Vortex

Upcoming events at Vortex

Community

Four Card Molly

Doors 7:45 PM, Music 8:30 PM - 2 sets of music Line-up: Will Cleasby - Drums Will Barry - Piano Riley Stone Lonergan - Tenor Saxophone Will Sach - Double bass About: The exciting and versatile drummer Will Cleasby’s subtle but powerful playing has been heard with a wide variety of high profile artists, including work alongside the likes of acclaimed US trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, Grammy award winner Kurt Elling and the multi-Award-winning Jamie Cullum on an impressive and growing CV. Tonight Will brings to the Club his latest project, a tribute to the great US drummer Elvin Jones (the band name is based on an Elvin tune “3 Card Molly”). Featuring Riley Stone-Lonergan-sax, Will Barry-piano & Will Sach-bass Will describes the programme as showcasing “some lesser-known tunes from Elvin’s solo albums from the 60s-80s, highlighting his writing and that of the members of those groups”. Terrific music from some seriously good players! https://youtu.be/QRi-8urGG_w

Thu 2 Jul20:45Vortex

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Live Music

Coltrane and Hartman on Impulse! feat. Mark Lockheart and Marvin Muoneké

Doors 7:45 PM, Music 8:30 PM - 2 sets of music Line-up: Mark Lockheart - Tenor saxophone Marvin Muoneké - vocals Alfonso Vitale - Drum kit Gary Crosby - Bass About Revisiting the famous album when John Coltrane teamed up with vocalist Johnny Hartman to explore their favourite romantic standards, tenor sax virtuoso Mark Lockheart is joined by the extraordinary vocalist Marvin Muoneké and a top-flight rhythm section of Gary Crosby (bass), Alex Webb (piano) and Alfonso Vitale (drums). As well as the songs from the 1963 Impulse album, the group explores other standards that Coltrane liked to play, including All Or Nothing At All, Out Of This World, Say It Again and a vocal version of Moment's Notice. The original album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2013, 50 years after its release. ‘A new vocal sensation in the UK’ – JazzFM ‘A singing superstar in the making’ Jazzwise. Marvin Muoneké has been dubbed 'The Young Man with The Old Soul’ and once you hear his voice you'll understand why – his sound has been likened to Nat 'King' Cole, Johnny Hartman and Billy Eckstine. He has toured with the award-winning swing band, Down For The Count and sung with the Vince Dunn Orchestra and NYJO (the National Youth Jazz Orchestra). He is also a gifted songwriter, arranger and trumpet player. Saxophonist and composer Mark Lockheart first came to prominence in the mid 1980s with the influential big band Loose Tubes.

Sat 4 Jul20:45Vortex

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Live Music

London Jazz Orchestra Vortex Sessions - “Primetime for Henry"

Doors 3:30 PM, Music 4:00 PM - 2 sets of music About Trumpet legend Henry Lowther is in the prime time of his life. A mainstay of the band for over 30 years, the LJO is about to launch their double LP of Lowther’s music, “Primetime”, on his 85th birthday on 11 July. Henry is one of the few players in jazz whose expressive sound is immediately recognisable - he sounds like no one else, and his playing and writing has helped define the sound of the LJO over its 35 years. In advance of the album launch, this gig features the great music he has created for the band.

Sun 5 Jul16:30Vortex

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Live Music

Vortex Jam Session

Doors 7:45 PM, Music 8:15 PM House Band TBC About A weekly session on Sunday evenings, hosted by four of London’s finest: guitarist Nick Costley-White, Trumpeter Sean Gibbs, pianist Rick Simpson and tenor saxophonists and Riley Stone-Lonergan, each one hosting one session on rotation. If you’re an instrumentalist – we can’t wait to welcome you back to the club – you can attend for free if you’re planning on playing with the house band. No need to book in advance! Our dear Vortex members are also welcome to these sessions free of charge.

Sun 5 Jul20:45Vortex

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Free! (worth double-checking)

Community

Midweek Downstairs Jam

Welcoming and relaxed, come for a drink, sit back and enjoy the music, or bring your horns, sticks and strings to join in during the second set. First set from house band: David Miller (saxophone), Davide Melis (piano), Duncan McKenzie (bass) & Bobby James (drums) followed by a jam session till close. Entry is free all night 19:00 – 22:30.

Tue 7 Jul20:00Vortex

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Live Music

SULA

Doors 7:45 PM, Music 8:30 PM - 2 sets of music Line-up: Kezia Abuoma - Piano Miranda Radford - Drums Aleks Dimitrova - Double bass About: SULA is a new trio project made up of drummer Miranda Radford, bassist Aleks Dimitrova and pianist Kezia Abuoma. All currently studying jazz at Trinity Laban, these exciting young musicians have come up through hailed organisations like Tomorrow’s Warriors, mentored by the likes of Nikki Yeoh and Deschanel Gordon and Will Cleasby. As both bandleaders and sidewomen, they have performed at venues such as The Southbank Centre, The Jazz Cafe and Ronnie Scott’s. Taking inspiration from the likes of Kris Davis, Wayne Shorter and Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts, these three unique voices have come together to play both their original compositions and other music inspired by the energetic sounds of modern-day jazz.

