About us
London Jazz Meetup (LJM) is an open forum for jazz lovers, musicians and artists, jazz venues and promoters to share their love of jazz and live music in all its varied forms. Please note there is a one-off £5 contribution when you join the group. Membership to LJM is free thereafter.
As a member of LJM, you can start going to amazing gigs with likeminded people and find out about the wide range of jazz on offer across London, from young bands starting their career to iconic jazz musicians passing through town, including a well of London based artists dedicated to playing great music.
LJM also plays a part in supporting jazz artists in London. If you are a jazz musician, artist, promoter or venue, you are welcome to list your gigs on the LJM calendar.
Listing gigs on LJM is free, it gives your event great visibility to a large group of jazz lovers. In return we ask that you arrange for a clearly signposted reserved space for LJM members who attend your gig. This is to ensure that LJM members can gather and socialise together. Please ask me for more details about how to list and host your event on LJM.
So introduce yourself and share why you joined. And if you see a gig that you’d like to go to and it is not on the calendar, you can post a message on LJM to see who’s interested in going. If there are a few, you can become an event host for the night.
By becoming a member you confirm that you have read, understood and agree with LJM our group rules below.
LJM GROUP RULES
LJM is an inclusive group, we expect our members to feel safe when they attend events. Please be respectful and considerate.
When you sign to an event, it is your responsibility to purchase your own ticket for the performance, your own travel and pub expenses. Please only RSVP that you are attending an event, once you have bought a ticket for the performance.
It is your responsibility to find and arrive at the meeting place on time if you want to enjoy the gig with other LJM members. If you are late, please notify the event host. However it is up to the event host how long the group can wait for you.
Event hosts do not charge for organising and hosting events, they volunteer their time and energy to make everyone feel welcome. Please make it your responsibility too.
Please amend your RSVP to “not attending” if for any last minute reason you are unable to attend the event. It is important for the event host to have an accurate number of people attending the event, so they don’t have to wait unnecessarily.
Please contribute to our forum in any way you can, by sharing your ideas or making suggestions. Why not even organise an event once in a while? You have a choice to become a one-off or a regular 'event host'.
DISCLAIMER
LJM events are free and community-driven.
LJM members are a group of friends, not a business.
LJM calendar offers different types of activities. Any LJM member may organize an event and you can too!
LJM is not organized by a business nor any entity with commercial purposes. Any event details, instructions and other content in our group merely represent our shared personal knowledge, research and suggestions to enable members to get together and have a great time. As this is no business, there is no "product", "service" or "event leader". Each LJM member is expected to arrange their own travel to and from the gig venue. Each LJM member is responsible for their own safety and attendance, for meeting the group at the meeting location specified by the event host and at the time specified. Even hosts will not assume responsibility for anyone arriving late, getting lost, any kind of injury, damage or loss that may happen.
Upcoming events
7
Francesco Cavestri, Steinway Hall, Thur 19 Nov 7pm.
Steinway Hall, 44 Marylebone Ln, London W1U 2DB, UK, London, GBPlease come and discover Italian pianist and composer Francesco Cavestri for a solo concert presenting his latest album NOÈ, inspired by the myth of Noah's Ark. Francesco thinks about his music as an ark, a vessel that can gather different musical worlds and open new horizons in sound. It is the idea behind the performance he brings to Steinway Hall: a suite in three movements, each musically distinct, that takes improvisation, tribute and intimacy on board and carries them in the same direction.
A Steinway Artist and Universal Music Italia recording artist, Cavestri belongs to a generation that hears no border between jazz, electronics, hip-hop and the classical tradition. Born in Bologna in 2003 and trained between the Conservatorio G.B. Martini, Berklee and The New School in New York, he has been named Musica Jazz youngest "New Talent of the Year" three years running (2023–2025) and listed in Forbes Italia Under 30. His fourth album, NOÈ, was released in May 2026 on Universal Music Italia Classics & Jazz.
Tickets: Free. VISIT WEBSITE
Where? Steinway Hall, 44 Marylebone Lane, London W1U 2DB.
