Vortex Jam With Riley Stone-Lonergan
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.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £6 / Free entry for Vortex members & participating musicians
Coleman / Catchpole / Moore / Lash / Prévost
Focussing on the exuberance of art, using craft to search for, to briefly capture, and to express the sheer beauty and terror of being alive, Nathaniel Catchpole, Jamie Coleman, N O Moore, Dominic Lash and Eddie Prévost join forces.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £15 / Vortex Members £7.5 / Students & UC beneficiaries £6.25
Nishla Smith
Storytelling lies at the very heart of Nishla Smith’s music making, and since the release of her critically lauded debut album, the evolving circumstances of her own life have provided the inspiration for the stories that lie at the heart of this new collection.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £15 / Vortex Members £7.5 / Students & UC beneficiaries £6.25
Archie Kidd Quartet
Archie Kidd is a guitarist and composer from the North East of England, now based in London. His original music combines empathetic harmony with enticing melodic content, underlined by a distinctive compositional and improvisational voice.
Time: 6.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £12.50 / Vortex Members £6.25 / Students & UC beneficiaries £5
Shirley Smart Sextet
Shirley Smart’s Sextet draws on a background of 10 years living in Jerusalem and working with the overlapping worlds of jazz, Arabic, Turkish and North African music. Her music draws upon this rich tapestry of influences to create an evening of vibrant melodies, grooves, swing and lively improvisation.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £15 / Vortex Members £7.5 / Students & UC beneficiaries £6.25
Downstairs Living Room: Rebecka Edlund & Nat Philipps
Rebecka Edlund and Nat Philipps open this year’s first season of the Downstairs Living Room series exploring the sound of new beginnings. Inspired by songs of the folk and jazz worlds.
Time: 6.45 - 8.30PM
Standard £12.50 / Vortex Members £6.25 / Students & UC beneficiaries £5
Four Card Molly
The exciting and versatile drummer Will Cleasby’s subtle but powerful playing has been heard with a wide variety of high profile artists, including work alongside the likes of acclaimed US trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and Kurt Elling.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £17.50 / Vortex Members £15 / Students & UC beneficiaries £12.5
Orlando le Fleming Trio
“Outstanding” is an overused description but one that’s applied to bassist Orlando le Fleming so consistently that its justification can’t be denied. While living in New York he brought his inimitable personality to work on projects for the likes of Branford Marsalis, Joey Calderazzo, Antonio Sanchez and many others.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £19 / Vortex Members £17 / Students & UC beneficiaries £16
Mopomoso: International Free Improvised Music – January 2026
Mopomoso is the UK’s longest running concert series dedicated to freely improvised music!
Time: 2 - 5PM
Standard £12 / Vortex Members £8 / Students & UC beneficiaries £8
Vortex Jam With Sean Gibbs
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.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £6 / Free entry for Vortex members & participating musicians
James Davison & Misha Mullov-Abbado: “Moon Beans” Album Launch
Having been making music together in various forms for around 20 years, James and Misha have finally recorded their long-awaited trumpet-and-bass duo project, and for one night only they are launching their album “Moon Beans” here at the Vortex.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £15 / Vortex Members £7.5 / Students & UC beneficiaries £6.25
Reiss Ellis Beckles
Meet Reiss Ellis Beckles: a dynamic saxophonist, composer, and educator. Based in the bustling metropolis of London, Reiss epitomizes versatility and diversity, seamlessly traversing genres from jazz to pop to hip hop with finesse and flair.
Time: 6.45 - 8.30PM
Standard £12.50 / Vortex Members £6.25 / Students & UC beneficiaries £5
Happy Garden
Happy Garden is a nature-inspired, 6-piece nu-jazz band blending lush harmonies, organic grooves, and improvisational freedom. Drawing influence from the natural world, their sound fuses elements of Nu jazz, Afro Rhythms, and beautiful soundscapes to create immersive sonic landscapes.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £15 / Vortex Members £7.5 / Students & UC beneficiaries £6.25
Di-Cysgodion
Di-Cysgodion, led by Welsh bass player/composer HUW V WILLIAMS. The line up consists of Mike De Souza and Billy Marrows both on electric guitar, Jay Davis on drums and Huw V Williams completing the line up on electric bass.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £15 / Vortex Members £7.5 / Students & UC beneficiaries £6.25
Emma Rawicz Quartet
Emma Rawicz returns to the Vortex with an exciting new quartet, featuring some of the most exciting improvisers that Europe has to offer. The band is decidedly international, with heavyweights from across France, Denmark, and the UK, and draws on long term creative relationships as well as establishing a brand new band sound.
