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Date: Friday 22 May

Andy Scott & Carmel Smickersgill + Simeon Walker + Her Revelation (triple bill)

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Stoller Hall (Carole Nash Hall)

Please note this event takes place in the Carole Nash Hall at Stoller Hall.

An evening of new music in an intimate setting for those curious for the in-between world where acoustic and electronic meet; familiar yet strange, boundary pushing yet lyrical; meditative yet not easy listening. 

Her Revelation

Kinna Whitehead vocals, synthesizer / Vato Klemera synthesisers, sampler / Peter Bell modular synthesizer, samples

Her Revelation is an electronic music trio that performs primarily improvised live sets, defined by intensity and mutability. By inciting one another endlessly towards delightful moments, the trio plays with delicate soundscapes, peppered with disruptive textures. Drawing on an array of eclectic source material from Ursula K. Le Guin to Meredith Monk to FKA Twigs, Her Revelation is a music-based practice attending to a transcendental every day.

Kinna’s adroit lyricism melds with the band’s ‘comprovisations’ to examine the crossing point at which mundane feelings and life’s unremarkable experiences become of exceptional importance.

The trio first met and performed together at Eastside Gallery in Birmingham in 2022, as part Oneiros, an installation on sleep cycles. This incidental meeting, culminating in a 2-hour lullaby/night-terror live experience, unveiled a natural rapport, catalysing their subsequent years of improvising, songwriting, and performing together – and two notable singles: Actress and Dare.

Simeon Walker

Simeon Walker piano

Simeon’s performances glide effortlessly between shadow and expanse – hushed introspection, stretching into vast, open landscapes; grandeur lingering at the edges, tempered by vulnerability and warmth. The piano becomes a meeting place, drawing listeners close into a captivating, shared moment defined by tender subtlety, a uniquely delicate touch and a self-effacing wry smile.

With a background in classical music and a deep appreciation for jazz, ambient and experimental forms, Simeon’s creative output is wide-ranging and exploratory. His informal, invitational and heartfelt approach to performance reflects the full spectrum of human emotion, creating shared musical experiences fostering dialogue, connection and community.

Simeon Walker is a versatile and prolific artist who has quickly established himself as a leading voice in the contemporary music scene. His work is regularly broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM, amassing over 50 million streams across platforms.

A seasoned live performer based in Leeds, he tours extensively across the UK and Europe and has supported high-profile artists including Neil Cowley, Submotion Orchestra, Erland Cooper, LYR and Jasmine Myra. He has appeared at Latitude Festival, the Edinburgh Fringe and SXSW London, and his composition ‘Reverie’ was featured on the first official Piano Day compilation (2022), alongside Nils Frahm, Ólafur Arnalds and Chilly Gonzales.

A sought-after collaborator, Simeon works across genres as a session musician and composer, contributing to numerous projects spanning music, art, and interdisciplinary commissions. He is also a passionate advocate for live music, founding Brudenell Piano Sessions in 2018 and continuing to curate the long-running Leeds series celebrating original piano-centred work.

Andy Scott & Carmel Smickersgill

Andy Scott tenor saxophone / Carmel Smickersgill electronics

Carmel and Andy create sound-based free improvisations using tenor saxophone and an Ableton live set up, which uses sampled and “recycled” material from the very same saxophone. Together they explore the warmth and depth of acoustic instruments within this electronically infused context, whilst pushing the sonic possibilities of technology.

Both Carmel and Andy are composers and improvisers as well as performers, making for a writing process that combines strictly scored tunes with deftly curated atmospheres. They share an interest in music that can shock and be humorous in the same breath, generating intimacy and warmth. Their approach leans into the breadth of sounds available on tenor saxophone, whilst striving for truly ‘playing’ the laptop as an expressive instrument, rather than as a tool.

The duo draws influences from varied and eclectic musical backgrounds in both their composition and performance: experimental techno, Latin jazz, DIY underground scenes and classical; compositional control alongside experimental chaos. Join them for a set of high contrast, energetic highs and sub-filled, cosy lows.

Carmel photo credit: Andrea Terzuoli. 

Andy photo credit: Paul Warpole

Date: friday 22 may

Time: 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Price: £15

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Yoni Mayraz

Band on the Wall (The Copper Bar)

Yoni Mayraz keyboards / Tom Driessler bass / Zoe Pascal drums 

Fast-rising keyboardist/producer Yoni Mayraz combines jazz with elements of 90’s New York hip hop, old-school breakbeats, and Middle Eastern music to create shimmering new hybrid forms.  

Yoni burst onto the new jazz scene in 2020 and has since gained plaudits for the raw energy of his dance floor-focussed live shows and his debut release Dybbuk Tse! 

The music on his latest album, Dogs Bark Babies Cry, is a dense yet delicate listening experience and sees Yoni pushing his singular sound into deeper, wilder territory. It’s a bold, uncompromising statement built on tightly structured compositions and grooves, weaving together elements of 90s hip-hop, Middle Eastern textures, and electronic soundscapes, whilst echoing the sound of the great 70s jazz-funk trios.  

