Juanita Euka is part of Latinas in London at the Jazz Cafe, along with Sachelly, below

MOST columns at this time of year look back at the 12 months just passed but, with a shark-like forward motion, here’s a preview of gigs for early 2025 that have caught the (coal-black) eye. It’s not just so you can mark your diary – several of these will sell out once jazz punters emerge from the post-New Year fug. So, book your spot asap.

Kick off the year with a danceable fusion of Latin/jazz/salsa/hip hop at Camden’s Jazz Café on Saturday January 11.

The show is called Latinas of London and features a selection of female voices including Desta French, Juanita Euka, Sachelly and the infectious grooves of Colectiva. Between them they cover everything from Celia Cruz and Flora Purim to Marta Sánchez and the Fania All Stars and stretch beyond Latin America to encompass Africa, the Caribbean and NYC. See: www.comono.co.uk/live/latinas-of-london-2/.

In the roughly same musical sphere, Brazilian superstar Seu Jorge (you’ll recall his career-defining Bowie-in-Portuguese turn in Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou) plays the Roundhouse on March 31.

The 100 Club in Oxford Street has a nicely eclectic Jan Jazz Festival celebrating some of the rising stars from the new wave of jazz talent. It includes Brazilian/ Caribbean/London singer Aanya Martin (January 13); Tara Lily (14th), who fuses music (jazz, electronica, Indian classical) that represents her British-Bengali heritage; Dutchman Jozef van Wissem (15th) who, intriguingly, plays an old instrument that is new to jazz- the lute; the ebullient soulful vibes of Ebi Soda (17th) and Zeitgeist Freedom Energy Exchange who sound like they’ve escaped from Harvest Records in 1969 but have an enjoyable line in atmospheric jazz-dance-grooves. www.the100club.co.uk/events-calendar/

One of the heartening successes of 2024 was Radio 3’s Round Midnight daily jazz show – even if, like me, most people listen to it the next day on BBC Sounds – helped no end by the deep, soulful tones and the knowledge and enthusiasm of presenter Soweto Kinch. But unless we forget, he is also a fine sax player, rapper and an ambitious composer.

On February 1 at the Queen Elizabeth Hall he presents his new work Soundtrack to the Apocalypse, which melds contemporary jazz with hip-hop and broken beat. It is bound to be melodic, challenging and exhilarating.

It is part of the Montreux Jazz Festival’s residency, which includes Mississippi Goddam on January 31, a celebration of Nina Simone at the Royal Festival Hall, with Peter Edwards and the Nu Civilisation Orchestra and guests Corinne Bailey Rae and Laura Mvula. Big shoes to fill but it’s a tasty prospect. See: www.southbankcentre.co.uk/events/southbank-centre-x-montreux-jazz-festival-residency/.

Sax player Emma Rawicz has been one of 2024’s big success stories, as she has demonstrated an increasing maturity in her playing and writing. I know seasoned jazzers who can’t believe she is still in her early twenties, such is her eloquence on the horn, which comes with a command of dynamics and a harmonic sophistication that belies her youth.

She brings her eponymous Jazz Orchestra to Ronnie Scott’s on January 30, showcasing how she can handle large-scale compositions and harness the power of a batch of great players. They include Mike Chillingworth on alto, whose recent album Friday the Thirteenth (Ubuntu) is highly recommended if you like the sometimes tricksy and complex yet melodic world of Steves Coleman or Williamson.

It’s an exploration of polyrhythms, but you really don’t have to worry about that to enjoy the empathetic and imaginative interplay between the leader (who also plays incisive and succinct soprano) and Ivo Neame (piano), Tom Farmer (bass) and the drums of Jon Scott. Tickets for Emma’s ensemble on: www.ronniescotts.co.uk/find-a-show/emma-rawicz-jazz-orchestra

Also recommended at the Soho club, the beatmeister Insxght (January 16), a booking which demonstrates Ronnie’s commitment to promoting new, young and leftfield talent; Greg Foat (17th), another keyboard player, this one with a cinematic scope and the pioneering US trumpeter and educator Dave Douglas (February 6) exploring the music and vision of the great Charles Lloyd. See www.ronniescotts.co.uk for the full listing.

Talking of Frith Street’s finest, I caught Glasgow’s Mama Terra at Ronnie’s a while back and very good they were too, successfully fusing spiritual jazz with a rich seam of soul music. The band plays The Forge in Camden on February 13, where it is launching a new album called Chameleons (Live Interpretations Of Herbie Hancock), which presumably does what it says on the tin. Should be good and funky. See: https://theforge.seetickets.com/event/mama-terra/the-forge-camden/3233375

Theo Crocker is on the bill at the Barbican on February 15 [Fabiola Fisah]

The main Brick Lane Jazz Festival isn’t until April (see www.bricklanejazzfestival.com/) but prior to that it is presenting an intriguing bill at the Barbican on February 15. Featuring genre-hopping trumpeter Theo Croker, who will be looping and remixing/reimagining tracks from his albums live, it also enlists some stellar guests from the London jazz scene – tuba player Theon Cross, producer/drummer Kassa Overall, the corto-alto (a loose jazz/electronica/groove collective which revolves around trombonist/bassist Liam Shortall), singer Ego Ella May and Croker’s fellow trumpeter Sheila Maurice-Grey.

The show is called DREAM MANIFEST and is “a sonic exploration of the power to manifest in our universe.” All I know is, this starship should be a blast with all that talent onboard. www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2025/event/theo-crokers-dream-manifest

Also blurring boundaries is blisteringly fine guitarist Cory Wong, who is rooted in jazz but also adds a very, very large dose of funk to the proceedings. So, strictly speaking it’s jazz adjacent, but the chance to see him and his ten-piece band at a venue as small as the O2 Forum in Kentish Town is not to be sniffed at. He’s there on February 19 and 20. Tickets: www.academymusicgroup.com/o2forumkentishtown/

Tom Sochas was a new name to me in 2024, but I made up for missing his show at the Hampstead Jazz Club (very good according to reports) by playing his atmospheric album The Sorcerer (Khumbu Records) a great deal this autumn. The Franco-American pianist heads up a trio that can be delicate or dynamic, insistingly melodic or spacily meditative and he reminds me a little of Tord Gustavsen or early Brad Mehldau although it’s hard to deny the Keith Jarrett feel on some of the more pastoral tunes.

Tom is at the Pizza Express Soho on February 24, showcasing a new album Facing North, composed on a small Norwegian island way up in the Arctic Circle. We are promised projections and visuals too. Maybe wear thermals, as we are heading into chilly ECM territory. https://www.pizzaexpresslive.com/whats-on/tom-sochas-trio-facing-north

The Bristol nu-jazz scene is every bit as dynamic as London’s, with bands like Snazzback and Waldo’s Gift putting the city on the musical map once more. In fact, the DNA of Geoff Barrow and the band Get The Blessing, both exiles from Portishead, and various Massive Attack members can be heard in many of the bands. Waldo’s Gift make a rare trip to London on February 27, playing at Colours on Hoxton Square, so you can see and hear for yourself what all the fuss is about. Book on: https://colourshoxton.com/live-club/13644684/waldos-gift/

I can’t quite believe that Camden-born Nubya Garcia’s show at Koko on March 13 isn’t sold out, but there are still some tickets left. The saxophonist has also had a good year, glitzing up her image somewhat but also evolving her music into exciting new areas. Her album Odyssey (Concord Jazz) was well received and has even seen heavy daytime play on Radio 6. Get down with Nubya’s new directions in jazz on: https://www.koko.co.uk/events/nubya-garcia-odyssey