CELEBRATING SONGWRITERS IN JAZZ FEAT. MICHELLE WILLIS & FINI BEARMAN + SUPPORT FROM TALKLINE (TRIPLE BILL)
Singer, songwriter & instrumentalist Fini Bearman presents a very special, one-off night as part of the London Jazz Festival, celebrating songwriters working in the spaces between jazz, soul & pop-folk music. Fini will be joined by very special guest, Michelle Willis, who will be performing songs from her new album, ‘Rich is the Wanderer’ (2025).
Time: 7.45 - 11PM
Standard £18 / Vortex Members £14 / Students & UC beneficiaries £12
Crow Culture [Downstairs]
Crow Culture are a trio made up of guitarists James Kitchman and Tara Cunningham, and drummer Will Glaser.
Time: 6.45 - 8.30PM
Standard £12.50 / Vortex Members £6.25
Queer Jazz: B.H.A.M. w/Abi Asisa (Support)
Queer Jazz exists to platform, nurture and celebrate the emerging queer jazz scene. Programmed by Tina Edwards and Arowah, they have put together an exciting monthly programme of innovative LGBTQI+ artists at The Vortex Jazz Club, supported by Arts Council England.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £15 / 2nd Tier £10 / 1st Tier £8 / Musicians or Low Wage £5
Costley-White/Barford/Ireland/Michel [Downstairs]
This collaborative quartet features four of the most highly regarded jazz improvisers in Europe, specially brought together for this unique London Jazz Festival performance.
Time: 6.45 - 8.30PM
Standard £12.50 / Vortex Members £6.25
Sam Newbould Quintet
Yorkshire-born Sam Newbould leads an award winning five piece international line-up emerging from the vibrant Amsterdam jazz scene. Hot on the heels of a successful Scotland tour in April 2025, the band are returning to the UK to premiere brand new music for their upcoming fourth album.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £18 / Vortex Members £16 / Students & UC beneficiaries £14
Gary Crosby’s Africa Space Programme
A preeminent figure on the British jazz scene for the last five decades, bassist, bandleader and Co-Founder of Tomorrow’s Warriors, Gary Crosby OBE brings his new project, Africa Space Programme, to Vortex as part of this year’s EFG London Jazz Festival.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £23 / Vortex Members £20 / Students & UC beneficiaries £20
Nikki Yeoh’s Infinitum
Nikki Yeoh’s Infinitum is a long-standing jazz trio project featuring Yeoh on piano alongside brothers Michael (bass) and Mark Mondesir (drums). Tonight’s special appearance at the EFG London Jazz Festival promises to be a night of fire.
Time: 7 - 9.15PM
Standard £25 / Vortex Members £22 / Students & UC beneficiaries £20
Hitchcock/Cohen/Heath-Ngugi/McCarthy (Downstairs)
Alex Hitchcock is a London-born saxophonist, composer, arranger, and producer based in New York. He leads a group formed especially for this London Jazz Festival performance.
Time: 10.30 - 12AM
Standard £12.50 / Vortex Members £6.25
Vortex Jam Session with Riley Stone-Lonergan
A weekly session on Sunday evenings, the jams will be hosted by some of London’s finest: drummer Jas Kayser, pianist Rick Simpson, guitarist Nick Costley-White, trumpeter Sean Gibbs and tenor saxophonists Harben Kay and Riley Stone-Lonergan (+ sometimes a few guest leaders) each one hosting one session on rotation.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £6 / Free entry for Vortex members & participating musicians
Midweek Downstairs Jam
Welcoming and relaxed, come for a drink, sit back and enjoy the music, or bring your horns, sticks and strings to join in during the second set. First set from…
ENEMY (Downes / Eldh / Maddren)
ENEMY is the technicolor Berlin/London based piano trio featuring pianist Kit Downes, bassist Petter Eldh and drummer James Maddren.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £20 / Vortex Members £18 / Students & UC beneficiaries £16
Matt Cook Quintet
Matt Cook is an award-winning tenor saxophonist from London that has been described in JazzJournal Magazine as ‘Spectacular’ as well as likened to maestro saxophonists such as Wayne Shorter (London Jazz News 2020) and Mark Turner (Marlbank 2024).
