The Welcome to Leeds Stage: Curated by JazzLeeds
Monday 29th May
1pm - 8pm
Located on Cookridge Street, Between The Radisson hotel and Henry Moore Institute
Presented by JazzLeeds
Free
JazzLeeds celebrates its 16th birthday with an afternoon of some of the best of our activities from the past year. Free with payf collection
1pm - 1 45pm: Roundhay School Jazz Group.
JazzLeeds have been working with Roundhay School in a project to introduce young people to improvisation, groove playing, playing by ear and from memory – skills and creative practices that are part of Jazz. Dave Evans leads a group of young musicians from the school to perform at Leeds Jazz Festival – come and cheer them on!
2pm - 2 30pm: JazzVoices Choir
Jazz singer and educator Tessa Smith leads our JazzVoices community choir, who have been based at Northlight in Chapel Allerton. They sing jazz blues and gospel tunes, all for fun.
2 30pm - 3 15pm: Kate Peters Quintet
Leeds favourite vocalist Kate Peters performs jazzy takes on classic numbers. Kate has worked in a wide variety of stars in the music industry most recently with DJ Judge Jules. Her band features Ben Lowman on tenor sax, Martin Longhawn on piano, John Marley on bass and Tim Carter on drums
3 30pm - 4 15pm: Abtuse
Abtuse originally met at one of the JazzLeeds workshops that now run at Northlight in Chapel Allerton. Led by sax player Brian Whittington they play an exciting mix of jazz, Latin, blues, funk and fusion, all with their own distinctive twist.
4 30pm - 5 15pm: Miles Pillinger Quartet with Olivia Cuttill
Miles Pillinger is a drummer in his final year at Leeds Conservatoire – he has been a regular performer for us at our Seven Arts venue most memorably when where keeping music live during the Covid crisis. His quartet includes Olivia Cuttill on trumpet, also studying at Leeds Conservatoire. Their influences are the likes of Hermetto Pascoal, Chick Corea and Wayne Shorter.
5 30pm - 6 15pm: Awen
Awen Ensemble are a Leeds based Contemporary Jazz Collective who played a beautiful set for us at the Cookridge Street tent last year. Taking inspiration from global folk music, the band are melodically driven with a modal and groove based focus. Amy Clark vocals, Emyr Penry Dance trumpet, Saul Duff tenor saxophone, Samantha Binotti vibraphone, Ruari Graham guitar, Joe Wilkes bass, Eddie Bowes drums.
6 30pm - 8pm: Victor Estevez Latin Sextet
We first came across Victor and Gustavo at the Chapel Allerton Arts Jazz Sunday in 2022 and they blew us away with their mix of classic Brazilian tunes alongside a number of original latin jazz compositions. They’ll be a lovely finish to the Jazzleeds takeover at Cookridge Street! Victor Estevez is on trumpet, Gustavo Andrade tenor sax, Joseph Frost-Tesfaye keys, Jarred Dean bass, Joel Stedman congas, flute, Miles Pillinger drums