Wed 8 Jul20:45Vortex

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Live Music

Zoe Rahman Trio - Album Launch (2 Shows)

Timings: *Please note each ticket will give you access to the time slot you book for. Please arrive for the door time. 1st Show Doors 6:30 PM, Music 7:00 PM – 1 set of music 2nd Show Doors 8:30 PM, Music 9:00 PM – 1 set of music Line-up: Zoe Rahman - Piano Gene Calderazzo - Drums Alec Dankworth - Double bass About: Album launch featuring Zoe's world-class trio, drummer Gene Calderazzo and bassist Alec Dankworth. The album centres around music from Zoe's "Hull Suite", which was commissioned by Hull Jazz Festival for World Piano Day 2024. Based on themes of voyage, migration and the sea and taking inspiration from two statues in Hull, the music is also deeply connected to Zoe's own family history. Recorded live at the Vortex in June 2025, the music encompasses a wide pallet, with earthy blues influences, soulful melodies and cinematic musical textures that highlight the vibrancy and interaction of this jazz trio at it’s finest. A highly individual pianist and composer, Zoe Rahman’s style is deeply rooted in jazz and reflects her classical background, British/Bengali heritage and her very broad musical taste. A MOBO Award winner, Mercury Prize nominee and Ivor Novello Award winner, she has become a highly sought-after musician on the international jazz scene.

Fri 10 Jul19:30Vortex

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Festivals & EventsLive Music

De Beauvoir Jazz Festival: Lucy-Anne Daniels & Liselotte Östblom

Doors 7:45 PM, Music 8:30 PM - 2 sets of music About: Lucy-Anne Daniels Grounded in the vibrant sounds of gospel and jazz, Lucy-Anne Daniels is a vivid storyteller and playful improviser. Inspired by the likes of Moses Sumney, Lisa Fischer and Bjork, she blends her rich tone with pedal effects and live looping, intuitively create a musical experience that explores the possibilities of her voice. With a love for theatre and spoken word and an embodied reverence for music, expect a performance that is full of emotion and a deep sense of communion. Liselotte Östblom Liselotte Östblom is a Swedish-born vocalist, composer, and bandleader based in London, working internationally across jazz, gospel, and improvised music. Her artistry has been shaped by a life lived between concert halls, churches, and recording studios, with a career spanning Europe and collaborators in the United States. Raised in Stockholm in a multigenerational musical family, Östblom grew up immersed in jazz and church music from an early age. She began performing publicly as a child, working as an actor and chorister at the Royal Opera in Stockholm, and later gained national attention through the Swedish Junior Eurovision Song Contest.

Sat 11 Jul20:45Vortex

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Community

Anatole Muster

Doors 7:30 PM, Music 8:00 PM - 1 set of music Line-up: Anatole Muster - Accordion Hugo Piper - Bass guitar King Ike-Elechi - Drum kit About: Anatole Muster is in the process of re-defining what the accordion can do, and is actively bringing the instrument to a wider audience. The most obvious sign of that desire to experiment and innovate is what audiences see at his live shows: he plays not just the traditional button accordion, but also two additional instruments: a Laptop keyboard, and MIDI-controlled “breathalyzer” synth, a brand new invention that he has co-developed with engineer Elio Fistarol. He is also building a global network of close collaborators with a wide range of musical leanings, from LA heavyweights Kiefer and Louis Cole to Tennyson from Canada and Matthew Field (Beatenberg, M Field) from South Africa, while also keeping a foot in jazz and fusion through leading bassists such as Hadrien Feraud from France and Federico Heliodoro from Brazil. Many of these important and formative connections have come from meeting people via Instagram messaging, and then discovering and gradually developing shared musical enthusiasms - “Internet culture shaped me,” says Anatole Muster. His two albums have seen a rapid progression and a strengthening of his musical identity: after the release of “Wonderful Now” in early 2024, Muster found that it was the sections where he had been boldest in experimenting that received the most enthusiastic responses, which encouraged him to...

Tue 14 Jul20:30Vortex

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Community

PANIKA

Doors 7:45 PM, Music 8:30 PM - 2 sets of music Line-up: Louis Stringer - Double bass Cenk Esen - Piano Rares-Vlad Gherman - guitar Cristian Acevedo - Drum kit About: The NYC-based quartet PANIKA makes its first ever UK appearance tonight alongside rising-star, Cenk Esen. Featuring original music from Louis Stringer and Rares-Vlad Gherman, combining a deep sense of lyricism with visceral swing. Alongside their original material, the group presents a new perspective on classic repertoire, balancing spontaneity, interplay and storytelling. This performance promises to be a powerful debut from an ensemble of rising international performers.