Time: 6.45 - 8.30PM
Standard £12.50 / Vortex Members £6.25 / Students & UC beneficiaries £5
Orchard
Orchard return to the Vortex Jazz Club to release their new single, and celebrate the exciting musical journey that their next EP will bring.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £15 / Vortex Members £7.5 / Students & UC beneficiaries £6.25
Forbes/Allsopp/Edwards
Drummer Shaney Forbes is the co-leader of the extraordinary multi award winning quartet/collective ‘Empirical’. Shane has a driving style that is full of textures and cultural influences from all over the world.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £18 / Vortex Members £16 / Students & UC beneficiaries £14
vortex collective presents: future standards & downstairs jam
Join a collective of musicians who met through the Vortex jazz club in imagining future standards.
Time: 2.30 - 7.30PM
Free Entry
Jazz Africa – Basil Hodge
Jazz Africa returns to The Vortex after a sell-out debut at the club earlier in the year. This all-star band, led by keyboardist Basil Hodge, will perform a range of music from Africa.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £18 / Vortex Members £16 / Students & UC beneficiaries £14
Amigos Del Groove
come join us downstairs @The Vortex starting 10pm till 2am. tix £6 at the door only. As usual expect a cozy dancefloor, records only, house party vibes, and an inclusive space open to everyone who wants to boogie.
Time: 10 - 2AM
£6 - on the door only (no presale)
Vortex Jam Session
A weekly session on Sunday evenings, the jams will be hosted by some of London’s finest: drummer Jas Kayser, pianist Rick Simpson, guitarist Nick Costley-White, trumpeter Sean Gibbs and tenor saxophonists Harben Kay and Riley Stone-Lonergan (+ sometimes a few guest leaders) each one hosting one session on rotation.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £6 / Free entry for Vortex members & participating musicians
Ches Smith Clone Row (1st Show)
Four renowned composer-improvisers tangle with Ches Smith’s newest compositions. Two highly individualistic guitarists swirl, echo and double-take, squaring off with a bass and drums team that anchors and unhinges through doubling sounds.
Time: 7.30 - 9PM
Standard £23 / Vortex Members £21 / Students & UC beneficiaries £21
Ches Smith Clone Row (2nd Show)
Four renowned composer-improvisers tangle with Ches Smith’s newest compositions. Two highly individualistic guitarists swirl, echo and double-take, squaring off with a bass and drums team that anchors and unhinges through doubling sounds.
Time: 9.30 - 11PM
Standard £23 / Vortex Members £21 / Students & UC beneficiaries £21
Inês Loubet Band
Inês Loubet is a Portuguese singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer blending Latin-jazz, Tropicália, and soulful grooves into her signature sound. Her debut album, Senga (2024), released on Albert’s Favourites, has earned critical acclaim for its heartfelt storytelling and Brazilian-inspired rhythms, with tracks championed by Chris Philips and Yolanda Brown on Jazz FM, Cerys Matthews, Craig Charles, and Huey Morgan on BBC Radio 6, and Gilles Peterson on Worldwide FM.
Time: 6.45 - 8.30PM
Standard £12.50 / Vortex Members £6.25 / Students & UC beneficiaries £5
Houndsbleat
Houndsbleat is the latest project from the imagination of pianist/composer Olly Chalk. Here, kaleidoscopic grooves, twisting contrapuntal melodies and ferocious group interplay wind their way through a series of new musical labyrinths.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £15 / Vortex Members £7.5 / Students & UC beneficiaries £6.25
Grifton Forbes-Amos
Doors 7:45 PM, Music 8:30 PM – 2 set(s) of music Line-up: Grifton Forbes-Amos – Trumpet James Akers – Tenor saxophone Luke Bacchus – Piano Nathan Dawkins – Bass…
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £17.50 / Vortex Members £15 / Students & UC beneficiaries £12.5
Local & Live in Hackney Presents: Regen Sound (Downstairs)
Join us for an explosive evening of rhythm, soul, and cross-continental groove with Regen Sound, a dynamic collective whose music journeys across Sub-Saharan Africa through ancestral songs and infectious contemporary fusion.
