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Date: Saturday 16 May

Thanda & Friends

mjf @ First Street (Ask Garden Stage)

Thanda Gumede vocals / Simeon Walker keyboards / Fergus Quill electric & double bass

Plus surprise guests 

Thanda’s show will include a very special performance from Hulme Grammar School’s Brenda Mills Institute of Innovation & Technology (BMIIT).

A composer, vocalist, and multidisciplinary artist of Xhosa and Zulu heritage, originally from South Africa, Thanda (pronounced like ‘Tanda’), is a Zulu name that means, simply: Love One Another.

Debuting in the UK at the inaugural Nelson Mandela Day, Thanda’s music blends African traditional sounds with jazz, gospel, classical and neo-soul—always rooted in rhythm, spirituality and story. His voice embodies the sounds of his dual heritage including the distinct clicks of the southern Bantu languages, and he uses it to share joy, lamentation, activism and connection.

Thanda’s impressive performance credentials include London Jazz Festival, BBC Proms, Buckingham Palace (for Her Majesty the late Queen Elizabeth II and her family) and for the late Emeritus Bishop Desmond Tutu alongside cellists Abel Selaocoe and Yo-Yo Ma. Radio and TV appearances include SKY 1, BBC Radio and TV, SABC, ITV and Channel 5.

Locally, Leeds has become a creative home for Thanda. His other work collaborators and commissions embrace Books Without Borders, Opera North, NYJO and Buxton International Festival, where he was commissioned to compose the first ever African short opera in Europe.

His mjf show will once again feature a short performance resulting from his work with local community groups as part of Thanda’s Big Sing:

Hulme Grammar’s School’s BMIIT

With over 45,000 young people across 120 schools in Oldham – one of the most deprived boroughs in the UK – the mission at BMIIT is to dismantle barriers to access and aspiration through STEAM. Their recent collaboration with Manchester Science Festival and a 12-hour AI Hackathon engaged 100 pupils from across the borough. By partnering with mjf, they continue to use the arts to inspire this same diverse community.

Photography Credit: Simon Godleyo

Date: saturday 16 may

Time: 2:15 pm - 3:10 pm

Price: Free

Elin Grace

mjf @ First Street (Ask Garden Stage)

Elin Grace vocals, keyboards / Jess Foxwell flute/ Emma Copp viola / Ben Smith acoustic guitar, bass / Isaac Dobson drums

Elin Grace is a 21-year-old singer-songwriter based in Manchester, whose music blends the warmth and intimacy of indie-folk with the sophistication of jazz and classical music. Her work is defined by a combination of poetic lyricism, complex arrangements, and raw, emotional authenticity that is unmistakably hers. With influences ranging from Joni Mitchell and Laura Marling to contemporary icon Adrianne Lenker, Elin’s songwriting displays a rare depth for someone so young.

Raised in the Welsh countryside, Elin draws heavily on her rural upbringing and Welsh identity as a source of inspiration. The landscapes, silence, and solitude of rurality seep into her lyrics, informing her perspectives on themes like girlhood, mental health, identity, and the bittersweet process of growing up. This contrast between her roots and her current life in a bustling northern city creates a compelling narrative tension that gives her music a distinctive edge.

Since her teenage years, Elin has gigged across the UK, with recent appearances at Green Man, Truck Festival and Kendal Calling solidifying her emotive live set. Tipped as ‘one to watch’ by BBC Radio 6 and ‘prodigiously gifted’ by BBC Wales’ Adam Walton, Elin’s latest EP is both timeless and current, rooted in the storytelling tradition of folk, but refreshingly modern in its execution.

Photography Credit: Liam Maxwell

 

Date: saturday 16 may

Time: 4:30 pm - 5:25 pm

Price: Free

Chinese Marbles

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Matt and Phreds

Rosie Douglas vocals, saxophone / Joe Ashworth vocals, bass / Linda Howard saxophone / Mel Howard trombone / Phil Hill guitars / James Bennett keyboards / Huw Jacob bass / Richard Kenyon drums

The Chinese Marbles are a firm favourite of the club guests and bar team.  This band leaves you feeling high on life and wanting more! 

The Chinese Marbles is a collective of ten multi-instrumentalists from Macclesfield. The band plays a range of genres including rock, ska, funk, disco, soul, reggae and blues, with both covers and originals thrown in, all members input their own musical style into the mix. 

