Tomorrow’s Warriors Takeover at EFG London Jazz Festival

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Tomorrow’s Warriors Takeover at EFG London Jazz Festival

Be the first to see the future stars of British jazz – music development and performance collective Tomorrow’s Warriors jam in the Royal Docks as part of the EFG London Jazz Festival. No story about the revitalised London jazz scene is complete without mention of Tomorrow’s Warriors, the grassroots organisation founded by Gary Crosby, championing emerging talent and increasing opportunities within jazz.

3pm Uphoria

4pm Kasia Konstance

6pm Xhosa Cole

Uphoria
is one of the latest bands to emerge from famed jazz talent development agency, playing hard grooving originals. Despite an average age of eighteen their playing shows virtuosity beyond their age. Previous performances include Cross the Tracks festival in Brixton and the Southbank Centre.

Donovan Haffner - saxophone
Sultan Stevenson - piano
Jacob Gryn - bass
Cassius Cobbson - drums

Kasia Konstance
is a Polish-born singer and flautist whose music draws on soul, jazz and pop. As a member of Tomorrow’s Warriors Female Frontline, Kasia has performed at Field Day, Love Supreme and Brainchild Festival as well as prestigious music venues such as the Royal Albert Hall and during EFG London Jazz Festival at Cadogan Hall supporting Monty Alexander.

Kasia grew up in a musical family and began her career aged 8 playing lead roles in productions at the Musical Theatre in her hometown Lublin. While taking part in various jazz workshops, Kasia fell in love with jazz and soul, and early influences Ella Fitzgerald, Blossom Dearie, Stevie Wonder and Lauryn Hill remain a source of inspiration today. She has taken part in (and won several awards) in numerous national and international singing competitions.

She has also appeared on television numerous times, including on ‘The Voice’ in Poland, and more recently as a backing vocalist on ‘Britain’s Got Talent’. She has also produced and appeared on radio shows for Worldwide FM and Threads Radio.

Xhosa Cole is an embodiment of the success of numerous community arts programmes in Birmingham. Having grown up in Handsworth and first played the Tenor at Andy Hamilton's Ladywood Community Music School, he's now among a long legacy of Birmingham Saxophonists.

Xhosa's earliest memories of the arts are with ACE Youth Dance group. However, since playing in Holyhead School's Jazz band with Ray Prince and Sid Peacock he decided to pursue music and joined the Jazzlines Ensemble, Birmingham Schools Symphony Orchestra, Midland youth Jazz Orchestra among others. While studying at Bishop Vesey's Sixth Form Xhosa attended courses with the National Youth Jazz Collective and National Youth Wind Orchestra.

He has also played with Tomorrow's Warriors in the Nu Civilisation Orchestra

Xhosa continually pushes his playing while studying with teachers and mentors including Mike Williams, Jim Bashford and Percy Pursglove, performing regularly around Birmingham, writing for commissions by the Ideas of Noise Festival and Bobbie-Jane Gardener's 'For-Wards' and teaching Birmingham's next generation of talent alongside his former teacher Toni Grehan.

Time & date

Sat 23 November
3pm–7pm

Location

The Crystal

Tickets

Free

For your visit

Food & Drink

Tapa Tapa

Tapas at this red-bricked Spanish place just inside the ExCeL comes traditional or with a modern twist.

Royal Victoria Dock
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Food & Drink

Airline Cafe

No one complains about all-day breakfast for under a fiver. Right next to the ExCeL, this cafe-diner opens early to late.

Royal Victoria Dock
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Food & Drink

China Palace

Dim sum, karaoke, and tradition Chinese cuisine next to the ExCeL centre.

Royal Victoria Dock
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