London Jazz Festival comes to Greenwich (From News Shopper)

London Jazz Festival comes to Greenwich

12:09pm Wednesday 12th November 2008 in Search By Kerry Ann Eustice

For the first time, London Jazz Festival is bringing its mission to blend old and new talent on the jazz stage to Greenwich.

Extending its reaches to the outer-London boroughs — Newham, Waltham Forest, Richmond-upon-Thames and Kingston — the BBC Radio 3-partnered event is staging more shows than ever thanks to support from the Mayor’s Office at the GLA.

Jazz musician Kaz Simmons is excited to be involved.

She said: “The LJF is a very prestigious and popular event and features internationally-renowned artists and to have Greenwich associated with the festival is great. It's great for Oliver’s which is a small, relatively unknown venue and great for me, of course, as I’m playing. I am very excited and honoured to be a part of it.”

Kaz says the expansion of the festival to Greenwich is fitting considering the vibrant jazz scene in the borough.

“There are loads of excellent jazz musicians living in Greenwich and the surrounding areas, as well as hosting Trinity Music College,” she said. “All being well, it would be great to have more gigs in the LJF next year and feature more of these musicians.

“It definitely has the potential to expose new people to the genre,” she said. “Oliver's is quite hidden away and a lot of people I speak to who have lived in Greenwich for a while don’t even know it’s there. It hosts jazz and world music most nights of the week and any publicity is a good thing. It is a very laid back venue.”

While Leisure urges you to look out for Old, New, Borrowed, Blue, a new vocal project featuring four jazz singers at Blackheath Halls, Kaz has her own recommendations from the line up.

“Milton Nascimento is a big hero of mine. I can't wait to see him. Joe Stilgoe, another local lad and a friend of mine, is playing several times during the week. He's very entertaining. Gareth Lockrane's big band will be well worth watching too. Sam Crowe at Oliver’s. There's too much choice, really.”

Kaz and band will be playing originals with Latin classical guitar styles and influences including Rufus Wainwright and Radiohead, as well as Brazilian gems and arrangements with a twist of the likes of Nina Simone and Paul Simon as part of the event.

London Jazz Festival, Nov 14 to Nov 23.

LJF in Greenwich

• Sam Crowe, Nov 18. 8.30pm. Oliver’s Music Bar, Greenwich. 020 8858 5855. £4/£3.

• Kaz Simmons, Nov 19. 8.30pm. Oliver’s Music Bar, Greenwich. 020 8858 5855. £4/£3.

• Old, New, Borrowed, Blue featuring Ian Shaw, Nicola Emmanuelle, Sue Richardson and Tammy Weis. Nov 21. 7.30pm. Blackheath Halls, Lee Road, Blackheath. 020 8463 0100. £16.