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EFG London Jazz Festival 2019 Elements Series Revealed

The 2019 EFG London Jazz Festival was launched last night at a special event in Mayfair.

Hosted by Edwardian Hotels, the Festival's official hotel partner, at The May Fair Hotel, the party showcased live music from several festival artists, and was compered by Soweto Kinch.

Speakers included John Williamson (Chair, EFG International), Simon Mellor (Deputy Chief Executive, Arts & Culture, Arts Council England), James Purnell (Director for Radio & Education, BBC Performance); and Claire Whitaker OBE, Director, Serious and EFG London Jazz Festival

There were three astounding performances by Festival artists; vocalist, violinist, songwriter Alice Zawadzki & BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist Misha Mullov-Abbado, South African cellist Abel Selaocoe, and a unique collaboration between former world champion beatboxer Bellatrix & Soweto Kinch

EFG is proud to have partnered with the London Jazz Festival for over a decade and for 2019 have joined forces with Serious to launch the inaugural EFG Elements Series. The shows epitomise the boundless creativity and rich variety that the Festival offers and blends some of the best jazz traditions with innovative new collaborations, performed by a range of both established and emerging artists.

John Williamson, Chair, EFG International
said ‘with an international portfolio of jazz sponsorships, at EFG we continue to celebrate and aspire to share the qualities and values which make jazz such an exceptional art form. Together with Serious we are equally committed to supporting the new generation of emerging talent and the creation of new music, as well as bringing the music to new audiences. This year, EFG and Serious have collaborated to create the EFG Elements Series, an outstanding and eclectic collection of shows with broad appeal, chosen to reflect some of the core components of the programming. We hope you will enjoy!'

Claire Whitaker OBE
, said 'The EFG Element Series represents the exceptional breadth and diversity of contemporary jazz, we are delighted to have such incredible artists in is year’s Festival' 

The selected shows for this inaugural EFG Elements Series are: 

JAZZ VOICE – OPENING GALA

Friday 15 November | Royal Festival Hall

An unmissable line-up this year to the opening concert; Guy Barker and the EFG London Jazz Festival Orchestra create the setting for Cécile McLorin Salvant, Cherise Adams-Burnett, Corinne Bailey Rae, Judi Jackson, Matthew Whitaker, Raul Midón, Urban Flames.

CÉCILE McLORIN SALVANT & SULLIVAN FORTNER + ANDREW McCORMACK & JASON YARDE

Saturday 16 November | Barbican

The incredible vocal artistry and magnetic onstage persona of the Grammy Award winning Cécile McLorin Salvant performing her newest release The Window, with pianist Sullivan Fortner. The McCormack & Yarde Duo will be opening the show.

CHRISTIAN SANDS + CAMILLA GEORGE

Tuesday 19 November | Cadogan Hall

One of the most in-demand pianists in jazz, recently appearing on records by Gregory Porter, Christian Sands is a force of nature with his technique, pace and fresh look at the entire language of jazz. Opening set from London-based saxophone player Camilla George (JazzJamaica, Tomorrow’s Warriors and one of Serious’ Take 5 alumni in 2018).

SCOTT BRADLEE’S POSTMODERN JUKEBOX

Wednesday 20 November | Royal Festival Hall

A special festival show from Postmodern Jukebox, the quirky musical collective deliver ‘a delicious reminder of an era in which jazz’s raison d’etre was to ensure that people had a damned good time’ (LondonJazz)

The EFG London Jazz Festival brings together musicians from across the planet and produces special series and new commissions, aiming to promote the love of jazz and reach as wide an audience as possible.

This inclusivity is reflected in the Festival’s digital marketing with #WeAreJazz, which allows festival-goers to follow news and share memories, promoting diversity and the engagement with jazz by the broadest of audiences.

Now in its 27th year it remains the capital’s largest city-wide festival, with over 2,000 artists including Jan Garbarek, Terri Lyne Carrington, Herbie Hancock, Art Ensemble of Chicago, Soweto Kinch, Gazelle Twin, Chrissie Hynde, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Eliane Elias, Corinne Bailey Rae, Chassol and Christian Scott in more than 350 performances in concert halls, clubs, at family events, free concerts, films and talks, in over 70 venues across London.

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