With powerful Joe Cocker-style vocals from Joe Ashworth, soul diva Rosie Douglas, rock-tastic wailing guitar solos from Fil Hill and punchy horns, it’s the perfect super-versatile energy for a Saturday night at M&Ps. 

Date: saturday 16 may

Time: 9:30 pm - 12:30 am

Price: Seated: £7-10 ; Standing: Free

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Unfurl

mjf @ First Street (Main Stage)

Olivia Moore violin / Jim Faulkner guitar / Gavin Barras bass / John Ball tabla

Celebrating their 20th year in 2026, Unfurl achieves a melange of styles by faithfully blending Indian traditional music and jazz. Conjuring expressive musical images inspired by the earth and nature, they take the listener on a sublime, uplifting journey, crafting folky melodies that sit atop a rhythmic bed of the cross-rhythms and syncopations of the Indian subcontinent.

Unfurl’s music is influenced by legendary Indian musicians Kala Ramnath and Zakir Hussain and by John McLaughlin’s Mahavishnu Orchestra. With a finely-tuned balance of tight arrangements and expansive improvisatory sections, the group generates a fluidity of playing that gives each performance a spontaneity and freshness of its own.

Unfurl performances have been enthusiastically received at many theatres and jazz festivals across the country – including Manchester, Marsden, Marlborough, Brecon and London – cultivating a well-deserved reputation for their direct connectivity with audiences.

Their mjf show will feature pieces from a new EP release, along with music from the acclaimed Sleeping Giants album.

“…musical subtlety and refinement with a real sense of musical adventure and exploration,” Liverpool Jazz Festival.

Date: saturday 16 may

Time: 1:00 pm - 2:10 pm

Price: Free

Out Front

mjf @ First Street (Main Stage)

Nick Malcolm trumpet / Jason Yarde alto saxophone / Jake McMurchie tenor saxophone / Olie Brice double bass / Dave Smith drums

A UK jazz super group from Bristol and London, Out Front originally formed to play the music of two of jazz’s greatest ‘inside-outside’ composers: Booker Little and Andrew Hill. With roots anchored in the work of these two masters, they now present entirely original music composed by the various members of the band.

For mjf2026, they showcase music from their debut album, Buried Webs. Spearheaded by the rich frontline of three horns, the band draws on years of collective experience at the highest level of jazz and improvised music, exploring a full spectrum of possibilities, from joyous straight-ahead playing to the most open of improvisations.

Date: saturday 16 may

Time: 5:30 pm - 6:40 pm

Price: Free

MFF presents: Heather Ferrier (Trio)

mjf @ First Street (Ask Garden Stage)

Heather Ferrier accordion, clog dance / Alasdair Paul guitar / Adam Stapleford drums

Marking one of mjf’s new programming partnerships – in this case our celebrated friends Manchester Folk Festival (MFF) – mjf offers audiences from both festivals the chance to experience live music-making from an artist who has their feet – and ears – in both the jazz and folk camps.

With captivating musicianship and a sound unapologetically her own, Heather Ferrier is a force to be reckoned with. An “engaging talker and magnetic performer” (NARC magazine), the Stockport-born accordionist, clog dancer and composer is changing the perceptions of alt-folk on her own terms.

Her music sets the accordion free from its stereotypes, using powerful melodies, jazz-influenced harmony and an explosion of groove that embellishes Heather’s signature alt-folk style. The trio’s influences and genre-bending collaborations transcend the limits of contemporary instrumental folk music, employing Heather’s distinct compositional style to create a show with both emotive and upbeat moments.

Bold, passionate and enthralling, her music has featured on BBC 6 Music, with live shows at Cambridge and Manchester Folk Festivals and at the iconic Bridgwater Hall as part of WOMEX 2024.

Photographer Credit: Megan Savage 

Date: saturday 16 may

Time: 6:45 pm - 7:40 pm

Price: Free

M&P’s Big Band Brunch ft. DG Kollective

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Matt & Phreds

Lineup TBC

Join extraordinary 18-piece big band DG Kollective as they play classic jazz, swing, and TV/film music, in their rarely-heard big band arrangements. 

Matt & Phred’s have even created a special Brunch Pizza Menu (with some extras too) for you to feast on whilst you enjoy the music! 

DGK comprise brass, saxes and a five-piece rhythm section: a musically versatile big band that embraces a variety of genres including jazz, funk, Latin, pop and with a special focus on production music (TV/Film/media).  

