Guildhall Jazz Showcase (Upstairs & Downstairs) – Day 1
An afternoon and evening showcase of bands from the Guildhall Jazz Department led by tutors including Tony Kofi, Fini Bearman, Larry Bartley, Ivo Neame, Winston Clifford, Mark Lockheart, Tom Farmer, Kate Williams, Robert Mitchell, Steve Fishwick, Oli Rockberger and more!
Time: 2.45 - 9PM
Standard £10 / Vortex Members £5 / Students & UC beneficiaries £5
Guildhall Jazz Showcase (Upstairs & Downstairs) – Day 2
An afternoon and evening showcase of bands from the Guildhall Jazz Department led by tutors including Tony Kofi, Fini Bearman, Larry Bartley, Ivo Neame, Winston Clifford, Mark Lockheart, Tom Farmer, Kate Williams, Robert Mitchell, Steve Fishwick, Oli Rockberger and more!
Time: 2.45 - 7.30PM
Standard £10 / Vortex Members £5 / Students & UC beneficiaries £5
The Aidan Pope Octet
Guitarist Aidan Pope, winner of the 2025 Roma International Jazz Contest, brings his octet to the Vortex to perform his suite ‘In Between Lands’.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £15 / Vortex Members £7.5 / Students & UC beneficiaries £6.25
Stef Joosten trio ft. Ivo Neame
Doors 6:45 PM, Music 7:30 PM – 1 set of music Line-up: Stef Joosten – Bass guitar Ivo Neame – Piano Finn Genockey – Drum kit About: Stef…
Time: 6.45 - 8.30PM
Standard £12.50 / Vortex Members £6.25 / Students & UC beneficiaries £5
Raw Fish / Moonfish (Double Bill)
Double Bill: MOONFISH, the collaborative project of critically acclaimed Maria Chiara Argirò and Riccardo Chiaberta, merges electronic beats and alternative rock with jazz improvisation + Raw Fish, avant garde electronic music blends with jazz and indie music, in a rough-edged sonic blast from Teis Semey and Giovanni Iacovella.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £16.50 / Vortex Members £8.5 / Students & UC beneficiaries £7.5
Kris Davis Massive Threads Trio (2 Shows)
Kris Davis is a Grammy award-winning pianist and composer described by The New York Times as a beacon for “deciding where to hear jazz on a given night.”
Time: 6.30 - 10.30PM
Standard £25 / Vortex Members £22 / Students & UC beneficiaries £20
Eavesdropping Festival (Session One)
eavesdropping festival returns for a two-day forum on ‘Cultivating Courage: risk-takers and trouble-makers’.
Time: 10.45 - 1PM
Standard £10 / Vortex Members £5 / Students & UC beneficiaries £5 (Discounted day passes available)
Eavesdropping Festival (Session Two)
eavesdropping festival returns for a two-day forum on ‘Cultivating Courage: risk-takers and trouble-makers’.
Time: 1.45 - 5PM
Standard £10 / Vortex Members £5 / Students & UC beneficiaries £5 (Discounted day passes available)
Gary Crosby Quintet: Miles in the Sky
Bassist, band leader and Co-Founder of Tomorrow’s Warriors, Gary Crosby OBE leads his quintet in a celebration of the life, music, and impact of one of the most iconic jazz innovators of all time, Miles Davis.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £22 / Vortex Members £19 / Students & UC beneficiaries £19
Eavesdropping Festival (Session Three)
eavesdropping festival returns for a two-day forum on ‘Cultivating Courage: risk-takers and trouble-makers’.
Time: 10.45 - 1.45PM
Standard £10 / Vortex Members £5 / Students & UC beneficiaries £5 (Discounted day passes available)
Eavesdropping Festival (Session Four)
eavesdropping festival returns for a two-day forum on ‘Cultivating Courage: risk-takers and trouble-makers’.
Time: 1.45 - 5PM
Standard £10 / Vortex Members £5 / Students & UC beneficiaries £5 (Discounted day passes available)
Vortex Jam Session with Olly Chalk
A weekly session on Sunday evenings, hosted by London’s finest – members and participating musicians are welcome to these sessions free of charge.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £6 / Free entry for Vortex members & participating musicians
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.
Time: 7 - 10.30PM
Free entry
Guildhall School of Music & Drama Songwriters
A one-off night hosted by Fini Bearman & Guildhall School, showcasing songwriters from the Jazz Department presenting their original songs.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £15 / Vortex Members £7.5 / Students & UC beneficiaries £6.25
Alex Dmochowski Quintet
Influenced by music from the jazz diaspora across the globe, the Alex Dmochowski Quintet bring together new traditions and old.
Time: 6.45 - 8.30PM
Standard £12.50 / Vortex Members £6.25 / Students & UC beneficiaries £5
Emile Hinton – Debut Album Launch
Join Emile and his trio for a special album release show, performing the debut album in full alongside new original music.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £15 / Vortex Members £7.5 / Students & UC beneficiaries £6.25
Whirlpool: Barney Anderson
Whirlpool is the Vortex’s monthly series involving some of the finest new graduates out of the London conservatoires, selected specially by the jazz course heads. This is the third annual cohort.