Time: 7.30 - 11PM
Standard £19 / Vortex Members £17 / Students & UC beneficiaries £15
Corrie Dick Impossible Things
At the rhythmic epicentre of innovative British jazz is Corrie Dick, a musician and composer specialising in euphoric, sonically-inventive drumming.
Time: 7.30 - 9PM
Standard £19 / Vortex Members £17 / Students & UC beneficiaries £15
Preview Screening: “Nathaniel Dye: Against The Odds”
Invitation only preview screening of “Nathaniel Dye: Against The Odds” – a short documentary by Cath Longbottom.
Time: 3.30 - 5PM
Invitation Only
Vortex Jam With Rick Simpson
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.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £6 / Free entry for Vortex members & participating musicians
Jeff Williams Quartet featuring Charlie Rees: An early salute to John Coltrane at 100
Acclaimed American drummer Jeff Williams, a London resident for two decades until recently, returns to the Vortex with his first project as a leader in the UK since moving abroad.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £17.50 / Vortex Members £15 / Students & UC beneficiaries £12.5
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…
Time: 7 - 10.30PM
FREE ENTRY
George Johnson Quartet
The George Johnson quartet is one of the most exciting up and coming talents in UK jazz. With Johnson leading the band on tenor saxophone and composing the bands music, they explore many different styles and navigate contrasting atmospheres throughout their sets.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £15 / Vortex Members £7.5 / Students & UC beneficiaries £6.25
Karim Saber – “Sundance” Album Launch
Karim Saber celebrates the release of his second album “Sundance”
“Sundance” is the second offering from Guitarist, Composer and Bandleader Karim Saber. Recorded in January 2025 it captures the creative period since the release of his debut album “Transmission”
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £15 / Vortex Members £7.5 / Students & UC beneficiaries £6.25
QOW Trio
Doors 7:45 PM, Music 8:30 PM – 2 set(s) of music Line-up: Riley Stone-Lonergan – Tenor saxophone Spike Wells – Drums Eddie Myer – Double bass About QOW…
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £17.50 / Vortex Members £15 / Students & UC beneficiaries £12.5
Henry Lowther’s Still Waters
Still Waters was born out a long association and friendship going back 40 years between Henry Lowther and Britain’s premiere bassist Dave Green.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £17.50 / Vortex Members £15 / Students & UC beneficiaries £12.5
London Jazz Orchestra Vortex Sessions
Doors 3:30 PM, Music 4:00 PM – 2 set(s) of music Details to be confirmed!
Time: 3.30 - 6PM
Standard £12.50 / Vortex Members £10 / Students & UC beneficiaries £8
Vortex Jam With Nick Costley-White
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.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £6 / Free entry for Vortex members & participating musicians
Sam Leak’s “Aquarium”: A New Chapter
After a decade-long hiatus, Aquarium return to the stage — the reunion of one of the most distinctive groups to emerge from the UK jazz scene in the last twenty years.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £16 / Vortex Members £8 / Students & UC beneficiaries £7
Fergus Quill Plays Xero Slingsby
Playing tribute to the Leeds alt-jazz pioneer of the 1980s, alto saxophonist Xero Slingsby (Matthew Coe), this performance will feature special guest Alan Wilkinson (from Xero’s band) playing Xero’s original saxophone.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £15 / Vortex Members £7.5 / Students & UC beneficiaries £6.25
The Downstairs Living Room presents Emma Taylor
The Downstairs Living room series presents jazz singer and songwriter Emma Taylor. She brings and intimate selection of tunes, drawing from her favourite songwriters in duo form with pianist and composer John Haslam.
