Full lineup announced for the Liverpool International Jazz Festival

Liverpool International Jazz Festival returns this February and the line up is now complete — with additional events just announced for the eclectic celebration.

From Thurs 22nd Feb to Sun 25th Feb 2024, the four day jazz extravaganza, hosted by The Capstone Theatre and Liverpool Hope University’s creative campus, is in its eleventh year and features a fusion of top local and international talent. This year’s festival will be as diverse as ever — bringing saxophonists, the best talent from Austria, Indian classical fusion and everything in between.

The opening night of the festival will see Tommy Smith and Gwilym Simcockcollaborate to bring two generations of UK jazz mastery to the stage. Their intimate and intense duets, with a repertoire drawn from many musical avenues, have delighted audiences at events across Scotland and the UK.

Tommy Smith OBE is one of the world’s leading saxophonists and has worked with the likes of Chick Corea, Jaco Pastorius and Dame Cleo Laine to name a few. Meanwhile, Simcock has carved out a career as one of the most gifted pianists and imaginative composers in Europe.

In the first of the newly announced shows, Liverpool Hope Big Band will pay tribute to the legendary American jazz composer, pianist, organist, and bandleader Carla Bley with a concert on the Friday afternoon. A seminal figure in the free jazz movement of the 1960s and later a prolific composer of music for various ensembles including her own Big Band, which was a group of some of the finest players on the contemporary jazz scene, this concert will pay homage to a jazz legend.

Friday evening will see the “young lions“ of Austrian jazz meet one of the most sought-after sidemen in the international jazz scene of the past decades, as David Helbock Austrian Syndicate take the stage. Expect plenty of percussion, groove, and keyboards in the spirit of Austria’s most successful jazz musician, Joe Zawinul.

And if you’ve still got the energy on Friday, the third Mutant Jazz event is the official after party for the Festival and will feature a collaboration between promoters Parrjazz and You & I Presents at Metrocola’s Metro Loft, on Leece Street.

The Saturday afternoon of the festival will see a collaboration with Liverpool’s own Indian arts and culture company, Milap.

The Attuned Quartet will showcase a fusion of jazz and Indian classical music using electric violins, guitar, tabla and cello to create melodic material based on Raags of North and South India, with Latin and jazz tradition influences.

Following the Milap show, festival-goers can enjoy the Liverpool Jazz Celebration- a free admission event taking place in the Cornerstone Building from 3pm to 7:30pm. It will showcase some of the most interesting and creative bands and projects on the Liverpool scene, including Olvine, Viktor Nordberg Quartet, LulaNova, KIPPERS, Malchamech and Sweet Beans.

Then in the evening on Saturday, audiences will be treated to a concert from internationally renowned bassist and songwriter, Yolanda Charles.

Charles has worked with artists such as Hans Zimmer, Paul Weller, Robbie Williams, BB King, Eric Clapton, Roger Daltrey, Van Morrison, Mick Jagger and Michael Jackson in an exemplary career of thirty years and counting.

Charles will perform with her Project pH Instra-mentals group, which features a diverse range of musical styles and has drawn comparisons to Parliament/Funkadelic, Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters, and Yes.

Following the show, Cali Discs at The Caledonia pub will see DJs Copious Notes and JabJazz bring audiences music from across the jazz spectrum. The duo has been carving out a name on the jazz DJ circuit playing in museums, clubs, festivals, public events and on their web radio show Jazz But Not As We Know It.

Sunday 25th February is officially Liverpool Sax Day – a day-long event taking place at the Cornerstone Building at Liverpool Hope University’s Creative Campus, featuring workshops, masterclasses and performances.

It will feature sessions by international sax superstars along with sessions by the North’s leading jazz tenorist and educator, Dean Masser. Participants can bring their saxophones and join in the ensemble classes hosted by composer Andy Scott, and also peruse the many trade stalls.

Closing the festival on Sunday night will be saxophonist and giant of the UK jazz scene, Denys Baptiste.

The Late Trane sees Baptiste reimagine and rework compositions from John Coltrane’s late music (1963 -1967) with a fresh and modern new interpretation, perfectly balancing Baptiste’s unique artistic vision with the visceral emotions and cosmic references that encompasses Coltrane’s late music.

Liverpool International Jazz Festival will take place from Thurs 22nd Feb to Sun 25th Feb 2024 at Liverpool Hope University’s Capstone Theatre and will be the eleventh incarnation of the Festival.

Liverpool International Jazz Festival / Thurs 22nd Feb — Sun 25th Feb 2024 / The Capstone Theatre, 17 Shaw Street, Liverpool, L6 1HP