Time: 6.45 - 8.30PM
Standard £10 / Vortex Members £5 / Students & UC beneficiaries £5
Finn Genockey Quartet
Drummer and composer Finn Genockey returns to the Vortex Jazz Club with his quartet for a special evening of original music drawn from his acclaimed debut album Tacet Trust (Fresh Sound New Talent, 2025) alongside new material written for the band.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £15 / Vortex Members £7.5 / Students & UC beneficiaries £6.25
Steve Noble / Gabriel Bristow / Alan Wilkinson
Two duos presented by drummer and improviser Steve Noble, featuring trumpeter Gabriel Bristow and saxophonist Alan Wilkinson.
Time: 6.45 - 8.30PM
Standard £12.50 / Vortex Members £6.25 / Students & UC beneficiaries £5
Deschanel Gordon and Friends
Deschanel Gordon, the 2020 BBC Young Jazz Musician winner will will be playing originals from each of the band members who all play with Olivia Dean.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £17.50 / Vortex Members £15 / Students & UC beneficiaries £12.5
Jean Toussaint (2 Shows)
Saxophonist Jean Toussaint presents a special concert with different line-ups across one night.
Time: 6.30 - 10.30PM
Standard £20 / Vortex Members £18 / Students & UC beneficiaries £16
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 Session with Sean Gibbs
A weekly session on Sunday evenings, hosted by London’s finest – members and participating musicians are welcome to these sessions free of charge.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £6 / Free entry for Vortex members & participating musicians
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.
Time: 7 - 10.30PM
Free entry
Sam Glaser Quintet
Sam returns to the vortex with his own project for the first time in several years for what promises to be an exciting debut of new original music, with a quintet that features some of the most in-demand musicians in the UK and Europe.
Time: 6.45 - 8.30PM
Standard £12.50 / Vortex Members £6.25 / Students & UC beneficiaries £5
Ankora
‘Ankora’ is a London based, eight-piece ensemble. Meeting at the hailed music organisation ‘Tomorrow’s Warriors’, these ambitious young musicians were previously selected to perform as the band ‘Tomorrow’s Warriors Frontline’, under the tutelage of acclaimed drummer and composer, Romarna Campbell.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £15 / Vortex Members £7.5 / Students & UC beneficiaries £6.25
Huw Warren: Tribute to Hermeto Pascoal
A special and unique project led by Huw Warren to celebrate the life and music of Hermeto Pascoal: a huge influence on several generations of UK musicians and Warren has been closely associated with his music, recording his compositions with Iain Ballamy and Dudley Phillips.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £17.50 / Vortex Members £15 / Students & UC beneficiaries £12.5
Downstairs Living Room: Elliot Galvin & Rebecka Edlund
For the first time, the bold soundscapes of pioneering improvisers Elliot Galvin & Rebecka Edlund come together in a duo setting.
Time: 6.45 - 8.30PM
Standard £12.50 / Vortex Members £6.25 / Students & UC beneficiaries £5
Brass Mask
For this concert, Brass Mask convene to celebrate the release of a new LP, CYGNUS. The intensity and directness, focus on melody, bass lines and textures that were hallmarks of Brass Mask’s previous releases.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £19 / Vortex Members £17 / Students & UC beneficiaries £15
Leon Foster Thomas Group
A gifted international jazz musician and steel pan virtuoso from Trinidad & Tobago. His music is a blend of his Caribbean roots with the harmonic and improvisational complexities of jazz, creating a lively and eclectic meld all his own.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £18 / Vortex Members £16 / Students & UC beneficiaries £14
Amigos Del Groove
amigxs, get ready for another night of carefree dancing in the heart of Dalston. Come join us downstairs, starting 9:30pm till 2am. tix £6 at the door only.
Time: 9.30 - 2.30AM
Standard £6 On The Door
London Jazz Orchestra Vortex Sessions – “Old Bottles, New Wine”
A fun way to celebrate Easter Day! Not the famous Gil Evans album, but our own versions of jazz standards and great tunes in original arrangements by members of the band past and present.
Time: 3.30 - 6PM
Standard £12.50 / Vortex Members £10 / Students & UC beneficiaries £8
Vortex Jam Session
A weekly session on Sunday evenings, hosted London’s finest – members and musicians go free!
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £6 / Free entry for Vortex members & participating musicians
Chris Abrahams & Mark Wastell
Doors 6:45 PM, Music 7:15 PM – 1 set(s) of music Line-up: Chris Abrahams – Piano Mark Wastell – Percussion About: Sydney-based piano maestro, Chris Abrahams (The Necks),…
Time: 6.45 - 8.30PM
Standard £15 / Vortex Members £12 / Students & UC beneficiaries £10
Veryan Weston – TESSELLATIONS VI + Sylvia Hallett & Hannah Marshall (duo)
Doors 7:45 PM, Music 8:30 PM About: Hannah Marshall carves pathways into noise and micro-tonality, as well as standard harmonic aspects of the ‘Cello, where melody, texture, rhythm & tonality…
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £15 / Vortex Members £7.5 / Students & UC beneficiaries £6.25
The Exu
Named after a Jean-Michel Basquiat painting and inspired by the artists multi-faceted stylistic approach – known for its raw, expressive, and dynamic qualities, blending street art with neo-expressionism to create bold, thought-provoking work.
