Emma Rawicz [ACT/Gregor Hohenberg]

IT’S a perennial dilemma for any jazz writer in the capital – which of the many concerts that make up the city-wide mosaic of the EFG London Jazz Festival, which runs from November 10-19, to highlight? After all, jazz is now a broader church than ever before and encompasses plenty of areas outside my own personal taste and far-flung venues I have yet to venture out to (well, some are south of the river, so it’s understandable).
So, I asked a few friends of this column for their personal recommendations. Note that further information and tickets for all gigs can be found at: https://efglondonjazzfestival.org.uk

We’ll start with Danny Silverstone, blogger (https://mylifeinjazz.co.uk) and alto player of this parish (next gig for his Equinix Quartet: MAP Café Studios, Grafton Road, NW5, Nov 5 at 2pm). He is an admirer of young saxophonist Emma Rawicz, who has had a very good 2023, both live and on record (see the punchy, swooping Chroma, on ACT), and she has two slots at the EFG-LJF. One is supporting the innovative NY-based trumpeter Avishai Cohen – who must be tired of being confused with the bassist of the same name; luckily, they are both great musicians – at the Cadogan Hall on Nov 14. She also has a duo gig with the hugely talented (after all, Pat Metheny doesn’t pick just anybody to play with, and he scooped up this pianist) Gwilym Simcock at the Pizza Express Jazz Club Soho on Nov 17.

As her must-see Emma has suggested another Cadogan Hall show – Nikki Iles featuring the NDR Bigband on Nov 19. Niki is another fabulously accomplished pianist and composer and also has had a huge influence as an educator on dozens of young pianists on the scene. The NDR is a German radio big band famed for its ability to tackle any genre of jazz, from avant-garde to swing, with equal commitment. Niki has been a composer-in-residence for the NDR and the show will feature her A Love of Imperfect Things, which celebrates the spontaneous and the sometimes less-than-faultless aspects of improvised music (as in the old cliché: “Close enough for jazz”).

Emma is also part of an excellent band appearing with harpist Tara Minton at Crazy Coqs (at Brasserie Zedel near Piccadilly) on Nov 15, when they will be celebrating the sublime work of jazz harpist Dorothy Ashby, who played with Louis Armstrong, Freddie Hubbard, Bobby Womack, Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers, as well as recording eleven albums of her own. Tara’s top tip for the festival? “I am most looking forward to seeing Norwegian jazz trio, Maridalen at Spicejazz Soho [at Spice of Life pub] on Nov 14. I’ve seen them once before and am a huge fan of their last record. Whimsical, sensitive and nuanced music – I am transported and uplifted every time I hear them play.” Its an unusual line-up too – sax, trumpet, double bass – which makes a change from Scandi piano trios.

Pianist/arranger Alex Webb is part of several bands that play regularly across London. For the jazz festival he has a gig with Rwanda-born, Belgian-raised singer Ineza celebrating women’s songwriting – including works from greats such as Billie Holiday, Peggy Lee, Abbey Lincoln and others – also at the Crazy Coqs on Nov 19. His go-to show? “Benny Green, playing solo at Pizza Express, Soho. Benny is a hard-swinging US pianist with a remarkable pedigree (he came up through Betty Carter and Art Blakey’s bands). He is rarely heard solo – and hasn’t visited London in a while. So, expect a room full of pianists.” Benny Green plays the Pizza at lunchtime on Nov 11.

With Pizza Express gigs featuring in many of the recommendations I received, I asked Joseph Pace of the jazz club what he will tear himself away to see. “So much. There are personal heroes like veteran saxophonist Charles Lloyd (Barbican, Nov 17), bass giant Ron Carter (Cadogan Hall, Nov 16 and 17), Ethio-jazz pioneer Mulatu Astatke (Barbican, Nov 10), and always Guy Barker and his incredible arrangements for Jazz Voice every year.”

The latter is the annual opening gala of the festival and this year it is marking its 16th edition at the Royal Festival Hall on Nov 10 with a cracking line-up – Emeli Sandé, Clarke Peters, China Moses, Omar, Brendan Reilly, Naomi Banks, Judi Jackson and Vanessa Haynes. Of those, neo-soul singer Naomi Banks is not yet a household name, but that will soon change, Barker suggests. “Every year we have fabulous singers and often I get to work with people for the first time and there’s always something exciting about that, especially when they turn out to be as talented as Naomi.”

The above hardly scratches the surface of the 2023 EFG-LJF offerings, so we’ll be back with a second column before the festival kicks off, focusing on smaller, local venues and less mainstream musicians. But, again, check out: https://efglondonjazzfestival.org.uk