Time: 5.30 - 8PM
Standard £5
Levy/Robson International Quartet
This musical partnership was formed in New York City in 2017 between the highly acclaimed US saxophonist Jed Levy (Jaki Byard, Jack McDuff/, Mike Clark, Tom Harrell etc) and multi-award-winning UK born guitarist Phil Robson (Mark Turner, David Liebman, Billy Hart, Partisans, etc), who was living in NYC at the time.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £17.50 / Vortex Members £15 / Students & UC beneficiaries £12.5
Vortex Lates: Karl Bos
Karl Bos soundtracks a late-night jazz dance downstairs at The Vortex.
The DJ, curator and broadcaster runs jazz-ish East London live night Deeper Cuts, and hosts a long-running Soho Radio show of the same name.
Time: 10 - 2AM
Advance £5 / On The Door £7
Vortex Jam Session
A weekly session on Sunday evenings, the jams will be hosted by some of London’s finest: drummer Jas Kayser, pianist Rick Simpson, guitarist Nick Costley-White, trumpeter Sean Gibbs and tenor saxophonists Harben Kay and Riley Stone-Lonergan (+ sometimes a few guest leaders) each one hosting one session on rotation.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £6 / Free entry for Vortex members & participating musicians
Midweek Downstairs Jam
Welcoming and relaxed, come for a drink, sit back and enjoy the music, or bring your horns, sticks and strings to join in during the second set. First set from…
SAROST Trio – Larry Stabbins, Paul Rogers, Mark Sanders
Sarost is a trio comprising Mark Sanders Percussion, Paul Rogers Custom 7 String Bass and Larry Stabbins Saxophones, Bass Clarinet and Flutes.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £18 / Vortex Members £16 / Students & UC beneficiaries £14
Haffner/Fink Quintet
The Haffner/Fink Quintet will be bringing exciting original music written by Donovan and Laurel.
Time: 6.45 - 8.30PM
Standard £12.50 / Vortex Members £6.25
Johanna Burnheart
London-based German violinist and singer Johanna Burnheart carves her own niche with a distinctive blend of modal jazz and electronic soundscapes. Deeply influenced by the Berlin techno and house scene as well as modal jazz, Johanna’s music exists at the point where improvisation meets hypnotic rhythm.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £15 / Vortex Members £7.5 / Students & UC beneficiaries £6.25
Oscar Lyons Quartet
Lyons is currently studying at the Royal Academy of Music and is working with some of the most innovative musicians on the scene. He leads an outstanding quartet, including saxophonist George Johnson, drummer Ananda Brandão and bassist Zaki Osahn.
Time: 6.45 - 8.30PM
Standard £12.50 / Vortex Members £6.25 / Students & UC beneficiaries £5
It’s In The Sea
First gig of Pete Wareham’s new band.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £18 / Vortex Members £16 / Students & UC beneficiaries £14
Mike De Souza Quintet – EP Launch: Schism
Schism represents the next stage in De Souza’s development as a composer and guitarist, showcasing a group whose long-term collaboration allows for both precision and openness.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £15 / Vortex Members £7.5 / Students & UC beneficiaries £6.25
Eddie Prevost, Binker Golding, Olie Brice – trio
Expect an evening of improvised music from a trio made up of three of the U.K’s most interesting improvisors.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £17.50 / Vortex Members £15 / Students & UC beneficiaries £12.5
Vortex Jam Session
A weekly session on Sunday evenings, the jams will be hosted by some of London’s finest: drummer Jas Kayser, pianist Rick Simpson, guitarist Nick Costley-White, trumpeter Sean Gibbs and tenor saxophonists Harben Kay and Riley Stone-Lonergan (+ sometimes a few guest leaders) each one hosting one session on rotation.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £6 / Free entry for Vortex members & participating musicians
Julian Siegel Quartet
With the Julian Siegel Quartet, the BBC Jazz Award winning saxophonist and composer Julian Siegel can be heard alongside some of this generation’s most distinctive voices, creating an in-demand Quartet on the UK and European Jazz scene.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £15 / Vortex Members £12.5 / Students & UC beneficiaries £10
Midweek Downstairs Jam
Welcoming and relaxed, come for a drink, sit back and enjoy the music, or bring your horns, sticks and strings to join in during the second set. First set from…
REMEMBERING DEREK: THURSTON MOORE & MARK WASTELL
Commemorating the twentieth anniversary of Derek Bailey’s passing, Thurston Moore and Mark Wastell pay homage to Derek’s memory, especially his celebrated guitar/percussion duos with fellow travellers John Stevens, Tony Oxley and Han Bennink.
