Dean Stockdale is an acclaimed jazz pianist, arranger and composer based in the North of England, widely respected for his refined touch, deep swing and lyrical musicality. As a bandleader, he performs extensively across the UK with his quartet and collaborates regularly with many of the leading figures in British jazz. His playing is shaped by…
Double Bill: King Pleasure and the Biscuit Boys and Olivia Cuttill is presented by Durham Jazz Festival in association with Durham Brass Festival Olivia Cuttill is an award-winning London-based Jazz trumpet player, composer and lyricist and will be playing Durham Jazz Festival with her all-star quintet. Heavily influenced by the sounds of New Orleans, influenced by…
Durham University Jazz Society Jazz Jam Durham University Jazz Society will play its weekly Jazz Jam at Fabio’s Bar – as part of Durham Jazz Festival. It’ll be an evening of great music, for free, by Durham’s best student musicians – and everyone is invited to watch as well as play. Guests can expect all…
Durham University Jazz Society will come together once again to produce its annual ‘Evening of Standards’, showcasing the highest quality of student musicians it has to offer – and this year’s will take place at Durham Jazz Festival. The concert is tailored year-on-year to exhibit the best members, with a varied line up of instrumentation…
Originally from Greece, Eleonora Kouneni is a London-based jazz vocalist and songwriter known for her contemporary and emotive jazz vocal style and unique original compositions. She launched her musical career in Athens as a teen, opening for legendary Greek vocalists Maria Farantouri and Savina Yannatou at the 16th Greek Anti-Racism Festival, and for Matoula Zamani…
Emma Fisk’s Hot Club du Nord bring to life the classic repertoire of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli’s Hot Club de France, conjuring up the swinging Gypsy Jazz of 1930s Paris. Featuring British Jazz Awards Nominee, Emma Fisk on violin; guitar maestros James Birkett and David Harris on guitars and rhythm king Bruce Rollo on…
ReWired is the new acoustic trio project from acclaimed composer, arranger and pianist, Janette Mason. Janette Mason has a storied career playing for multiple artists across the worlds of jazz and pop. As a session player she’s toured with some of the biggest pop names in the business including Oasis and Pulp, and as a…
Timeless songs, played between piano, guitar and voice, brings depth and intimacy to the beautiful songs in Jo Harrop’s repertoire. Alongside music from her critically acclaimed original albums, she also covers the great American songbooks, Bacharach classics, as well as fresh arrangements of more modern artist’s work, such as Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen. This…
Join Kind of Blu Jazz Jam for a late night celebration in the restaurant of the Radisson Blu. The event will be held on the Saturday of the festival from 10:30 pm to midnight, or maybe even a little later. After the main shows have finished, a number of the amazing performers from Saturday will…
Knats are a quintet led by two lifelong best mates from Newcastle Upon Tyne. Stan Woodward (Bass) and King David-Ike Elechi (Drums), play alongside their younger sidekick and virtuoso Trumpeter, Ferg Kilsby, making Geordie Jazz, with sophisticated arrangements, strong melodies and danceable grooves. After moving to London at the end of 2022, Knats took the…
Maja Bugge is an acclaimed Norwegian cellist, composer and cello teacher based in Lancaster, UK. Since 1998 she has created a large body of work both as a solo artist and in collaboration with others. Her works have been commissioned by Manchester Jazz festival, Lancaster Arts, Full of Noises, the National Theatre Oslo and Jazz…
This show brings together one of the rising stars on the UK jazz scene with one of the North East’s most beloved acts. Marvin Muoneké is a vocalist, songwriter, arranger, trumpeter and recording artist with a beautifully rich, deep and smooth voice. Marvin brings classic sounds to modern audiences with charisma, elegance and an unmistakable…
Marvin Muoneké, one of the UK’s rising jazz artists, is a vocalist, songwriter, arranger2, trumpeter and recording artist with a voice that has been often referred to as rich, deep and smooth. Bringing the songs and sounds of mid-20th century jazz and popular music to modern listeners of all ages, Marvin brings classic sounds to…
OUTRI is a solo bass endeavour by established North-East bass player and ‘musical magpie’ (NARC mag) Ian ‘dodge’ Paterson. This project takes inspiration from a love of jazz, folk, electronica, found-sound and cinematic landscapes alongside an aesthetic focus on single live recorded takes, come what may. The music combines organic shifting loops underpinned with beautiful…
Self-proclaimed showgirl Rivkala – along with her esteemed 6-piece band – blends jazz, soul, funk, and klezmer to build the twisted world of the Crushed Velvet cabaret bar, where she delivers biting yet playful social commentaries. The Mancunian singer-songwriter has made the North East her home over the past 7 years, running improvised jazz jams,…
(with Polly Gibbons) The Ronnie Scott’s All Stars are the ‘house’ band at Ronnie Scott’s and have been playing at the club since 2007. The quintet features a vocalist and a saxophonist alongside a trio comprising of Piano, Bass and Drums. They play regularly at the club and tour the UK with their Theatre shows….
