Brandee Younger, Charles Tolliver, MonoNeon, second Pat Metheny Barbican show and many more added to 2024 EFG London Jazz Festival line-up

More leading international jazz names have been announced for this year’s EFG London Jazz Festival which runs from 15-24 November 2024 across venues large and small around the capital. Among this next tranche of newly confirmed gigs is a second night at the Barbican for global jazz guitar star Pat Metheny on Friday 15 November, following his previously announced appearance on 16 November now being sold out.

Another jazz heavyweight now on the bill is revered trumpeter Charles Tolliver, who marks what would have been the 100th birthday of his former bandmate and iconic drummer Max Roach. Tolliver will perform alongside drummer Darrell Green and tenor saxophonist Camille Thurman and an all-star UK big band led by Tony Kofi (Barbican, 18 Nov), all combining the trumpeter’s composition ‘Drum Suite’ written for and dedicated to Roach.

A special concert to mark the 30th year of democracy in South Africa will close the festival out (Barbican, 24 Nov) with a celebration of the vibrant avant garde music making that’s now coming out of South Africa. The concert will feature some of the current movers and shakers of the SA jazz scene including Thandi Ntuli, Bokani Dyer, Thandiswa Mazwai, Keenen Meyer and The Brother Moves On. They will be joined by guests from the UK including saxophonists Chelsea Carmichael and Soweto Kinch. The line-up is curated by The Brother Moves On’s Siyabonga Mthembu and pianist, composer, singer Thandi Ntuli.

At the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, a midweek highlight will come from internationally acclaimed, Grammy-nominated multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, whistler, and songwriter Andrew Bird and his trio who perform on Tuesday, 19 November. With their album arriving in May, The Andrew Bird Trio will play jazz standards by the likes of Duke Ellington and Cole Porter alongside original compositions. The second weekend of the festival will feature a special performance in the Royal Festival Hall showcasing two huge talents. Known for her stunning jazz voice and sensational performances on Later… with Jools Holland, platinum-selling Irish singer Imelda May will be joined by Norwegian singer and guitarist Bernhoft.

The festival’s celebration of Korean music continues this year with two showcases as part of K-Music at the Southbank Centre’s Purcell Room. First up is the Seoul Metropolitan Traditional Orchestra (SMTO) and No-Noise, the dynamic ensemble led by Lee Il-woo and SungSi Young of Jambina on Friday, 15 November. And returning to the Purcell Room after six years, Heemoon Lee will take the audience on “a transcendental musical journey”, performing music from his new album Spangle on Sunday, 24 November.

Islington’s Union Chapel is now set to host ECM-signed trumpeter Avishai Cohen (21 Nov), alongside an opening set from singer and harpist Sophye Soliveau, while the following night will sees multi-instrumentalist and electronic producer Sam Gendel appear for the second year in a row, this time performing alongside longtime collaborator and bassist Sam Wilkes.

Two additional shows are being added to the Cadogan Hall’s busy jazz festival line-up, both celebrating Cuban music. On Monday, 18 November, Marc Ribot’s Los Cubanos Postizos will demonstrate why they became the ultimate New York City party band in the 90s and then a couple of nights later on Wednesday, 20 November, the revival of Cuban music continues with dazzling pianist Roberto Fonseca.

The EartH Theatre in Dalston is the destination for some exciting additions to the wider programme and include the fast rising American harpist Brandee Younger, who’s been making waves with her critically acclaimed and funky take on modern jazz as heard on her recent album, Brand New Life (17 Nov). The venue also hosts the welcome return of the Neil Cowley Trio (19 Nov), as the pianist reunites his group of bassist Rex Horan and drummer Evan Jenkins playing music from their forthcoming new album, Entity, for their first live show together in seven years. And it’s maverick US bass guitar sensation and singer MonoNeon who will closes the festival at EartH on the second Sunday of the festival,

Further concerts added include dub and jazztronica fuelled group Submotion Orchestra who play Village Underground (17 Nov) while over at Milton Court (that’s part of the Barbican complex) is the top jazz-world percussionist and composer Marilyn Mazur with her 10-piece Shamania ensemble. There’s also a powerful show Afrobeat show from saxophonist  Seun Kuti (youngest son of Fela Kuti), at KOKO, Camden (17 Nov). And cutting edge composer and electronic musician Matthew Herbert is returns to his early-2000s house music alias, Herbert, for a new stripped back deep house and jazz infused live show featuring Momoko Gill on drums (Purcell Room,, 24 November). Jazzwise is festival media partner.

For the full line-up, info and tickets visit https://efglondonjazzfestival.org.uk/