Time: 6.45 - 8.30PM
Standard £12.50 / Vortex Members £6.25 / Students & UC beneficiaries £5
Steve Beresford / Pierpaolo Martino / Mark Sanders
Steve Beresford, Pierpaolo Martino and Mark Sanders come together as a dynamic trio exploring the edges of modern improvisation. Each musician brings a distinct and highly developed voice.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £15 / Vortex Members £7.5 / Students & UC beneficiaries £6.25
Sylvie + Ursula – ‘New Eve’ Album Launch
Combining raucous improvisation, deep grooves, and humourous interplay, New Eve provides a stripped down and deeply nostalgic glimpse into the human condition.
Time: 6.45 - 8.30PM
Standard £12.50 / Vortex Members £6.25 / Students & UC beneficiaries £5
James Kitchman
Guitarist James Kitchman brings dynamic, enthralling Contemporary Jazz music with a unique dark lustre.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £16.50 / Vortex Members £8.5 / Students & UC beneficiaries £7.5
Dalston Song Club: Wounded Bear
Our monthly series brings together some of the most prominent voices in contemporary songwriting, hosted by Matthew Herd. April sees the return of the amazing Wounded Bear, who is currently working on their new album.
Time: 6.45 - 8.30PM
Standard £12.50 / Vortex Members £6.25 / Students & UC beneficiaries £5
Larry Bartley/Bruno Heinen/Winston Clifford
Playing a mixture of original compositions written by each member of the trio.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £17.50 / Vortex Members £15 / Students & UC beneficiaries £12.5
Annie Whitehead New 5tet
As part of the UK jazz scene Annie has worked with Chris McGregor’s Brotherhood of Breath, John Stevens, Dudu Pukwana, Evan Parker, Paul Dunmall Octet (featuring Keith Tippett and Tony Levin) and Elton Dean’s Newsense.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £18 / Vortex Members £16 / Students & UC beneficiaries £14
Let Spin Album Launch: I Am Alien
Let Spin are a cutting edge post-jazz quartet comprised of players at the forefront of the vibrant UK contemporary music scene. Their incendiary live shows conjure a mean mix of musical styles with a focus on improvisation for exploring new ground.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £17 / Vortex Members £15 / Students & UC beneficiaries £13
Olivia Cuttill Quintet
Olivia Cuttill, Leeds Conservatoire graduate, APPAG Martin Hummel Award Winner, APPG Best Newcomer Nominee, Presti Music’a Newcomer Of The Year, Peter Whitingham 2024 Award Winner is a London based jazz trumpet player and composer.
Time: 6.45 - 8.30PM
Standard £12.50 / Vortex Members £6.25 / Students & UC beneficiaries £5
Miguel Gorodi / Sam Braysher Quartet
After several years pursuing other projects, the quartet co-led by Miguel Gorodi and Sam Braysher reunites for a rare performance exploring the art of the contrafact.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £15 / Vortex Members £7.5 / Students & UC beneficiaries £6.25
Tom Niblock Big Band
Award winning composer Tom Niblock returns to the Vortex with his big band featuring many young stars and more established names of the London Jazz scene and beyond.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £17.50 / Vortex Members £15 / Students & UC beneficiaries £12.5
Allsopp/Jurd/Storey/Thormodsæter
A second outing for this new collaboration between Laura Jurd, James Allsopp and Dave Storey featuring Norwegian special guest Magne Thormodsæter on double bass. The band will be performing compositions by all the members.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £18 / Vortex Members £16 / Students & UC beneficiaries £14
Reiss Ellis Beckles Quartet Featuring David Berkman
Reiss Ellis Beckles will be taking to the bandstand with a new outfit at the Vortex Jazz Club featuring David Berkman.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £20 / Vortex Members £18 / Students & UC beneficiaries £16
King Rastafari Son presents Ruben Affair – Earthstrong Celebration!
Expect a powerful soundtrack throughout the night from Bobby Wrongside and Xeeroy, bringing the best in Roots, Culture, Dancehall and Revival.
Time: 9 - 2AM
£5 Early Bird / £7 Standard / £10 On The Door
Dennis Rollins Velocity Trio
For 25 years trombonist Dennis Rollins has played at the forefront of the UK jazz, funk and pop as an ‘impossibly’ virtuosic’ sideman to such stars such as Maceo Parker, Courtney Pine and as an award-winning leader in his own right.
Time: 7.45 - 10.30PM
Standard £19 / Vortex Members £17 / Students & UC beneficiaries £15