Wed 15 Jul20:45Vortex

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Live Music

Phillip Golub/Alex Hitchcock/Andrew Lisle

Doors 7:45 PM, Music 8:30 PM - 2 sets of music Line-up: Phillip Golub - Piano Alex Hitchcock - Tenor saxophone Andrew Lisle - Drum kit About New York and London improvising scenes collide as Phillip Golub, Alex Hitchcock and Andrew Lisle explore new settings of their own music as well as Ornette Coleman, Anthony Braxton and Paul Motian. Phillip Golub, "a musician in fast ascent" (Wall Street Journal) and "a brilliant improviser" (JazzTimes), is a pianist, improviser, and composer based in Brooklyn, NY. Originally from Los Angeles, he creates highly original and expressive music, grounded in but not constrained by his engaged practice in jazz, creative music, and new music. Technically audacious, Golub sublates distant sound worlds, negating conventions, yet building on traditions. Golub has been described by critics as "a polymath who elides any divide between improvised and composed music, or jazz and contemporary approaches [...] whose practice can't be contained by genre or discipline" (The Wire Magazine) and as an artist with "seemingly boundless creativity" (Downbeat). His recordings have been praised as “cutting edge” (Sequence 21), while containing “a profound concept […] triumphant […] fascinating” (Pop Matters).

Fri 17 Jul20:45Vortex

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Workshops & Classes

Sam Eastmond & The Composers Workshop Big Band

Doors 7:45 PM, Music 8:30 PM - 2 sets of music About Trumpeter, composer, and arranger Sam Eastmond is known for his large ensemble work with John Zorn, he is the only artist to have led, arranged, and recorded Zorn’s works in MASADA Books Two and Three and The Bagatelles, recording albums in these series as well as his own works on Tzadik Label. Eastmond leads and curates the Composers Workshop Big Band, an alchemical fulcrum for new experimental big band music. Formed from some of the most exciting and outrageous young musicians in London including members and alumni of NYJO, Tomorrows Warriors, and music colleges from around the world the Workshop is a place to develop experimental and challenging new works driven only by artistic and not commercial imperatives. This show features brand new works from the members of the workshop. https://soundcloud.com/sameastmond/sets/sam-eastmond-large-small?si=7055253a9b564d1f8b92d48d1ade0729&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Tue 21 Jul20:45Vortex

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Live Music

Kate Williams Trio

Doors 7:45 PM, Music 8:30 PM - 2 sets of music Line-up: Kate Williams - Piano Oli Hayhurst - Double bass David Ingamells - Drum kit About Pianist/composer Kate Williams has gained a reputation as both a distinctive writer and performer. She has released several CDs, each one to critical acclaim, including Made Up and Atlas And Vulcana (with her septet) and Smoke And Mirrors (with tenor saxophonist, the late Bobby Wellins). In 2020 she won the Parliamentary Jazz Award for album of the year for Finding Home, a collaboration between her band Four Plus Three and vocalist Georgia Mancio. Her latest CD ‘On The Wing Of A Dragonfly’ was released in May 2026 and today’s performance will feature material from the album as well as some new tunes and arrangements. …”Immensely likeable music…distinctive and wholehearted, the trio as one” Jazzwise (editor’s choice) **** April 2026 …”terrific latest release by Kate Williams, one of the British jazz scene’s most eloquent and best-kept secrets.” John Fordham, Uk Jazz News, April 2026 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrAUeI0K27s

Thu 23 Jul20:45Vortex

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Free! (worth double-checking)

Community

Midweek Downstairs Jam

Welcoming and relaxed, come for a drink, sit back and enjoy the music, or bring your horns, sticks and strings to join in during the second set. First set from house band: David Miller (saxophone), Davide Melis (piano), Duncan McKenzie (bass) & Bobby James (drums) followed by a jam session till close. Entry is free all night 19:00 – 22:30.

Tue 28 Jul20:00Vortex

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Live Music

Leon Foster Thomas Group

Doors 7:45 PM, Music 8:30 PM - 2 sets of music Line-up: Leon Foster Thomas - Steel Pan, Voice Sam Leak - Piano LOX - Drums Ben Glasser - Electric guitar Mirko Scarcia - Double bass About: A gifted international jazz musician and steel pan virtuoso from Trinidad & Tobago. His music is a blend of his Caribbean roots with the harmonic and improvisational complexities of jazz, creating a lively and eclectic meld all his own. Born in Trinidad, Leon Foster Thomas has proven through his albums and performances that the steel pan has the musical sophistication to be taken as seriously in the jazz universe as the more well-known vibraphone. Winner of the World Steelband Music Festival Soloist and Duet competition of 2002 and 2004, critics laud him as “…masterful with impeccable musicianship” (When Steel Talks); “a benevolent wizard” (Venice Magazine). Leon has collaborated with legendary artists in the jazz scene and beyond including Hugh Masekela, Randy Brecker, Sammy Figueroa, Vince Mendoza, Dolly Parton, John Beasley, Mino Cinelu, Orphy Robinson, Cyril Neville, Ky-Mani Marley and many more. He has performed at internationally renowned venues such as New York’s Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Adrienne Arsht Center of the Performing Arts in Miami, and Moscow’s International House of Music.

Sat 8 Aug20:45Vortex

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