Meshell Ndegeocello plays Koko on Nov 15 [Andre Wagner]

IN two weeks the EFG London Jazz Festival (November 15-24) comes to town and brings with it a form of exquisite torture. Simply put, there are just far too many acts at a head-spinning number of venues across town for one person to do it justice. For a Libran like me, it is something of a nightmare. But below are some of the shows I have used my virtual highlighter on.

I am mainly eschewing the big beasts here, many of which are sold out anyway – Pat Metheny and Billy Cobham, for example. Ronnie Scott’s has the “house full” sign up for many shows (but worth checking on https://www.ronniescotts.co.uk), as does the Union Chapel for hot ticket newcomer, the South Asian singer/bassist ganavya, who has a new album Daughter of the Temple coming soon. But the gigs below have availability at the time of writing and you can get tickets for all of them at: https://efglondonjazzfestival.org.uk/

Incidentally, watch out for something new this year – The Jazz Social near the Barbican, the festival’s “hub”, which has a bar, live performance/event space and houses the annual Blue Note pop-up shop. Jazz FM is also broadcasting live from there. It’s open November 11-24 and is at City point, 1 Ropemaker Street, EC2V 9HT.

Starting locally, at the time of writing there were still tickets left for the mighty Meshell Ndegeocello at Camden’s Koko on November 15. I saw her earlier this year at Ronnie Scott’s, on sublime form, playing selections from her neo-soul-jazz The Omnichord Real Book album on Blue Note, although she has had a new release since then, No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin. Expect sharp, intelligent, angry and engaging music, lyrics and spoken word. For more gigs at Koko (including the equally ground-breaking Robert Glasper on Nov 18) see https://www.koko.co.uk/

Jazz at the Parakeet in Kentish Town is breaking out from its regular Monday night slot to present the Miguel Gorodi Quintet on November 20. I first came across the trumpeter as a young man as part of one of Ian Shaw’s bands and he has grown to be one of the most versatile and popular sidemen in London, playing with the likes of Ivo Neame and Emma Rawicz. He’s bringing a top-drawer band to NW5 including Empirical’s Nathanial Facey on sax and Alcyona Mick (from Yazz Ahmed and Nikki Iles) on piano. The Mondays are still running too – I’ll be checking out tenor player Tom Barcroft’s Quintet, which including the estimable James Copus on trumpet (Nov 18) – which promises everything from sultry samba to swinging Joe Henderson. There’s another fine horn player – and singer – in the shape of Pete Horsfall (Nov 25), who arrives with Joe Webb on piano, who has a new album Hamstrings & Hurricanes (Edition Records), which runs the gamut from Art Tatum to his take on Brit-Pop, a juxtaposition which Joe makes seem entirely natural. See https://jazzattheparakeet.com for all events.

Butcher Brown – Jazz Cafe, November 23 [Jacob Blickenstaff]

As its name suggests, the Jazz Café has a busy programme for the festival, and my first call will be Zara McFarlane celebrating Sarah Vaughan’s centenary on Nov 17. She’s not the only singer this year to do this by any means, but she’s a warm and involving performer and I think she’ll bring a modern sensibility to some of Sassy’s classics. And towards the end of the festival, I’ll be back in Parkway for Butcher Brown. My only experience of the group was hearing some of them at the Café, backing guitarist Charlie Hunter and vocalist Kurt Elling for their superb SuperBlue show, and formidably funky they proved. I’ll be in the house for their infectious melange of jazz, soul and hip-hop on Nov 23. Further info and other gigs: https://thejazzcafe.com/whats-on/

Further down Parkway, the Green Note also has an interesting spread of artists for the festival. There is a brand new group debuting under the leadership of guitarist/composer Harry Christelis, with a trio of strong players – George Crowley on tenor, Christos Stylianides on trumpet and drummer Will Glaser. Expect music ranging from the more accessible side of electric Miles to folk-influenced ambient jazz (Nov 15). Another guitarist is on the club’s LJF roster, the talented Tom Ollendorf, who is playing solo on the 21st. There’s more: https://www.greennote.co.uk/events-page/

I very much enjoyed alto player/composer Cassie Kinoshi’s recent album gratitude with her band seed., which featured a long, rewarding chamber piece with the London Contemporary Orchestra and some incisive work from trumpeters Jack Banjo Courtney and Joseph Oti-Akenteng, guitarist Shirley Tetteh and the leader. (Jazz with strings is having a moment right now – see also Nubya Garcia’s album Odyssey and Daniel Casimir’s Balance). Kinoshi continues to expand her musical horizons and ambitions and at the Barbican on Nov 21, the band will team with the London Symphony Orchestra to debut her new piece, HEART, which takes it inspiration from Jamaican poet Una Marson’s 1931 verse Nature’s Heart. The theme of the evening is indeed the natural world (and the human impact on it) and includes a performance by the LSO of Beethoven’s Symphony Number 6 “Pastoral”.

seed. – Barbican, November 21

Earlier in the week on Nov 18, also at the Barbican, Charles Tolliver revisits the work of activist and drummer Max Roach (born 100 years ago), including the 1968 classic Members Don’t Git Weary, on which Tolliver’s trumpet was an integral and stand-out part (listen to the track Efi for an example). There’s a killer all-star big band of London’s finest behind him, too, assembled and led by Toni Kofi on alto and soprano.

