Date: Tuesday 19 May

Beat the Jams x mjf: Tom Thorp & George King

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Band on the Wall (The Copper Bar)

Tom Thorp saxophone, bass clarinet / George King piano 

Sit out the rush hour in style, with a special edition concert for mjf, from the Beat the Jams series at Band on the Wall. 

Thorp and King – both international award-winning soloists and composers – showcase brand new duo material and further reworkings of their original music spanning over a decade of performing together.  

Tom Thorp was first introduced to Mancunian audiences as an mjf introduces artist in 2012 and has since released four studio albums, playing his music across Europe, the Far East and Australia. His work is known for crossing genre boundaries, with a back catalogue spanning the jazz and classical worlds. He has shared the stage with jazz titans Bob Mintzer and Pee-Wee Ellis, been awarded commissions from the BBC Concert Orchestra and has performed at the Proms.  

George King won critical acclaim for his mjf originals commission Songs of the Caged Bird and has performed at internationally renowned venues from The Southbank Centre to Carnegie Hall. He’s equally known for his diverse CV, which encompasses published classical works for piano, improvised solo recitals and his work with bass guitar phenomenon Jah Wobble. 

A blend of virtuosic improvisation, lyrical melody and heavy influences from the classical and folk worlds, this intimate set promises an eclectic musical journey from two of Manchester’s leading contemporary jazz performers. 

Date: tuesday 19 may

Time: 6:00 pm - 7:15 pm

Price: £12.50 (adv) / £15 (door)

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Three or Four Shades of Mingus

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Matt & Phreds

Anna Chandler-King alto & baritone saxophone / Ben Powling tenor saxophone / Aaron Wood trumpet / Benji Arnold trombone  Adam Fairhall piano / Fergus Quill double bass / Josh Smout drums   

Fergus Quill and Anna Chandler-King come together to share their mutual love of the composer and bass player Charles Mingus. Mingus’ music weaves together elements of the blues, avant-garde, bebop, and post-bop, and this band brings his dynamic repertoire to life, drawing from a diverse selection of his compositions. 

Date: tuesday 19 may

Time: 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Price: Free

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Brume x mjf: Stuart McCallum solo + vanillaforever – Beyond Nightmares + Emma Coates

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The Carlton Club

Please note, tickets go off sale at 7pm for this event via Eventbrite on the day of the event, but tickets are available to buy on the door at The Carlton Club.

A special mjf bill for the monthly Brume night at Whalley Range’s favourite independent music venue.  

NB Running order subject to change. 

Stuart McCallum

Stuart McCallum guitars 

Stuart McCallum is a genre-defying guitarist, composer, and producer whose music weaves together jazz, folk, ambient, and electronic textures. His solo performances of original material, alongside arrangements of old English folk songs, jazz standards and classical works are defined by spacious harmonic voicings, expressive use of reverb and delay, and melodic and virtuosic improvisation. 

Stuart rose to prominence as guitarist with The Cinematic Orchestra; he is also one half of The Breath, whose blend of alt-folk and ambient textures earned a BBC Folk Award nomination. Rooted in a deep commitment to sonic identity, Stuart’s work has also explored how new technologies — including immersive audio and AI-enhanced creation — can amplify emotional depth in music. 

His solo guitar catalogue includes Solitude (a series of acoustic EPs), Vinyl Room Session and Rain Is Coming, which uses generative music apps to create evolving sonic beds for improvisation and composition. 

Stuart has collaborated with artists across genres, including Jordan Rakei, Richard Spaven, JP Cooper, Manu Delago, John Surman, Kenny Wheeler, Ari Hoenig, Ira Coleman, Danny Thompson, and Michael McGoldrick.  

Emma Coates 

Emma Coates vocals, saxophone / Tom McEwen guitar / Nika Ticciati bass / Louis Berthoud drums 

Weaving jazz and folk, Leeds singer and saxophonist Emma Coates creates an intricate, intimate sound, taking inspiration from Men I Trust, Adrianne Lenker and This Is The Kit. She creates deeply personal storytelling, exploring feminine identity and growth, complimented by the delicate and airy tones of her voice and band. 

Her debut EP ‘Borrower’ attracted acclaim from BBC Radio 3, BBC Introducing and Amazing Radio. 

 vanillaforever – Beyond Nightmares 

vanillaforever is the new project by Ruben Sheriden, familiar to Manchester audiences as the resident drum chair for expansive nu-jazz guitar trio nonunonu.  For tonight’s Brume mjf special, Ruben brings together a group of like-minded spirits to explore textures, layers and beats, in keeping with the fertile testing ground of this much-loved monthly night. 

Date: tuesday 19 may

Time: 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Price: £15

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