When? Stage time 7pm. As it's a free event I suggest we meet earlier to secure a seat.Programme
I. The London Concert, Pt. 1 - Full Improvisation
II. The London Concert, Pt. 2 - My British Influences
III. The London Concert, Pt. 3 - NOÈ6 attendees
UBUNYE – Pizza Express (Soho)
Dean Street Jazz Club, Pizza Express, Pizza Express, 10 Dean Street, Soho, London W1D 3RD, GBUBUNYE | EFG London Jazz Festival
on Friday 20th November '26 at Pizza Express Soho, 1 pm
Music Charge: £25.00 → https://www.pizzaexpresslive.com/whats-on/ubunye-2Ubunye bring their award-winning, cross-cultural show to this year’s EFG London Jazz Festival for a performance that will be a true highlight of the band’s touring calendar. Meaning "Unity" or "Oneness" in Zulu, this six-piece collective unites South African vocal heritage with contemporary jazz, gospel, and funk. At the heart of their identity is a repertoire of original songwriting that speaks directly to the human experience, combining storytelling and compelling musical arrangements to explore political themes and meditations.
Ubunye reached a major milestone when they were named Best Ensemble at the 2023 Parliamentary Jazz Awards. Fronting the ensemble are baritone Xolani Mbatha and vocalist Nokuthula Zondi. Reviewers have marvelled at their striking vocal chemistry, with 'All About Jazz' noting that "blending UK soul singer Omar's swagger with Leon Thomas' phrasing would give you some idea of the power of Mbatha's deep baritone vocals" alongside the huge power of Zondi's voice. Together, they deliver soul-stirring, spiritual gospel harmonies that add a powerful vocal dimension to the show. Keyboardist and songwriter Dave Evans shapes the musical landscape with artful jazz harmonies, helping map out a unique band sound infused with foundational influences that span from the deep jazz-fusion of Weather Report and the South African piano stylings of Abdullah Ibrahim to the lyrical and harmonic mastery of Joni Mitchell and Stevie Wonder.
Behind them, a formidable rhythm section provides a vibrant, infectious energy. Kenny Higgins (The Haggis Horns, Corinne Bailey Rae) anchors the band with deep, hypnotic basslines that lay down an unshakeable, heavy groove, working in tandem with the guitarist Nik Svarc and drummer Steve Hanley. Together, they create an exciting and rich sound that is sometimes delicate and sometimes explosive.
The band’s studio recordings have received strong critical acclaim, earning a 5-star review from BBC Music Magazine and a 4-star review from Songlines, who praised the group’s "distinctive fusion of Zulu harmony singing, Afropop, soul and contemporary jazz," noting their sound is "not to be missed".
For this festival appearance, the band have put together a set that will feature standout tracks from their first two studio albums—their self-titled debut and Tell Me The Truth Or Don't Tell Me Anything. Alongside these established pieces, the band will premiere exclusive, brand-new songs live for the first time.Listeners will move through quiet, close vocal passages into high-energy, danceable grooves. This performance stands out as a definitive representation of the band's current direction. Tickets are available now to see one of the most culturally grounded and engaging live acts on the current scene.
Band Lineup:
Xolani Mbatha (vocals)
Nokuthula Zondi (vocals)
Dave Evans (piano/keyboards)
Nik Svarc (guitar)
Kenny Higgins (bass)
Steve Hanley (drums)Note: For a reserved table with the London Loves Jazz MeetUp group bookings must be confirmed by bookings in advance of the gig directly with the venue. For a comprehensive list of jazz gigs subscribe to Jazz London Live which lists over 5,000 gigs annually in 250 venues.
2 attendees
Arfoud Brothers & Sisters @ Jazz Social, Sat 21 Nov 5pm
The Jazz Social (Open 10-23 Nov), Unit 4, 1 Ropemaker St, London EC2V 9HT, UK, London, GBPlease join me for Arfoud Brothers & Sisters, a London-based Desert Jazz collective founded by Abdelillah Ouahbi.
Drawing our inspiration from Abdelillah’s hometown of Arfoud, an oasis town in eastern Morocco otherwise known as the "Gate of the Sahara", Arfoud Brothers & Sisters forge a bold new sound, blending traditional North African folk, Gnawa, Desert Blues, afrobeat, highlife with the best the London Jazz scene has to offer, from freeform piano to moody horns and soulful vocals. This new genre is now encapsulated in our debut album’s name: Desert Jazz.
The Jazz Social is a pop-up venue with mixed standing / seated. Limited seating operates on a first come first serve basis with no reservations.
Tickets: Free
When? Saturday 21 November, stage time 5.30pm.
Where? The Jazz Social, Citypoint, 1 Ropemaker Street, London EC2V 9HT.17 attendees
Past events
2532
