Words and Art
Since April 2020, Nicki Heinen has been organising monthly Words and Art online. Poetry from Nicki and special guests, with art created simultaneously by Aurelie Freoua. Here is some of […]
Sonia Slany
It was our good fortune at the Vortex, and mine too, to meet Sonia Slany, who died recently, initially through Paul Clarvis. A calming influence on the exuberant? Perhaps she […]
John Russell 1954-2021
Oliver Weindling pays tribute to John Russell For more than a decade, John Russell’s Mopomoso have been stalwarts of the Vortex. Curated on shoestring (as he frequently reminded one), every […]
Echo in the Bones; Review by Kevin Le Gendre
Echo In The Bones (composer: Renell Shaw, producer: Kathianne Hingwan) At the height of lockdown this summer, in the brave new world of zoom and remote recording, Renell Shaw’s […]
The Vortex Is Now Closed to the Public
Given the restrictions on music venues imposed as part of the new national lockdown, the Vortex will not be able to continue with live performances at the club in front […]
Culture Recovery Fund Outcome
The Vortex Jazz Club is both delighted and relieved to have been awarded a grant from the Culture Recovery Fund administered by the Arts Council England on behalf of the […]
Re-opening Vortex Risk Assessment for Live Performances Upstairs
New Vortex Jazz Club Limited Covid-19 Risk Assessment – Re-opening for live performances upstairs with an audience This Covid-19 risk assessment has been carried out in consultation with staff […]
Vortex jazz podcasts – interviews with promoters
We are happy to announce the start of Vortex podcasts. Oliver Weindling has informal conversations with people who organise and are involved behind the scenes in the jazz world. The […]
REVIEW: The Windrush Suite – Renell Shaw by AJ Dehany
Windrush Day marks the historic voyage of 492 West Indians on the HMT Empire Windrush arriving at the Port of Tilbury in Essex on 22 June 1948. It honours […]
Keith Tippett 1947-2020
Oliver Weindling writes: One of the great privileges of involvement at the Vortex is that one gets to know some of the great musicians. And Keith was no exception. Gigs […]
Donated: Two Poems by Penny Rimbaud
Little Notes on Crisis Karma Where darkness falls, are we to turn off the inner light and shuffle into sleep? Life cares only for itself, resolute and whole. Get out […]
Don Weller 1940-2020
Don Weller was one of a cohort of British saxophonists who were mainstays of the Vortex in its early days in the 1990s. Don, Alan Skidmore, Bobby Wellins as well […]
John Cumming 1948-2020
It is very sad to hear of the death of John Cumming. I first came across him during my earliest days on this scene, in the early 90s, having heard […]
The Windrush Suite
The Windrush Suite 22 June 2020 8PM Watch on Youtube or on our Facebook page Tip Jar In time to mark the occasion of National Windrush Day we present a new body […]
Jazz Connective in London – some thoughts
UPDATE: Alina Bzhezhinska HipHarp Collective streamed live on 10 December. With the final conference and showcase now streamed online, we are happy that there is a chance to hear Alina’s […]
Spotify Playlist – Music inspired by the Vortex
Check out the Vortex Jazz Club’s New Spotify Playlist here! We are currently living in unprecedented times, and in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, The Vortex Jazz Club had […]
Resonances 3 – improvising with our eyes, ears and minds
The creation of jazz/improvised music and art is similar. Both start with blank canvases , one aural and the other visual. Which they start to populate with sounds or images. […]
Vortex Merchandise
All proceeds go towards keeping this fantastic club going. T-shirts Artwork by Steve Byram 3 colours: White, Grey and Teal (£18) Available sizes: small, medium, large, x-large, xx-large Can […]
Names to watch for 2020
Jazzwise recently asked for names to watch out for for 2020. I picked Theo May, Petra Haller and Brian Marsella. But I have also checked with our various fans, volunteers […]
Brexit and Jazz Connective
As Brexit looms closer, it is a good moment to assess how the relationship between musicians across Europe, as shown from the UK perspective, have grown and become intertwined over […]