Date: Thursday 21 May

Beyond the Blue

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Matt & Phreds

Jude Lane piano / Jack Devonshire alto saxophone / Cam Rossi tenor saxophone / Joe Tzabar guitar / Cubby Howard cello / Alex Bresh bass / Jonah Phillips drums  

Beyond the Blue are a fast-rising London band whose music – written and arranged by pianist/composer Jude Lane – draws influence from UK dance music, jazz and classical music, with the unusual instrumentation of cello, guitar, alto, tenor and rhythm section.  

They have played a number of sell-out shows at The Vortex Jazz Club, Hootananny Brixton, Milton Court Concert Hall (as a part of the EFG London Jazz Festival). They have also opened for many established artists such as Omar, Moses Yoofee Trio, Blue Lab Beats, Ebi Soda and Rosie Frater-Taylor and have played at renowned festivals Love Supreme and Cheltenham Jazz Festival. 

 “…their sound crosses genres and pushes boundaries whilst retaining their roots in the UK jazz scene.” – Voicemag UK 

Date: thursday 21 may

Time: 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Price: Free

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Finite Experience

Band on the Wall (The Copper Bar)

Terhile Adamu guitar / Lauren Heywood vocals / Briana Smith flute / Lucca Sivori keyboards / Sean O’Donnell bass / Roc de Yzaguirre drums

The Finite Experience is an Afro Jazz-Fusion and neo-soul collective from Liverpool that serves as a vessel for bandleader/multi-instrumentalist Terhile’s creative voice. Through this evolving soundscape, the band blends the rhythmic richness of Afrobeat with the improvisational spirit of jazz, inviting listeners into a world where tradition and innovation coexist in harmony. 

Date: thursday 21 may

Time: 10:30 pm - 11:30 pm

Price: Free

Olivia Cuttill & Friends Play the Legends of Jazz

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Forsyth Music Shop

Please note, tickets go off sale at 6pm via Eventbrite on the day of the event.

7pm doors & Prosecco drinks reception
7.30pm: Olivia on stage

Olivia Cuttill trumpet / James Absalom tenor saxophone / Tom Harris grand piano / Josh Vadiverloo double bass / Miles Pillinger drums 

2026 marks the centenary of a host of jazz legends – Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Ray Brown and many others, who built a formative jazz repertoire that still resonates with musicians and listeners today. For this intimate and unamplified concert in Forsyth’s historic piano showroom, the sparkling Olivia leads a quintet of fast-rising stars through a selection of landmark 50s and 60s be-bop tunes made famous by those icons, from albums such as Kind of Blue, Giant Steps, Milestones…  

Presented as part tribute and part show-and-tell, Olivia, Miles and friends will honour the authentic sound of those classic recordings and share their personal insights into why they continue to be inspired by – and breathe life into – this ever-evolving music created over three generations ago.  

Raised in East London, a graduate from Leeds Conservative and alumnus from mjf’s hothouse programme, Olivia comes from a musical family of three generations. Elements of soul, jazz and blues run deep through her sound, as do influences of Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin and Louis Armstrong. She performs with fluency and conviction: a bright, fast-blossoming flower of the new generation of jazz artists.   

Manchester-born drummer and composer Miles Pillinger intertwines the raw improvised energy of jazz with the rich, uplifting rhythms and melodies of Brazil, inspired by Airto Moreira, Brian Blade and Max Roach. Since graduating from Leeds Conservatoire, Miles has honed his energetic, sensitive and adaptive playing in various groups (Mangorata, Tara Lily, NYJO), bringing joy to his listeners. He is this year’s winner of the coveted Peter Whittingham Award. 

7pm doors & Prosecco drinks reception
7.30pm: Olivia on stage

Date: thursday 21 may

Time: 7:00 pm - 8:45 pm

Price: £25 (includes glass of Prosecco)

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Calico

Band on the Wall (The Copper Bar)

Amy Griffiths vocals, acoustic guitar / Sarah Hind flute, saxophone, vocals / Sam Winterbottom keyboards, vocals, guitar, samples / Tommy Sarosi bass / Jordan Pryce drums 

Hailing from Manchester and the hills of the Peak District, Calico are a 5-piece collective fusing pop hooks, catchy melodies and blissful harmonies with elements of jazz, folk, blues, samba, and trip hop.  