Dogs Bark Babies Cry evokes the moment when a commotion takes place. “Dogs start barking, babies cry. It’s an ominous sound, yet a natural one. One that can be heard from afar,” he explains.  

Yoni has been championed by media around the world, including BBC 6 Music, FIP Radio (FR), RTE (IE), and CLASH Magazine, and featured at Montreux and Brussels Jazz Festivals, Jazz Cafe, and Ronnie Scott’s.  

 

Photography credit: Daniel Shiff 

Date: friday 22 may

Time: 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm

Price: Free

The GreensKeepers Jam

Stage & Radio

Conor Michael vocals / Nathan Stoker trumpet / Akira Thiara guitar / Will Waterhouse keyboards / Elisio Benson electric bass / Izzy MacMahon drums  

The GreensKeepers Jam has become one of the city’s most dependable weekly rituals. Curated and powered by Conor & The GreensKeepers, the band behind the movement, what began as a simple open jam is now a self-sustaining music ecosystem.  

Over the past year alone, 291 musicians have taken part across 31 free events, almost every Friday at Stage & Radio. But that grassroots energy has travelled far beyond the room: an engine room of a wider vision that turns weekly jams into original music releases, filmed sessions, live performances and a growing network of collaborators. Every Friday feeds the ecosystem, and every player becomes part of the story. 

Two years in, The GreensKeepers Jam remains free, fiercely independent and rooted in Manchester. Still pulling the city together. Still proving that when you give musicians space to play, Manchester always shows up. 

Date: friday 22 may

Time: 7:00 pm

Price: Free

The Plimp Souls

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Matt & Phreds

Lineup TBC

Made in Manchester, The Plimp Souls are a conga-crammed, horn-heavy, soul-stuffed nine-piece fuelled by boundless energy and a burning mission to put the fun back into funk. 

Blending the best of soul, afrobeat, funk and everything in-between, their raw, bouncing sound makes for a night to remember. Packing plenty of delicious decibels, they mix the rarest of classic grooves with belting originals to leave crowds hollering for more. 

 

Date: friday 22 may

Time: 9:30 pm - 12:30 am

Price: £7-10 (seated)/ free (standing only)

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Thiara Collective

Band on the Wall (The Copper Bar)

Akira Thiara guitar / Tatiana Benham flute / Richard Smith tenor saxophone / Nathan Stoker trumpet, cornet, flugelhorn / Roz Fearnehough trombone / Matthew Sosthieu  keyboards / Mara Cruz bass / Jamie Boyles drums / Ben Bowden percussion 

Infused with the boldness and innovation of the UK’s new wave jazz scene, Thiara Collective is a dynamic fusion of rhythmically audacious grooves and neo-soul harmonies.  

The band’s name embodies the family spirit inherent in today’s young Manchester music scene, where these players met and are steadfastly carving out their own confident identity. 

Date: friday 22 may

Time: 9:30 pm - 10:15 pm

Time: 10:45 pm - 11:30 pm

Price: Free

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

Bel Cobain + Support

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Band on the Wall (The Venue)

Bel Cobain, the enigmatic songstress hailing from the heart of East London, evokes a mystique reminiscent of musical luminaries Pink Floyd and Kate Bush. Her journey, steeped in introspection, finds its zenith upon the stage, where she reveals her most authentic self, bathed in contentment and confidence. 

Emerging onto the scene in 2019 with the evocative Introverted Stoner, Bel has graced renowned stages at Love Saves The Day, Love Supreme, Jazz Cafe and The Roundhouse. Bel’s music transcends conventional boundaries, carving a niche with her radical ethos and poetic lyricism. 

Her latest EP, Radical Forgiveness, heralds a new era of expression that captivates audiences with its candid narratives and ethereal melodies. Always accompanied by her eclectic ensemble, Bel’s performances are a testament to her relationship with music, with each member contributing to the collective synergy. 

Beyond the stage, Bel’s artistry is embedded with a sense of purpose, challenging societal norms and political ideologies with every lyric penned. Yet, amidst the mess of modernity, Bel remains steadfast in her simplicity, guided by a desire to sing without the trappings of fame. 

In the tapestry of contemporary music, Bel Cobain stands as a beacon of authenticity. She channels the spirit of her influences while forging a path all her own. Bel’s music transcends time and space, inviting listeners into introspection and wonder.  

This year, Bel has graced the stage of the BBC 6 Music Maida Vale session alongside Gilles Peterson and embarked on an extensive year-long tour, making memorable stops at The Great Escape, Glastonbury, We Out Here, Somerset House, Neon In Nature, as well as captivating audiences in Paris, Hamburg, Berlin, Munich, Cologne, The Netherlands, and beyond.  

Precise start and finish times for this event are liable to change; for details, please check the mjf website on the day. 

Date: friday 22 may

Time: 7:30 pm - 10:00 pm

Price: from £15 (*plus fees)

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