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David Kayode

mjf @ First Street (Main Stage)

David Kayode saxophone / Emily Tran pianoMarlon Hibbert steel pan / Nathan Dawkins bassAyo Salawu drums Emma Marsh percussion 

Hailing from North-West London and having spent his recent years studying in Manchester, tenor saxophonist David Kayode is fast becoming one of the most compelling new voices in UK jazz.  

Steeped in the sounds of reggae, Ghanaian highlife and the rhythms of his childhood home, Kayode channels a rich musical heritage through the expressive power of the saxophone. Here to open mjf2026, he teases new music from his debut EP Ade Kayode 

A graduate of Tomorrow’s Warriors, Kayode honed his craft under the mentorship of Gary Crosby OBE and Camilla George, an evolution that has defined his warm, commanding sound and expressive improvisations.  

Kayode’s artistry balances deep respect for the jazz tradition with a forward-looking spirit, delivering groove-driven performances that weave carnival energy and West African rhythms into the language of modern jazz. His collaborations already span an impressive range, from Ni Maxine to Afro-rock pioneers Osibisa and Moses Boyd.  

Kayode is also founder of Purple Collective, an artist-led platform and events movement dedicated to building space for diasporic creativity through jams, collaborations and community gatherings.  

His practice extends into education and cultural engagement, including mentoring young musicians and delivering workshops.  

With a sound rooted in heritage but driven by innovation, Kayode represents the next wave of British jazz: bold, groove-infused, and unapologetically original. 

Watch a clip from David’s most recent album, HERE. 

Photography Credit: Ella B Shoots 

Date: friday 15 may

Time: 6:00 pm - 7:15 pm

Price: Free

Jazz is Everywhere: mjf Youth Advisory Board takeover

mjf @ First Street (Ask Garden Stage)

mjf’s Youth Advisory Board (YAB) presents Jazz is Everywhere: expect the unexpected, jazz fusions and plenty of audience participation.  

Jazz is Everywhere is an event curated and presented from start to finish by our YAB team of young people, who have aspired with this event to represent the future of jazz in the North. 

Our YAB are a committed and enthusiastic group of 18–25 year-olds who have been recruited from open application. The group helps advise mjf and its programme on what they feel are the important considerations for the emergent generation. At the same timethey learn about the roles and responsibilities of running a live music event and organisation: roles that might be available to young professionals wishing to enter the music sector.  

This year, we set them a task: to create a festival event for the Garden Stage programme at mjf2026 that reflects what they want to see. 

From curating programme ideas, organising their roles, working with budgets, contracts, planning, production and marketing, this event is the culmination of those efforts. Come down to check out what they’ve produced: it could be a jam, a gig, a presentation, participatory activities… 

Any young people interested in joining the YABthe next recruitment round will open during mjf2026 and sign up will be available at the link here.   

 

Poster Credit: Kalina Kolodziejska

 

Date: friday 15 may

Time: 7:15 pm - 8:15 pm

Price: Free

Charlie Cooper & The CCs

mjf @ First Street (Main Stage)

Charlie Cooper vocals / Jake Stentiford guitar / Liam Morson keyboards / Alex Pearson bass / Laurie Agnew drums

A familiar presence on the Manchester music scene, Charlie Cooper is known for her formidable rich voice, classically-crafted songwriting and energetic performances with her masterful band, The CC’s.  

A singer-songwriter shaped by soul, groove and jazz influences, Charlie expertly weaves together elements of jazz, soul and blues, drawing inspiration from the classic songwriting of Burt Bacharach and Carole King, whilst delivering performances with a Motown and Stax vibe and innate musicality.  

Charlie headlined back in mjf2014after a decade of collaboration and songwriting, the band returns to play this year’s opening nightwith a stack of new material – bold, big hearted and built for the stage. 

Date: friday 15 may

Time: 8:15 pm - 9:45 pm

Price: Free

Hijack Horns

Matt and Phreds

Ben Jackson tenor saxophone / Laurence Mason bass saxophone Chris Williamson trumpet George Hardwick trombone / James Walker drums 

Hijack Horns grab a fist full of feel-good tunes, a handful of high-energy brass, throw it all in a blender and serve you the spiciest, brassiest smoothie your aural tastebuds can handle. Made up of players from long established street bands who are no strangers to the impromptu alfresco rave, this new band squashes the punch of a much bigger outfit into a slinky 5-piece. 

Powered by their perennial appetite to bring the party to the people, the Hijack Horns philosophy is simple – life’s too short to watch other people dance. 

Hijack Horns upholds a strict “All Killer, No Filler” policy, with classics from Stevie Wonder, George Benson and Curtis Mayfield through to The Human League, Fatboy Slim and Outkast. 