Merging influences from Hiatus Kaiyote to Sault via Erykah Badu, Zero 7, Robert Glasper, 4hero, John Martyn, and Portishead, a Calico song is as likely to soundtrack a hot summer’s evening dancing into the early hours, as it is a crisp autumn night by the fire. 

Date: thursday 21 may

Time: 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm

Price: Free

OCT x mjf presents: Her Revelation + Lullaby – Sonic Cradle

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George Street Chapel

Another first for mjf as we expand our 2026 partnerships, joining forces with Greater Manchester’s historic, long-running repertory theatre, Oldham Coliseum. OCT is celebrated for its nationally acclaimed productions and community engagement, and now – across its satellite venues in the town –  jazz! 

Her Revelation  

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

Her Revelation is an electronic music trio that perform 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. 

Lullaby – Sonic Cradle  

Supriya Nagarajan vocals / Lucy Nolan harp / Duncan Chapman electronics  

Lullaby – Sonic Cradle is an immersive music performance for family audiences and adults alike. The show weaves improvised electronics with nighttime soundscapes collected from across the globe by sound artist Duncan Chapman, soothing Carnatic vocals from Supriya Nagarajan and luscious improvised harp playing from Lucy Nolan. 

They have collected over 300 lullabies internationally, from libraries to office blocks, which are woven into the soundscape and used as a stimulus for improvisation. 
 

Lullaby – Sonic Cradle has toured across eleven countries, from the Riverside Theatre in Sydney Australia to WOMAD and Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival.  

The show delights in creating a bespoke immersive musical experience for every new audience; the use of lullabies is intended to subtly emphasise the universality of singing and music, deliberately blending influences from many cultures to transcend genre. 

Date: thursday 21 may

Time: 7:30 pm - 10:00 pm

Price: £15 (£12 Concessions)

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Yellowjackets

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Band on the Wall (The Venue)

Please note, tickets go off sale at 5pm via Eventbrite on the day of the event, but tickets are available to buy on the door at Band on the Wall.

Unfortunately, due to a debilitating hand injury, Bob Mintzer can no longer perform at this concert. His place is taken up by official Yellowjackets deputy Graeme Blevins. mjf, Band on the Wall and Yellowjackets apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Graeme Blevins bass clarinet, saxophones, EWI / Russell Ferrante keyboards / Dane Alderson bass / William Kennedy drums, percussion  

Well into their fifth decade as a band, Yellowjackets show no signs of slowing down. Very much the opposite, in fact – as implied by the title of their latest release, Fasten Up, the 27th album of the quartet’s storied career and their 7th for Mack Avenue Records. The curious turn of phrase, taken from the exhilarating title tune by bassist Dane Alderson, embraces the band’s ethos of unbridled momentum while carrying the suggestion of cautionary warning: brace yourself, fasten those seatbelts, Yellowjackets are back and the pedals to the metal.  

The spirit of forward motion that has propelled Yellowjackets throughout the band’s history has less to do with the tempo of the songs themselves – which as ever make up a vibrant blend of styles and influences – but with their commitment to exploration and renewal. Those ideas are reflected in the band’s line-up, which features founding pianist/keyboardist Russell Ferrante; drummer Will Kennedy, whose second tenure in the band (starting in 2010) has now surpassed his first (1987-1999); saxophonist Bob Mintzer came on board in 1990; and the Australian-born Alderson, who celebrates his first decade as a ‘Jacket alongside the release of Fasten Up. 

There is a communal joy that invigorates all the music that Yellowjackets create. The thrill of group discovery bristles through the muscular funk grooves, deepens the emotion of the ballads and digs deep to unearth the roots of the band’s bracing sense of swing. On Fasten Up, their rich history remains in focus in the rearview mirror as they accelerate into the future. 

“Jazz buffs know about the Yellowjackets. This is a Grammy-winning band that writes and performs intricate compositions that cross countless boundaries.”
- The Arts Fuse  

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

Please note there will be no support band performing on this gig.

Date: thursday 21 may

Time: 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Price: from £27 (*plus fees)

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