May is just around the corner and my oh my have we got a wonderful programme in store for you…

See below for the full details of our listings this month and the links for purchasing tickets. We can’t wait to see you 🙂.

As usual, we’d like to extend a huge thank you for your continued support; we’d be nothing without our audiences, and the musicians really thrive when we manage to fill the room! So tell your friends and family, and share our posts far and wide to help us continue to bring our brand of high-level live creative music to our humble home above the Bull and Gate pub each and every Monday night.

We’ve rebranded so you can now find us on Facebook and Instagram as @jazzinkentishtown; please share and tag us in all of your photos and videos!

 P.S. WeGotTicket sales will show as “Sold Out” a couple of hours before doors open at 8pm but please still do come down as there will most likely be tickets available on the door.

Ashley and Kasper x

5/5/25 – Niklas Lukassen

wegottickets.com/event/657681/

Doors: 20:00pm
Start: 20:30pm

Immy Churchill – Vocals
Jonny Mansfield – Vibraphone
Niklas Lukassen – Bass Cello
Ananda Brandão – Drums/Percussion

ECHO listens and reflects – ECHO travels and transforms – ECHO gives
weight to a whisper and like thunder charges into far off places.
With Echo, Niklas Lukassen showcases his passion for lyrics and
songwriting, while also staying true to his nature as an improviser.
With each piece inhabiting a unique character, the music presents
itself as a consequence of both self reflection and empathic
extrospection. It embraces vulnerability through a spectrum of
emotions, colorfully brought to life in collective synergy. Echo’s
exciting instrumentation includes British vocalist Immy Churchill,
Welsh vibraphonist Jonny Mansfield, French/Brazilian drummer
Ananda Brandao and German bassist Niklas Lukassen on a unique
hybrid instrument, the bass cello. Together they use words and tones
in a dialogue of creative interplay.

“Niklas Lukassen is clearly developing his own artistic voice on his
instrument and has a gift for jazz composition.“ Richie Beirach

“A versatile bass virtuoso“ – Jazzwise

“A great bassist with very musical instincts!” Mike Stern

“Confident & sophisticated” Arts Fuse

12/5/25 Olly Chalk

wegottickets.com/event/657686/

Doors: 20:00pm
Start: 20:30pm

Olly Chalk – piano
Asaph Tal – bass
Sacha Harlan – drums

Joined by Asaph Tal (bass) and Sacha Harlan (drums), this event marks a rare opportunity to witness pianist Olly Chalk in a classic piano trio line-up; journeying through ‘off-the-beaten track’ Great American Songbook classics and Chalk’s distinctive original compositions.

Olly Chalk is an improvising pianist and composer based in South-East London. He grew up in a quiet village in rural Suffolk and was introduced to the music of Fats Waller by his grandad. He later studied Jazz Piano at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and Trinity Laban graduating with a First Class Honours and a Distinction respectively. Heralded as ‘super creative and different’ by John Escreet, Chalk is a refreshing, inventive and energetic voice. In 2018, Chalk received the Peter Whittingham Development Award to record a new album featuring New York saxophonist John O’Gallagher who described Chalk as ‘a virtuoso pianist with a compelling and unique musical vision’. Released the following year, ‘Scathed Citizens’ weaves daring, emotive compositions and explosive improvising. Described as ‘ferocious and original’ by London Jazz News, Chalk toured this album twice across the UK, playing 17 dates including Symphony Hall, Birmingham and Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool.

19/5/25 – Rick Simpson

wegottickets.com/event/657683/

Doors: 20:00pm
Start: 20:30pm

Nathaniel Facey – alto saxophone
Tom Challenger – tenor saxophone
Riley Stone-Lonergan – tenor saxophone
Tori Freestone – flute, soprano saxophone
Charlotte Keefe – trumpet
Andre Canniere – trumpet
Nathaniel Cross – trombone
Rick Simpson – piano
Dave Whitford – double bass
Will Glaser – drums

Future Myth is a bold new project from pianist and composer Rick Simpson, bringing together ten of the UK’s most compelling improvisers for an exploration of collective spontaneity and Simpson’s own written material. Balancing rich compositional structures with open-ended freedom, the music thrives on the dynamic interplay between individuals and the ensemble as a whole. 

The ensemble is comprised of Nathaniel Facey, Tom Challenger, Riley Stone-Lonergan, Tori Freestone, Nathaniel Cross, Charlotte Keefe, Andre Canniere, Dave Whitford and Will Glaser, each bringing their distinctive approach to this fluid and ever-evolving sound world and given free reign to lead the ensemble as they wish. 

26/5/25 – Andrea Rinciari

wegottickets.com/event/657688/

Doors: 20:00pm
Start: 20:30pm

Alex Garnett – Tenor saxophone
Andrea Rinciari – Guitar
Lorenzo Morabito – Bass
Mark Taylor – Drums

“This album is a reflection of a really special time for me. For months, I had the chance to play weekly sessions in Soho with some of my favourite musicians.

Each week, we’d focus on something different—whether it was music by Bud Powell, Charlie Parker, or Tadd Dameron, or classics from the American
Songbook. Those nights were all about exploring, learning, and connecting with the music and the
audience. The tracks we recorded are taken from that repertoire. Some are straight from the sessions, while others, like “Tea for Two,” are arrangements I came up with while preparing for those gigs. The vibe of the album is very much rooted in bebop and straight-ahead jazz, with plenty of groove, interplay, and swing.
What makes this album unique is that we’d been playing these tunes together for a while before we recorded them. Everything felt tight, natural, and
well-rehearsed. For example, on “John’s Delight,” we worked on translating a big band arrangement intoa quartet setting, with the guitar leading the melody and the saxophone playing the harmony—just like in the original.
The band on this record is a dream to play with: Alex Garnett (tenor saxophone): Alex has been a huge influence on me. He’s the reason I learned how to properly play in a group, and his solo on “Tea for Two” is one of my favorite moments on the album.
Lorenzo Morabito (double bass): Lorenzo has been with me on almost every gig and record I’ve done. He’s one of my closest friends and a brilliant musician who always brings the best out of everyone.
Mark Taylor (drums): I’d been a fan of Mark’s playing for years before I met him, and I feel so lucky to work with him. His energy and swing are a
massive part of what makes this album what it is. 

We recorded the whole thing in five hours at the Fish Factory in North London—it was intense, but I think we captured the spirit of the music. Soho Sessions is all about celebrating the jazz I love, the musicians I admire, and the joy of playing together.” Andrea Rinciari