Time: 6.30 - 8.30PM
Standard £15 / Vortex Members £7.5 / Students & UC beneficiaries £6.25
Queer Jazz: Christmas Party Jam
Queer jazz will be finishing the year in style with a special Christmas Party Jam to celebrate a very queer year!
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £10 / 1st Tier £8 / Musicians, Students & UC beneficiaries £5
Percy Pursglove with the Trinity Laban Jazz Orchestra conducted by Calum Gourlay (1st Show)
The Trinity Laban Jazz Orchestra conducted by Calum Gourlay returns to the Vortex with the extraordinary boundary-pushing improviser and exuberant large-scale composer Percy Pursglove, in a UK premiere of his latest ensemble work, originally commissioned by the Hamburg-based NDR big band.
Time: 7.30 - 9PM
Standard £18 / Vortex Members £16 / Students & UC beneficiaries £14
Percy Pursglove with the Trinity Laban Jazz Orchestra conducted by Calum Gourlay (2nd Show)
The Trinity Laban Jazz Orchestra conducted by Calum Gourlay returns to the Vortex with the extraordinary boundary-pushing improviser and exuberant large-scale composer Percy Pursglove, in a UK premiere of his latest ensemble work, originally commissioned by the Hamburg-based NDR big band.
Time: 9.30 - 11PM
Standard £18 / Vortex Members £16 / Students & UC beneficiaries £14
An evening with Marlon the Pannist
Marlon the Pannist is a multi-award-winning steelpan musician, arranger, and educator from South East London. A three-time UK Pan Clash Champion Soloist (2018, 2019, 2021), Marlon is recognised as one of the UK’s leading voices in contemporary steelpan performance.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £17.50 / Vortex Members £15 / Students & UC beneficiaries £12.5
Annie Whitehead New 5tet
Trombonist Annie Whitehead is a key part of the UK jazz scene having worked with Chris McGregor’s Brotherhood of Breath, John Stevens, Dudu Pukwana, Evan Parker, Paul Dunmall Octet and more.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £17.50 / Vortex Members £15 / Students & UC beneficiaries £12.5
Vortex Jam Session
A weekly session on Sunday evenings, the jams will be hosted by some of London’s finest: drummer Jas Kayser, pianist Rick Simpson, guitarist Nick Costley-White, trumpeter Sean Gibbs and tenor saxophonists Harben Kay and Riley Stone-Lonergan (+ sometimes a few guest leaders) each one hosting one session on rotation.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £6 / Free entry for Vortex members & participating musicians
Ethan Iverson
Pianist, composer, and writer Ethan Iverson was a founding member of The Bad Plus, a game-changing collective with Reid Anderson and David King. The New York Times called TBP “Better than anyone at melding the sensibilities of post-60’s jazz and indie rock.”
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £17.50 / Vortex Members £15 / Students & UC beneficiaries £12.5
John Etheridge and Blue Spirits
The sensational vocalist Vimala Rowe joins guitar legend John Etheridge’s Blue Spirits (Pete Whittaker (organ) and George Double(drums) for a post Christmas treat of jazz, blues and global music.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £19 / Vortex Members £17 / Students & UC beneficiaries £15
Procrastinators – New Year’s Party
Bringing in the New Year a day late has become a tradition at the Vortex since 2009. A welcome relief from the hustle and stress of most NYE parties – this one just wants you to relax, enjoy the music and ease yourself into the New Year with good company and normal prices!
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £17 / Vortex Members £14 / Students & UC beneficiaries £10
Louis Wildi Trio & Gaz Fowler
The trio blend musical influences from their personal heroes, whilst exploring an expansive sound that stretches the boundaries of the traditional trio format with original compositions and creative arrangements.
Time: 6.45 - 8.30PM
Standard £12.50 / Vortex Members £6.25 / Students & UC beneficiaries £5
Cellicious!
Join this cellicious ride with cellist/jazz singers Kate Shortt and Rupert Gillett as they join forces to express their take on the world of standards, Latin, originals plus more.
Time: 6.15 - 8PM
Standard £12.50 / Vortex Members £6.25 / Students & UC beneficiaries £5