GRASS ROOTS jazz festival

ABNA is a tantalising trio proudly flying the flag for South London. Through the instrumentation and narrative of a classic jazz outfit, these young musicians share their fresh sonic ideas with hints of afrobeat, hip-hop, dub and grime. Having honed their skills through programmes offered by Trinity Laban and the Julian Joseph Jazz Academy, this talented triumvirate is very much turning heads throughout the London music community. ABNA's current line-up consists of Jedd Bailey-Smith on bass, Jasper Chin on saxophone and Richie Sweet on drums as well as percussion. James Akers will be filling in for Jasper exclusively for the Grass Roots Jazz Festival.

Ankora is an all-female 8-piece ensemble comprising Kezia Abuoma, Tami Adebanjo, Keira Chakraborty, Hannah Clifton, Klara Devlin, Miranda Radford, Mali Sheard and latest joiner Aleks Dimitrova, who met at the much-lauded music organisation Tomorrow’s Warriors. Collectively and individually, the ladies of Ankora have already made their mark on the jazz scene through performances at venues and events such as The Vortex Jazz Club, Love Supreme Jazz Festival, We Out Here, Cheltenham Jazz Festival, Dizzy’s Jazz Club in New York, Brick Lane Jazz Festival and The Jazz Cafe.

Anna Chai puts together for the first time an excellent line-up to bring her original musical concepts to life, taking inspiration from some of her biggest influences which include Charles Lloyd, Wayne Shorter, Jorge Pardo and Carles Benavent. Her project addresses a yearning for unmasked, fully present music that amalgamates elements of the sounds she most connects with. The cross rhythms and expressive interpretations of melodies in flamenco, rhythmic cycles heard on the tabla in Indian classical music, American hard bop and modal jazz, all feed into a largely experimental approach across compositions, arrangements and improvised elements. Expect to pass moments of reflection, curiosity, excitement, movement and pain in the most authentic way.

Happy Garden is a nature-inspired, 6-piece nu-jazz band blending lush harmonies, organic grooves and improvisational freedom. Drawing influence from the natural world, their sound fuses elements of nu-jazz, Afro rhythms and beautiful soundscapes to create immersive sonic landscapes. With rich instrumentation and a spirit of exploration, Happy Garden invites listeners into a meditative, groove-driven experience that is both grounding and uplifting.

Kora Williams is a 2nd year student at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, as well as an upcoming singer who has a voice described as having a pure natural tone. She combines her love for folk music with jazz and soul, evoking the beauty and the spirit of Mother Earth. Raised listening to greats such as Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Sarah Vaughan, Joni Mitchell, Aretha Franklin and Joan Baez, Kora's rich musical upbringing has shaped her fresh yet familiar sound. This shows in her lyrics and melodies.

Saurabh Shivakumar is a composer and performer working across contemporary, improvised and electronic music, currently studying as a postgraduate at the Royal Academy of Music. He has composed for The Hermes Experiment, CHROMA Ensemble, Riot Ensemble and New London Chamber Choir. Saurabh also regularly does arrangement and orchestration work for the CBSO (City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra). Additionally, he performs and co-writes for the improvised duo ‘Red on Gold’ alongside Serbian/Swiss singer and electronic artist Anastasija Stanojevic. In 2025, Saurabh was selected as a Southbank Centre Future Artist.