Time: 6.45 - 8.30PM
Standard £12.50 / Vortex Members £6.25 / Students & UC beneficiaries £5
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
Vortex Jam With Riley Stone-Lonergan
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.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £6 / Free entry for Vortex members & participating musicians
Young Pilgrims
Jazz influenced, rock induced 9-piece brass band Young Pilgrims have found themselves drawing fans from across Europe and beyond with their intense live performances
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £17.50 / Vortex Members £15 / Students & UC beneficiaries £12.5
Fabienne Ambuehl Quartet
The Fabienne Ambuehl Quartet returns to the Vortex after their sold-out album launch at the club, celebrating the release of Thrive (2025). Expect an evening of poetic, lyrical jazz, where vivid rhythm and improvisation meet folk-inspired melodies.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £16.50 / Vortex Members £14 / Students & UC beneficiaries £12
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
Matt Anderson with Liam Noble and Tom Herbert
This new project takes as its starting point the music of Thelonious Monk, Bill Frisell and Paul Motian, exploring the intersection of these artists’ idiosyncratic styles and their take on American musical forms like jazz, blues and folk.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £15 / Vortex Members £7.5 / Students & UC beneficiaries £6.25
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
Sam Eastmond & the Composers Workshop Big Band
Doors 7:45 PM, Music 8:30 PM – 2 set(s) of music About Trumpeter, composer, and arranger Sam Eastmond is known for his large ensemble work with John Zorn, he is…
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £15 / Vortex Members £7.5 / Students & UC beneficiaries £6.25
London Jazz Orchestra – New Year Preview with Brigitte Beraha
London’s longest jazz residency kicks off its 35th year, as the LJO preview two new recordings to be released in 2025, featuring music by trumpet legend Henry Lowther and director Scott Stroman.
Time: 3.30 - 6PM
Standard £12.50 / Vortex Members £10 / Students & UC beneficiaries £8
Ed Jones Quartet
Award-winning saxophonist and composer Ed Jones returns to the quartet format that first established his presence on the UK jazz scene over 30 years ago.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £18 / Vortex Members £16 / Students & UC beneficiaries £14
Leo Richardson Quartet
Doors 7:45 PM, Music 8:30 PM – 2 set(s) of music Line-up: Leo Richardson – Saxophone Rick Simpson – Piano Dave Whitford – Double bass Joel Waters…
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £17.50 / Vortex Members £15 / Students & UC beneficiaries £12.5
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
Ian Shaw’s New Year’s Eve Bash
We are delighted to welcome back the multi-award winning Ian Shaw for his traditional New Year’s Eve performance.
John Etheridge and Blue Spirits
Beat the twixt Xmas/New Year blues with guitar legend John Etheridge and the Blue Spirits . Guaranteed to take you on soulful journey through Blues/Jazz and beyond encompassing all Etheridge’s well known eclecticism. Powered along by Pete Whittaker (organ) and George Double (drums).
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £19 / Vortex Members £17 / Students & UC beneficiaries £15
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
Fundraiser For Jamaica
Following Hurricane Melissa which hit the coast of Jamaica on the 28th October this year, the Vortex Jazz Club will be hosting a concert on the 23rd December raising funds those affected.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £20 + (please consider donating more for the appeal)
Vortex Jam With Nick Costley-White
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
Mopomoso International Free Improvised Music
Come and join the fun! It’s the Mopomoso Solstice Party!!!
a gig full of around 40 brilliant musicians, performing short 5 – 7 minute sets put together in new formations.
Time: 12 - 5PM
Standard £12.50 / Vortex Members £8 / Students & UC beneficiaries £8
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
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
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
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
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
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
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…
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
Vortex Jam With Rick Simpson
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
Discotheque Tropicale
Discotheque Tropicale is a collective, event series and record label created to celebrate and generate interest in a range of borderless music and culture from around the world.
Time: 10 - 2AM
Standard Advance £10 / On the Door £12
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 Lates: Heidi Vogel
“Vortex Lates” is a new series of events taking place in our downstairs bar from 10-1am every Friday or Saturday. A new late-night jazz hang for Dalston where you can grab a drink and listen to some of the best improvised musicians from around the city.
Time: 10 - 1AM
Standard £6 / Vortex Members £5
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