Sebastian (Seb) Rochford is a singular force in British music, an extraordinary drummer, composer, and producer. His work with the iconic group Polar Bear helped redefine the boundaries of jazz and earned multiple Mercury Prize nominations. With a career spanning collaborations with Patti Smith, Damon Albarn, Brian Eno, Adele and Grace Jones, and his 2023…
Fresh, fearless, and already making waves across the UK jazz scene, SULA is a London-based trio featuring drummer Miranda Radford, bassist Aleks Dimitrova and pianist Kezia Abuoma – three exceptional musicians from the renowned Tomorrow’s Warriors Emerging Artist Programme. Mentored by some of the UK’s leading jazz artists, including Romarna Campbell, Nikki Yeoh and Deschanel…
SwanNek is a boundary-pushing contemporary jazz collective from Newcastle upon Tyne, who use music to celebrate the places and people they hold dear. From their debut single ‘Lucid Dreams’ to their acclaimed track ‘Beautiful Sunday’ to their debut EP ‘At What Cost?’ SwanNek draw deeply from their own experiences, weaving personal stories into a dynamic…
As part of the Durham Jazz Festival 2026, step into the joy of swing dance. Your hosts, Andy and Joo-Lee, have been at the heart of the North East swing dance scene since 2007. Known for helping people, even those who say they have “two left feet”, discover the fun and freedom of social dancing,…
The 2026 Durham Jazz Festival welcomes The Pete Roth Trio (PRT), featuring Pete Roth on guitar, Mike Pratt on bass, and the incomparable Bill Bruford on drums offers a near-jazz experience that is intimate, improvised, and deeply interactive. The music unfolds as a conversation between players and audience, where every performance becomes a unique exploration…
Tom Atkinson’s Electric Miles: Celebrating Jack Johnson An exciting event for Durham Jazz Festival to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the great Miles Davis. The legendary jazz musician Miles Davis was born in 1926 making this year, the first year of the Durham Jazz Festival, the centennial year. To celebrate this anniversary Durham Jazz Festival…
Tom Waits for No Man is a homage to the song writing prowess of one of America’s most enduring composers. They don’t seek to impersonate Waits work, rather celebrate it. Vocalist and composer Lindsay Hannon (“A voice soulful, brooding & unselfconscious in its longing” – Jazz Journal) has chosen and re-arranged a selection of songs…
Vasilis Xenopoulos and Paul Edis began playing together 20 years ago, when they had both relocated to West London to study. Originally from Greece, Vasilis had just finished studying at Berklee College in the US, whilst Paul had moved South from the North East of England. In the intervening years they’ve played numerous gigs together,…
Winner of Parliamentary Jazz Awards Jazz Vocalist Of The Year 2019, Zoë has teamed up with her husband, the innovative and powerful double bassist Andy Champion for a voice and double bass duo. This exceptional pairing creates an electrifying soundscape with beautifully integrated music, breathing fresh life into the familiar as well as heading off…
Durham Jazz Festival is made possible with the help of our sponsors and supporters, in particular our headline sponsor Swinburne Maddison LLP – championing culture, creativity and live music in the city. If you’d like more information on how to become a sponsor, please get in touch.
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