01/05/2026
We're really looking forward to our weekend in Sheffield for this brilliant piano festival. It'd be great to see some of our Listen! regulars there too!
Join us over the weekend of Saturday 9th May and Sunday 10th May, join us for 2 double bill gigs at the Samuel Worth Chapel, as part of the second Keystones Piano Festival.
We’re so excited for this line-up, the music is really varied, a mix of jazz and improvised music, 2 vibrant duos on the Saturday, and a string quartet and electronic sounds on the Sunday, played by 13 musicians over 2 nights, all focused around a wonderful Steinway D grand piano, generously loaned by Music in the Round.
On Saturday 9th May we’re delighted to present two incredible artists, vibraphonist Corey Mwamba nominated in the last nine DownBeat annual critics polls for ‘Rising Star on Vibraphone’ alongside virtuosic and original pianist Robert Mitchell, a band leader and long term collaborator with so many people, including Soweto Kinch, Courtney Pine and Omar. Their music is certain to be deep, intense, inspiring and beautiful.
They’re supported by a duo emerging from jazz scenes in Leeds and Nottingham, pianist Lucas Walters and alto saxophonist Reece Soko-Fogg. A BBC Young Jazz Musician semi-finalist Lucas Walters is a distinctive pianist who’s music really draws you in and he’s definitely making waves, appearing at festivals and venues across the UK. Alto saxophonist Reece Soko-Fogg is an exciting new voice who leads his own band Afrodesia, and is a core member of Amon Ra Collective.
On Sunday 10th May Leeds-based pianist Laura Cole will perform her wonderful arrangements of Ron Caines’ compositions with the Ember string quartet (Gemma Bass, Seth Bennett, Aby Vulliamy, Semay Wu). A thoughtful creative presence on the UK improvised music scene, Laura has recorded three albums with her octet Metamorphic, as well as collaborating with Corey Mwamba, Martin Archer, Faye MacCalman, and many others.
On the same bill, baleine mix electronic and acoustic sounds with elegiac melodies, loops, rhythms, and explorative improvisation. With Manon McCoy (pedal harp/electronics), Will Shaw (drums), Hannah Brady (clarinet/sax) and Jez Matthews (piano/electronics), they perform regularly as balo and whale detective and at events including Kelham Jazz Festival, Lancaster Jazz Festival, Newcastle Festival of Jazz and Improvised Music, and in line-ups including with John Pope, Assembly Trio, Emergence, Life Aquatic Band, Nicola Farnon, Seth Bennett and Johnny Hunter.
You can get advance tickets by emailing [email protected] or messaging Jazz at The Lescar on Facebook/Instagram.
Single gig tickets are £20 or £10 for students/under 25s.
There’s also a weekend ticket for £30.
The whole event is a collaboration with the Sheffield General Cemetery Trust and Samuel Worth Chapel.