Drawing upon the work of Henry Mancini, Keith Mansfield, Syd Dale, Ronnie Hazelhurst, Lalo Schifrin, Laurie Johnson and others, DGK strives for quality performances with some of the finest players in the northwest and beyond. 

Tunes such as Mission Impossible, The Avengers, Careless Whispers and Oye Como Va are regular inclusions in the band’s programme. Furthermore, the band includes original compositions and arrangements by a variety of composers/arrangers, all of which helps to make the band a unique experience. 

Founded in 2013 by its director, Andrew Turnbull, the band has gone from strength to strength and is now established as Matt & Phred’s resident big band, hosting the bi-monthly big band brunches.  

The doors are open to all, under-18’s welcome, so bring along the whole family and expect to leave with a big smile on your face whilst playing air trumpets! 

Date: saturday 16 may

Time: 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Price: £5-10, kids go free (with a paying adult)

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Kemani & Friends

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Matt & Phreds

Kemani & Friends is a brand-new showcase from Manchester vocalist and multi-genre artist Kemani Anderson, live at Matt & Phred’s. 

This special series is designed to spotlight underground Manchester talent that deserves its flowers, bringing fresh sounds, new faces and genuine musical community to the heart of Manchester’s Northern Quarter. 

This mjf edition will feature Kemani’s signature blend of soul, jazz, and RnB, alongside guest artists who step up to share their own style, stories, and vibes.  

A perfect early-evening drop-in to discover rising talent and connect with the city’s creative underground. 

 

Date: saturday 16 may

Time: 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm

Price: Free

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mjf x Salford Art Gallery

First Street (Gazebo)

Join one of Salford Museum and Art galleries friendly staff to handle museum artefacts, play with toys Victorian children would have used and make a traditional peg doll.  

Peg dolls as we know them were often made by hand and from wooden pegs or small pieces of wood, at very little expense. They were dressed in ‘clothes’ made of scraps of fabric from worn-out clothes or household linen. During the Victorian period, they became increasingly popular with children, and even the young Queen Victoria had her own wooden peg dolls.  

About the Museum   

Salford Museum & Art Gallery began life as the UK’s first free public library in 1850, soon followed by a museum and art gallery. The building was a mansion house known as Lark Hill, which had been built in the 1790s and has given its name to our famous Lark Hill Place; a Victorian street within the museum. Today, the museum offers a mix of permanent displays, contemporary exhibitions, events, and activities for individuals, families, schools, and community groups. Visitors can also enjoy the café and browse the museum shop. Their learning and engagement programme encourages everyone to get involved—whether through Victorian washday sessions, craft workshops, memory‑box reminiscence activities, or group tours. From hands‑on Victorian experiences to craft socials and school‑holiday activities, there’s something happening all year round. Check their “What’s On” to discover events for all ages. 

Date: saturday 16 may

Time: 10:15 am - 10:45 am

Time: 11:30 am - 12:00 pm

Price: Free

Yemi Bolatiwa’s Jam-For-Joy

mjf @ First Street (Ask Garden Stage)

Eclectic, multi-modal soul artist Yemi Bolatiwa brings her love for jazz, motown and soul to the forefront for this high energy, jam and sing-along, curated for the young ‘mjf-ers’: bid kids and little kids alike.

Join Yemi Bolatiwa (as seen on Cbeebies show Jojo and GranGran), for a family friendly jam and live show featuring piano and percussive fun and play. Sing a-long, dance along and play along. She’ll get you and the family joining in!

Yemi has graced many of Manchester’s best stages, including Band on the wall, Soup kitchen, Gorilla, Albert’s Schloss, The 02 Ritz, Blues Kitchen and played national from Soho to Brixton, North London to East London. Her debut tour in December 2023, saw her live act set ready to hit any stage from a soulful trio to a 9 piece ensemble. Influences include Sade, Lianne La Havas, Mary J Blige, Lauryn Hill, Brandy and Toni Braxton. During her career, her original work has led to supporting Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Submotion Orchestra, Riot Jazz, The Skints, Ezra Collective and more. No stranger to Manchester’s best stages, including, Band on the wall, Soup kitchen and The Eagle Inn, and an array of shows across the north from Sheffield, to Newcastle to Leeds and southern homecoming shows at the London National Theatre – you’re guaranteed to get a high quality performance tailored to your young ones.

Date: saturday 16 may

Time: 12:30 pm - 1:00 pm

Price: Free