One of the highlights of the festival for me is the return of the Neil Cowley Trio, coming out of a lengthy hiatus after the pianist and leader went off to explore solo electronic soundscapes. He’s now back in the acoustic world and judging by the new album, Entity, the trio are just as groove-laden, tricksy, wistful, and anthemic as ever. See them at Earth in Dalston on Nov 19. Also worth a look at the same venue is Bristol’s trip-hoppy and hypnotic Tara Clerkin Trio (Nov 16) and the splendidly adventurous US harpist Brandee Young (Nov 17). See https://earthackney.co.uk for details.

Mark Kavuma – Queen Elizabeth Hall, November 17. [Jonathon Cuff]

Trumpeter Mark Kavuma isn’t always given enough credit for his role in the grassroots resurgence of jazz, from his innovative pub nights in Brixton to founding Banger Factory Records. For the festival he has put together a three-hour event called Magnum Opus – also the name of a new album – a celebration of and showcase for the musicians associated with him and his label, including Rachael Cohen, Theo Erskine, Deschanel Gordon, David Mrakpor (of Blue Lab Beats – he’s the one who hasn’t got a blue flattop – they have their own tasty-sounding gig at Hackney Church on Nov 23), Noah Stoneman, Artie Zaitz and more. Expect very good vibes indeed. The Banger Factory gig is at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on Nov 17.

Everything Korean continues to be fashionable, from kimchi to K-Pop. There has been a K-Music festival running for most of October, and it strays into jazz adjacent territory with two LJF shows at the QEH. On Nov 15 there is No Noise with the Seoul Metropolitan Traditional Orchestra. This unique band combines traditional Korean instruments such saenghwang (mouth organ), the zither-like gayagem, the piri (double reed bamboo flute) and jing (large gong) with guitar and synthesiser to create soundscapes that defy categorisation, but there is jazz in there (and, despite their group’s title, some noise, too). Then on Nov 23 there is the flamboyant vocalist Heemoon Lee, who turns traditional folk songs into a driving, danceable fusion of pop, blues and even jitterbug. Both are at the Purcell Room at the Southbank’s QEH. More Southbank LJF gigs here: https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/events/efg-london-jazz-festival/

If you are in search of something on the more challenging side of jazz, then try Village of the Sun at Lafayette (a club on Goods Way near King’s Cross, https://www.lafayettelondon.com/). This is basically the exhilarating improv of muscular sax man Binker Golding and drummer Moses Boyd, with additional electronics by Simon Ratcliffe (Basement Jaxx). I’ve seen them and they are pretty full on and awesome. Support is from Knats, who combine jazz with drum and bass grooves and who impressed me at this year’s Love Supreme Festival. Annoyingly it is also on Nov 17, making for a difficult choice between this and Mark Kavuma at the QEH.

However, another exhilarating noise machine, the band Ill Considered, are at The Lower Third (at Outernet – https://www.outernet.com/) on Nov 19. This features the blistering sax work of Idris Rahman (pianist Zoe’s brother), with drummer Emre Ramazanoglu and bassist Liran Donin giving him a run for his money. The three begin with simple themes and grooves and take off for parts unknown with a three-way conversation that is improvised in the moment.

Having recently found and enjoyed some jazz inflected Fado fusion in the backstreets of Porto, I am intrigued by Canadian singer Tammy Weis’s project of setting the prolific Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa’s words to music. The result is a blend of folk and jazz, steered here by pianist Julian Joseph, a safe pair of hands if ever there was one. This is also on Nov 17 but it a lunchtime concert at the Pizza Express Dean Street (doors at 12), so no clash with some of the above. For a full listing of LJF events at the Pizza Express (there are many shows across multiple venues) see https://www.pizzaexpresslive.com/whats-on

If you fancy a break from the Sturm und Drang of contemporary jazz, on Nov 23 the trio of Alice Zawadzki (voice, violin), Fred Thomas (multiple instruments) and bassist Misha Mullov-Abbado launch their Za Górami album at Kings Place One in York Way. Billed as combining “Mediterranean folk song, chamber music, improvisation and the world of acoustic jazz” the repertoire is drawn from the traditional songs of Argentina, France, Venezuela, Poland and Sephardic culture. Even though I have seen Alice Zawadzki in many settings, and always enjoyed her singing and playing, I wasn’t sure this was my cup of tea, but the album, which is on ECM, is exquisite: beautifully recorded, deeply spiritual and moving. It’ll be quite the privilege to see it performed live. https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/efg-london-jazz-festival/

There’s something quite different on Nov 16, also at Kings Place – new sax star Emma Rawicz leads a first-rate band (including, from the generation of precocious talent before Emma, trumpeter Laura Jurd) celebrating the music of the late Wayne Shorter in a show called Visitor from Everywhere. I remember catching Emma when she was just beginning her journey and have enjoyed seeing her grow in confidence and ambition and taking on the heritage of Shorter represents another major step forward in her career.

Again, tickets for all EFG LJF shows at: https://efglondonjazzfestival.org.uk/