Nova.Sol + Romy Taylor + TFUZ + Kneil
Sunday 25th May
Doors: 6:30pm
Kneil 7pm. TFUZ 7.45pm. Romy Taylor 8.30pm. Nova.Sol 9.30pm. Curfew 11pm.
Presented by DJ Lubi
Tickets: General £10.00+bf Student £8.50+bf
For his final Leeds Jazz Festival 2025 show, promoter Lubi Jovanovic (DJ Lubi), is featuring a night dedicated to the next generation of jazz musicians breaking out right now from the buzzing Leeds DIY jazz scene. For this. he's teamed up with Leeds breakbeat jazz crew Nova.Sol for their first ever Brudenell headline show and together, they are curating a multi-bill night of music taking in the full spectrum of jazz in the city.
Headliners are Nova.Sol, who are already well established in Leeds now but also making waves outside the city too. Formed back in early 2023 while students studying jazz at Leeds Conservatoire, Nova.Sol are a 6-piece alternative jazz band inspired by the UK contemporary jazz scene. With influences ranging from fusion and electronic music to dance music and straight-ahead jazz, they want to translate this range to demonstrate their unique sound and approach to improvisation characterised by tight rhythmic horns, big beats and a range of electronic effects.
Their influences include people like Alfa Mist, Soil & Pimp, JSPHYNX, Jamie Leeming and corto.alto. The band combines improvisation and uptempo grooves to create high energy in the studio and particularly live on stage. They've played gigs/shows across the UK as headliners plus supporting artists such as Steam Down, Ife Ogunjobi (Ezra Collective) and TC & The Groove Family. In 2024, they appeared at both We Out Here Festival and Leeds Jazz Festival and self-released two independent digital singles - "Sanguine" and "In Between". Both had great radio support across the board. This included plays on BBC Radio 3 "Round Midnight" with Soweto Kinch, BBC Introducing, Jazz FM, Totally Wired Radio, NTS Radio, Reform Radio to name a few. Tonight, they're showcasing new material as well as playing some old favourites for their first ever headline show at the legendary Brudenell Social Club.
Nova.Sol are :
Ernie Moore - trumpet, Asher Freeman - tenor saxophone, Luke Hannay - guitar, Poppy Green - bass guitar, Isaac Keech - piano, Billy Goulding - drums
Main support act is one of the best "ones to watch" artists currently at Leeds Conservatoire. Singer/songwriter/composer/musician Romy Taylor, just 21 years old, British born but raised in the south of Spain. Taking inspiration from artists Daniel Caesar, Eloise and Minnie Riperton, she combines atmospheric dreamlike flavours with eminently listenable and memorable melodies full of hooks. Her debut single "Momentum" got picked up on Spotify for the Fresh Finds playlist and she sold out her debut single launch party at Oporto Leeds in October 2024. She's already appeared at Gilles Peterson's We Out Here Festival in 2024, supported future soul crew Heritage at Belgrave Music Hall and packed out various Leeds venues. A unique artist with her own spin on jazz/soul/electronica, every gig is different....sometimes stripped down, sometimes with a band plus strings. Nova.Sol were insistent on Romy being main support but with a voice as incredible as her, it was a given.
Second support act are TFUZ, a jazz-funk/fusion band led by much respected Leeds drummer Charlie Tanner. He's best known as drummer for alt-soul singer Hannah Rowe, as well as a session player for various other artists. Now he's leading his own band, TFUZ, which he describes as "it’s jazz/funk fusion stuff, grooving/shredding but a nice balance". Featuring some of the hottest players currently on the scene, no doubt this set will go off. First time playing at Brudenell. Again, good shout from Nova.Sol.
Opening act are a fairly new band called Kneil (pronounced Neil), featuring lead singer Rosie Myers, who do their own take on contemporary soul music but with added electronic and alt-pop influences. Already picking up a following with support slots around the city, this is their first time on the Brudenell stage. A great chilled opening act to kick the night off.