• Hiromi’s sonicwonder (Mon 13 Nov, Barbican Hall, 7:30pm)
• Sam Gendel (Tues 14 Nov, Milton Court Concert Hall, 7:30pm)
• Sergio Mendes (Wed 15 Nov, Barbican Hall, 7:30pm)
• LSO/Duncan Ward with Abel Selaocoe (Thu 16 Nov, Barbican Hall, 8pm)
• Charles Lloyd Ocean Trio (Fri 17 Nov, Barbican Hall, 7:30pm)
• NEW - London Brew (Sat 18 Nov, Barbican Hall, 7.30pm)
• Samara Joy (Sun 19 Nov, Barbican Hall, 7:30pm)

Mulatu Astatke

Musician, composer, arranger, and the ‘father of Ethio-jazz’ Mulatu Astatke takes to the Barbican Hall stage in his 80th year to open the EFG London Jazz Festival 2023 at the Barbican.

Born in the western Ethiopian city of Jimma and trained in London, New York, and Boston, Astatke made an impact early on by combining his jazz and Latin music interests with traditional Ethiopian music. With his albums focussing primarily on instrumental music, Astatke leads his band from the vibraphone and conga drums, as well as other percussion instruments, keyboards and organ.

Having collaborated with many notable artists, Astatke has arranged and played on recordings by Mahmoud Ahmed and appeared as a special guest of Duke Ellington's during his 1973 Ethiopia tour. His Western audience expanded further following the release of Jim Jarmusch's 2005 film Broken Flowers which featured many of Astatke’s songs, as well as through the countless sampling of hip hop artists including the likes of Nas, Damian Marley, Kanye West, Cut Chemist, and Knaan. 

Presented by Serious

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London Brew

Miles Davis’ legendary album Bitches Brew is reimagined in the first-ever performance from British jazz super group, London Brew.

A one-off moment in London’s musical history will bring together a star-studded line-up to pay tribute to one of modern music's most totemic figures, Miles Davis. This first live outing of the project, since the album’s release in April 2023 (London Brew, Downtown Music UK Ltd./Concord Jazz 2023) will see the original album musicians including Raven Bush, Theon Cross, Tom Herbert, Nikolaj Torp Larsen, Dave Okumu, Nick Ramm, Dan See and Martin Terefe take to the Barbican stage, joined by some very special guests from the recording (names to be announced soon).

Davis’ ground-breaking Bitches Brew was first released in 1970. 50 years later, a group of the most important and innovative musicians of today’s thriving London jazz scene come together to perform their celebratory improvisatory work inspired by the iconic album at this year’s EFG London Jazz Festival.

Produced by the Barbican in association with Serious

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SUPPORT ACTS FOR PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED SHOWS:

Hiromi’s sonicwonder + Hiromi: The Piano Quintet

The Barbican Hall performance encompasses an unforgettable journey through Hiromi's unparalleled creativity and artistic vision. With a repertoire that spans jazz, classical, and pop, Hiromi brings her unique brand of musical fusion to London audiences. Hiromi will open her Barbican Hall performance with her project The Piano Quintet featuring London violinists Thomas Gould and Shlomy Dobrinsky, violist Meghan Cassidy and cellist Gabriella Swallow before performing Sonicwonder.

Presented by Serious

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Charles Lloyd Ocean Trio + Mette Henriette

After an unforgettable sold-out performance in 2021, Charles Lloyd, the iconic American saxophonist, flautist, and early global-music pioneer, is set to return to the Barbican with his new trio with pianist Gerald Clayton and guitarist Marvin Sewell. Opening the evening is sought-after Sámi-Norwegian saxophonist, composer and artist Mette Henriette. She performs as a trio featuring Johan Lindvall on piano and Judith Hamann on cello.

With their fresh approach and mesmerising synergy, the new trio will captivate and enchant audiences in London later this year.

Produced by the Barbican in association with Serious.

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