EFG London Jazz Festival

In late 2021 the historic Roundhouse Pub will for the first time play host to part of this year’s EFG London Jazz Festival. Drawing on legacy of the Village Blues Club which saw historic performances at the pub from Pink Floyd, Elton John, Fleetwood Mac and so many others, Barking and Dagenham Council is working with partners Serious to deliver a series of performances and workshops to celebrate our heritage of music, dance and performance on the Becontree Estate.

The EFG London Jazz Festival is the capital’s biggest pan-city music festival, which has long been acclaimed for showcasing a heady mix of talent from around the world to a massive audience, in one of UK’s landmark music events. Widely acknowledged for delivering world-class artists and championing the future generation of emerging stars, the Festival provides both a platform upon which young musicians can inspire, and in turn be inspired by, the depth and variety of the music around them.

Performances

Zara McFarlane + Hector Plimmer & Arun Ghosh, Friday 19 November, doors 6.30pm, £5 tickets. For more info click here.

Zara McFarlane is a multi-award-winning vocalist and songwriter with 4 critically acclaimed albums to her name. Zara has collaborated with musicians from a range of genres most notably South African legend Hugh Masekela, house music legend Lil’ Louie Vega and Jazz sensation Gregory Porter. Zara is signed to Gilles Peterson’s label Brownswood Recordings. Zara has also worked in the theatre with Royal Shakespeare Company and Glyndebourne and worked as a music educator at conservatories such as Guildhall School of Music and Drama and BIMM.

Courtney Pine: House of Legends + Rosie Turton, Sunday 21 November, doors 7pm, £5 tickets. For more info click here.

No musician more embodies the dramatic transformation in the British jazz scene over the past twenty + years than Courtney Pine. The ground-breaking multi-instrumentalist has led a generation of exciting and innovative players who have broadened their styles to take jazz out to a wider audience.

His critically acclaimed House of Legends project sees Courtney return to the instrument he is best known for – the saxophone and features his soprano sax exclusively for the first time. Deeply steeped in the traditions of the Caribbean, this very personal project sees Courtney on top form, bringing together musicians from Africa, the Caribbean and Europe for vibrant exchanges that tell tales of life from a truly multi-cultural viewpoint.

Expect an exhilarating mix of Merengue, Ska, Mento and Calypso as played through the lens (saxophone) of a UK born artist with strong, proud Afro-Caribbean roots.