The Most Exciting Festival Of The Year...Is Free

Throughout the history of this blog I have endeavoured to promote British jazz in a more commercially viable and approachable manner. I have reiterated many times that, whatever level of authority you feel I hold on the matter, the future of the genre does not exist with the re-iteration of sounds from an era which has been and gone (no matter how golden that age may have been). The future of jazz lies in the capable clutches of the innovators and the entrepreneurs who manage to mould and shape music into previously unheard, exciting directions. Whether these new sounds are specifically branded jazz, or something different which takes its roots directly from jazz but sets its sights elsewhere, it needs to be approached with an open mind from all walks of life; else contemporary music runs the risk of being 'too jazzy' for the commercial market, and 'too modern' for the genre's purists.

Therefore, when I heard about the new 'Match & Fuse festival' which is coming to London this summer, I nearly fell off of my chair. Showcasing the brightest and most importantly dirtiest young ensembles from around the Europe and Scandinavia, the festival, bought about by British Jazz heavyweights 'World Service Project', is taking place from the evening of Friday 15th of June for two jam packed days of eclectic new jazz. With artists on show from all over the globe, the program is as diverse and eclectic as any you'll see this summer and there's sure to be a couple of names thrown in there that you haven't heard before (I know there's a few that I haven't). Oh and... one more thing... It's FREE

click here to listen to the bands and if you don't like them then go anyway becuase it's FREE

Friday 15th evening in the Vortex Jazz Club

20.15 Alfie Ryner France, mashup big band WorldService Project/RedivideR/Alfie Ryner 21.30 Neo Italy 22.30 Led Bib UK 23.30 Owls Are Not What They Seem Poland

Saturday 16th afternoon in Gillett Square, N16

13.00 3 dancers 9 drummers 13.45 Hackney kids & match& fusers 14.30 Les Rauchen Verboten Spain 15.45 Pixel Norway 17.00 RedivideR Ireland

Saturday 16th evening, Square and Vortex

In Vortex: 17:45 Trilbraco Italy 19:30 Synkoke Norway 21:30 Tin Men and The Telephone Holland 23:30 Tubax Italy

In Gillett Square: 18:45 Match & Fuse big band 20:30 World Service Project UK 22:30 Trio VD UK