With the days getting shorter and shorter, why not see out Summer with a visit to the
Spitalfields Summer Stew Jazz Festival? The event’s showcasing the thriving UK Jazz scene with six of its best artists. Completely free, the event opens at 12.30pm and runs for a mere three hours – short enough for your children to enjoy, yet long enough to get your jazz-fix.
There’s something for every jazz fan out there with acts ranging from the outright obscure to the downright conventional. Take Arun Ghosh for example, an artist who fuses traditional Jazz with contemporary hip-hop. He also reflects modern London with ethnic Indian rhythms thrown in for good measure. All this results in a self-described, “psychedelic ambient introspection.” Due to play the Saturday, Arun Ghosh defines what ‘Jazz’ is – an experimental, offbeat sound that cannot be heard anywhere else.
Accompanying Ghosh on the Saturday is the Orphy Robinson Quartet, a world-famous group that have been making waves across the country; and Chris Biscoe – Ben David, a duet that have been playing together for over ten years.
If you can’t make the Saturday performance, never fear as the Sunday offers an equally eclectic mix of music. There’s Billy Jenkins – Blues Collective, a four-strong team of wunderkinds who regularly go off the scale; Odessa, a trio which the Independent describe as, “brainfood Jazz,” and Mustard Pie, an obscurely named improv-project from some of the best UK Jazz musicians.
The festival is easily commutable, a short walk from Liverpool Street Station. Be sure to pop along no matter your music taste, it’s free after all!