Date: friday 15 may

Time: 9:30 pm - 12:30 am

Price: Seated: £7-10 ; Standing: Free

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Andy Sheppard Trio

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Stoller Hall

Andy Sheppard soprano & tenor saxophoneRita Marcotulli piano / Michel Benita double bass 

Saxophonist and composer Andy Sheppard has established himself as one of Europe’s leading contemporary jazz figures.  

This trio sets the scene for an encounter with Italian jazz icon Rita Marcotulli and one of the most prominent bassists on the European circuit, French bassist Michel Benita. These are three highly individual musicians, all of whom have had a big role in shaping the sound of European jazz today.  

Sheppard has developed a programme of new free-flowing compositions for this trio, taking a spirited fresh approach, honouring jazz in its tradition but allowing free space for interpretation by the players. Collectively exploring the possibilities of improvisation and interplay, the music is anchored in structure but open to lyricism, free to choose new paths and take on different directions in the making.  

Sheppard’s musical path has crossed with that of both players for many years, including a long-established duo with Marcotulli and several ECM album recordings with Benita, but this their first venture together as a trio. 

Date: friday 15 may

Time: 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Price: £25

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Women in Jazz Photography: Her Frame. Her Sound

Aviva Studios (The Social)

The exhibition takes place in The Social at Aviva Studios. Check here for opening hours.

Bringing together inspirational women from across the globe, the award-winning organisation Women in Jazz Media presents an exclusive photography exhibition: Women in Jazz Photography: Her Frame. Her Sound 

Celebrating women working in jazz behind and in front of the camera, the exhibition showcases inspirational moments in jazz captured by some of the remarkable female photographers leading the way in jazz photography. Exhibiting legends such as Geri Allen, Abbey Lincoln, Alice Coltrane, Nina Simone and contemporary artists Lakecia Benjamin, Nubya Garcia and Brandee Younger, this is the first exhibition of its kind.  

With award-winning photographers from South Africa, New York, Poland and the United Kingdom, this breathtaking exhibition features the work of Monika S Jakubowksa, Vuyo Giba, Tatiana Gorilovsky, Enid Farber and Kasia Ociepa. 

The exhibition launched in April 2025 at London’s award-winning Karamel Club, going on to visit the Black Mountain Jazz Festival in Abergavenny, and continues to the Highworth Jazz Festival in June. 

 The Photographers 

Enid Farber resides in New York City and has been photographing mostly jazz musicians since 1979 but her work includes artists from a variety of genres, including Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Ray Charles, Bob Marley, Charlie Watts, Diana Ross, Bono and Celia Cruz who have all appeared before her lens. 

Vuyo Giba is a South African -based photographer, writer, and creative professional dedicated to preserving South African jazz heritage. Her work spans jazz, abstract, and lifestyle photography, capturing evocative narratives through imagery. With experience in film production, research, and project coordination, she collaborates with artists and communities to document and celebrate cultural stories. 

Tatiana Gorilovsky is a London-based photographer specializing in music photography, particularly jazz. She has captured the dynamic spirit of the genre for renowned venues such as Ronnie Scott’s, Pizza Express, 606 and others, as well as festivals including the EFG London Jazz Festival and Love Supreme Festival. Tatiana loves experimenting with long exposure and multiple exposure to capture the sounds, rhythm and energy of Jazz. Her images are held in the National Jazz Archive and have been featured in prominent publications such as Jazzwise Magazine, The Times, The Guardian, Financial Times, Billboard, UK Jazz News, The Independent, Time Out London and others.  

Kasia Ociepa is a Wales-based photographer specializing in jazz, events, weddings, and portrait photography, with a deep love for fine art photography. Originally from Poland, she moved to the UK in 2006 and transitioned from garden design to professional photography during lockdown. As the resident photographer for Black Mountain Jazz Club, she has documented the club’s vibrant jazz scene, with her images used by musicians for album covers, press materials, and social media. Kasia sees photography as storytelling, capturing the energy and emotion of live music, and she is always happy to collaborate with musicians and event organizers. 

The award-winning photographer Monika S Jakubowska is renowned across the world.  As the in-house photographer for prestigious London venues, Ronnie Scott’s and Kings Place, she has captured award winning images of legends and is the photographer of choice by many artists. Her portfolio is vast and includes Jeff Goldblum, Genesis, Macy Gray, John Legend, Jazz royalty Dee Dee Bridgewater, George Clinton and Courtney Pine to name a few. Darius Brubeck included Monika’s photographer in his foreword to the brilliant book Sight Readings: Photographers and American Jazz, which was nominated for book of the year by the jazz Journalist Association. 

Date: friday 15 may

Price: Free