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Venue: Matt & Phreds

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

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Matt & Phreds

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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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M&P’s x mjf Jazz Jam, led by Johnny Hunter

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Matt & Phreds

House Band Lineup 

Maisie Riley tenor saxophone / Andrew Stamatakis-Brown piano / Bim Williams double bass / Johnny Hunter drums

For this extra special Jam Night, Matt & Phred’s are teaming up with mjf to give all singers and musicians the opportunity to come down to the little backstreet Jazz Club and get on stage to perform. This year’s Jazz Jam will be led by the prolific drummer Johnny Hunter, whose band is composed of equally reputable musicians. The stage is open to all musicians to get up and play with the house band and fellow jammers. 

This is a unique experience to come together with others to perform some classic jazz, be it a ‘standard’ or something more modern, whilst showing the rest of the performers and audience your approach to improvisation.  Bring along your vocal cords, guitars, brass, strings, and whatever other instruments you play, and jam alongside like-minded music lovers. 

Over the years, the Matt & Phred’s Jam Nights have attracted the likes of Chuck Perkins, Lonnie Liston Smith, Benn Clatworthy, members of Riot Jazz Brass Band and Beats & Pieces… Who knows who might be in the audience and on stage tonight? You can certainly expect to see some familiar faces from the rest of the festival line-up, along with a host of players from across the Northern music scene. 

More of a listener than a player? No problem, there will be plenty of room for you to kick back and watch the evening unfold. It’s fair to say anything could happen. 

Date: monday 18 may

Time: 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Price: Free

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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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Hania Derej Trio

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Matt & Phreds

Hania Derej piano & keyboard / Krzysztof Kuśmierek saxophone / Mateusz Szewczyk bass / Gniewomir Tomczyk drums 

Hania Derej is a Polish pianist-composer studying at Amsterdam Conservatoire. She creates music in a variety of styles, including jazz, chamber, film or electronic music, and brings her piano trio to M&Ps to share some of her 130+ compositions: jazz with neo-classical, impressionistic and cinematic harmonies. 

Hania has received numerous composition and performance awards, including the Young Composer 2023 prize from the Polish Composers’ Union, the Triton Award at FAMA Festival and in the JAZZTOP 2024 music critics’ survey of the international magazine JAZZFORUM, Hania won the New Hope award for her solo work. 

“Hania Derej captivates with her modesty, consistency and diligence” –  Gazeta Wyborcza Katowice 

Date: wednesday 20 may

Time: 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Price: Free

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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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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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M&P’s Jazz Brunch, ft The Grant Russell Quartet

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Matt & Phreds

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Spend your Saturday afternoon in style with live jazz and a curated brunch pizza menu at Matt & Phred’s. 

Join us for our Jazz Brunch, featuring the Grant Russell Quartet performing classic swinging melodies from the Great American Songbook. Timeless, melodic, and guaranteed to get your toes tapping. 

An intimate and uplifting jazz experience, with vibrant, melodic arrangements that are sophisticated yet approachable, this is the perfect soundtrack for brunching, chatting, and soaking up the city’s weekend energy. Whether you’re a jazz aficionado or a casual listener, this is your ideal Saturday soundtrack. 

Accompanying the live jazz is a tasty brunch pizza menu. Enjoy brunch favourites given a pizza twist, from Meaty, to Shakshuka, to Smoked Salmon, and more. 

Book early; space is limited to keep the experience intimate! 

 

Date: saturday 23 may

Time: 1:30 pm - 4:00 pm

Price: £5 - £7

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Suboptimal

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Tim Hurst vocals, trombone, beats & loops 

Suboptimal is the immersive, brass and vocal led, live-looped extravaganza you never knew your life was missing. Starting with only pre-recorded drums, watch in awe as your favourite bangers are created and performed in front of your very eyes. 

From the bass lines to the raps, from the vocal harmonies to the solos, utilising the latest in loop machine technology alongside a decade of performing expertise, Suboptimal is not only an experience that you will never forget but an experience you will find yourself wanting to relive again and again… 

Prepare yourselves. This afternoon’s show will take you on a live-looped journey through dance. Expect garage anthems intertwined with some of your favourite 90’s and 00’s bangers, presented by the hype extraordinaire: Suboptimal. 

Date: saturday 23 may

Time: 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm

Price: Free

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Alligator Gumbo

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Matt & Phreds

Tim Hurst vocals, trombone / Greg Surmacz clarinet, saxophone / Chris Williamson trumpet / Mike Rudland-Simpson steel guitar, vocals / Chris Lloyd piano, vocals / James Paylor double bass, vocals / Jose Williamson drums, washboard, bells, whistle  

Alligator Gumbo is a 7-piece New Orleans band from Leeds, formed in 2011. Having played extensively around the country, and often packed-out Matt & Phred’s, we can’t wait to see them again. 

A gig with Alligator Gumbo sees jazz from the hey-day of the New Orleans swing/jazz era, when music was raw and largely improvised, with melodies and solos happening simultaneously, which has now become defined as the ‘New Orleans’ sound. 

As well as the band’s signature fast-tempo treatment of classic tunes, Alligator Gumbo takes this distinctive style and applies it to their arrangements of more modern and popular songs – songs that everyone will recognise and happily head to the dance floor upon hearing.

Date: saturday 23 may

Time: 9:30 pm - 12:30 am

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

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mjf Wrap Party Jam ft. Ed Kainyek Quartet

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Matt & Phreds

Ed Kainyek saxophone / George King piano / Grant Russell bass / Colin Lamont drums

And just like that, mjf2026 will draw to a close… but not until we go out the only way we know how… one last Wrap Party Jam featuring The Ed Kainyek Quartet. 

A legend on the Manchester jazz scene, Ed Kainyek has helped launched the career of many local artists, often giving them their start right here at Matt & Phreds. His own gigs embrace a range of styles from pop and soul to hard swing and Latin. 

With the house band playing the first set (8-8:45pm), the stage is then open for musicians of any level to get up and play a tune or two with the band and other jammers (9:15-11pm). Whether you’ve been a part of mjf’s line up throughout the festival and fancy one more hoorah, or if you’re a musician who wants to put their mark on the festival, this is for you. 

More of a listener than a player? No problem, come and get cosy, and watch the night unfold. With genres surrounding jazz, blues, soul, funk, and pop – anything goes, and anything could happen. 

Did we mention it’s a bank holiday…? See you on the dance floor! 

Date: sunday 24 may

Time: 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Price: Free

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