Doors 7:45 PM, Music 8:30 PM – 2 set(s) of music
Line-up:
Arowah – Bass
Jay Phelps – Trumpet
Romarna Campbell – Drums
Lorenz Okello-Osengor – Keyboards
Gary Washington – Cello
&
Abi Asisa – Cello
About
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.
Tickets are flexibly priced – please select the pricing tier that reflects your situation. We want as many people as possible to access the gigs so if you’re able to, please consider paying for the highest ticket band, otherwise cheaper tickets will be limited and available on first-come first-serve basis.
B.H.A.M.
Inspired by Robin D. G. Kelley’s book ‘Freedom Dreams’, B.H.A.M. tells the stories of forgotten freedom struggles. In an honouring of the ancestors, each composition pays tribute to a group who, in the spirit of Sankofa, we could learn lessons from today. Whether it’s the queens behind S.T.A.R. (Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries) building community and power for the unhoused queer youth, or the revolutionary workers of D.R.U.M. (Dodge Revolutionary Union Movement), they remind us that we are not free until all of us are free.
In the lineage of African and African American music traditions, B.H.A.M. is also an instrument for Healing Justice and community alchemising, the album representing a ritual opening with a prayer. Time becomes fluid and in dialogue with itself, looking to 1960s-70s for artistic and activist inspiration, but also offering a conversation on the present movement and the future we are building together.
They’ve drawn praise from jazz legends, being called a “soulful sonic mosaic” by Terri Lyne Carrington, “a brave artist” by Gary Crosby, and “a beautifully important album; it was a truly divine experience to listen to” by Angel Bat Dawid. They’ve been interviewed on Jazz FM, BBC and dublab, as well as making Jazz FM radio playlist and KEXP rotation.
Abi Asisa
ABI ASISA, a 23-year-old producer and cellist, challenges norms by leveraging her classical training to dissolve the distinctions between jazz, pop, and experimental music.
Hailing from Brighton, ASISA relocated to London when she was 19 years old and her exposure to the city’s jazz scene prompted her to break free from the insularity of the classical realm.
This led her to explore innovative ways of using her instrument to produce music influenced by artists such as Oliver Coates, Tirzah, and Eartheater.