Our monthly series brings together some of the most prominent voices in contemporary songwriting, hosted by Matthew Herd. The incredible Lily Lyons joins us this month for a London Jazz Festival special.

Award-winning duo Alina Bzhezhinska (harp) and Tony Kofi (saxophone), joined by tabla virtuoso Yousuf Ali Khan, present After John, a celebration of the visionary music Alice Coltrane created following the passing of her husband and greatest musical collaborator, John Coltrane.

Following his sold-out appearances at the Vortex in 2022, legendary New York drummer Ari Hoenig returns with his acclaimed trio featuring Tom Ollendorff and Viktor Nyberg.

The LJO’s residency at the Vortex is a London jazz institution, producing great up-close-and-personal gigs since the club’s opening. Directed by Scott Stroman, today’s band is as vital as ever, featuring legendary soloists as well as exciting new talent. Their new Primetime album on Analogue/October records received rave reviews, and it will be follow by Between Earth and Sky later this season.

Crow Culture are a trio made up of guitarists James Kitchman and Tara Cunningham, and drummer Will Glaser.

Emilia Märtensson & Matt Robinson bring together lyrical songwriting, improvisation, and contemporary European jazz in music that is both intimate and expansive. Their long-standing musical partnership centres on a shared love of space, clarity, and expressive storytelling, creating performances that are immersive, spontaneous, and deeply connected.

For one night only, saxophonist and bandleader Reiss Ellis Beckles presents a live performance of Oliver Nelson’s iconic The Blues and the Abstract Truth.

Córas Trio reinvent the spontaneous. Deconstructed Irish traditional melodies emerge from blissful, otherworldly textures that foreground fiddle, guitar and percussion with transcendental electronics.

For the 2026 London Jazz Festival, the curators of The Downstairs Living Room warmly invite you to an evening of Joni Mitchell classics, paired with their own original songs.

Marking the 20th anniversary of avant-garde master György Ligeti’s passing, pianist Bruno Heinen—described by The Guardian as “eclectic, eccentric, and unobtrusively erudite”—brings a thrilling rhythmic experiment to The Vortex Jazz Club.

A weekly session on Sunday evenings, hosted by four of London’s finest: guitarist Nick Costley-White, Trumpeter Sean Gibbs, pianist Rick Simpson and tenor saxophonists and Riley Stone-Lonergan, each one hosting one session on rotation.