Junction Tales

We are delighted to welcome back one of the capital's most exciting trumpeters, Mark Kavuma, to perform a solo show for the first time in Watford. The Jazz FM Awards 2025 ‘Instrumentalist of the Year’ shortlist nominee joined us as the featured guest for the equally wonderful Sultan Stevenson for our first ever festival, so it is a genuine thrill to have Mark back with his powerhouse quartet at The Pump House Theatre.

 

Over the last decade, the composer, trumpeter, educator and bandleader has established a reputation as an influential figure, performing at the cutting edge of the vibrant London nu-jazz scene. A dedicated, community-spirited operator, Mark has released eight albums under his leadership, set up a thriving record label, and supported or performed alongside bona fide legends such as Wayne Shorter, Salif Keita and Wynton Marsalis whilst maintaining a heady gigging schedule.

 

As a performer, Kavuma is renowned for his unique, distinctive trumpet sound. His lyricism, soulful tone and graceful technique spread infectious joy and mutual excitement among audiences and fellow musicians. His evolving compositional flair immerses fellow band members in the vibrant, contemporary world of colour, texture, and harmony that epitomises his musical style. Equally informed by Louis Armstrong, the harmonic colours of gospel or the fresh ideas of the London jazz community around him, Mark has developed and nourished a truly unmistakable ‘sound’, with his band featuring some of the most gifted and engaging musicians on the scene today.

 

In fine support we also welcome back the super-talented young pianist Oscar Lyons with his quartet. First seen at the festival supporting Emma Rawicz back in 2023, the then seventeen year old was a revelation, his virtuosic yet sensitive playing and compositional talents a wow moment for all attendees lucky enough to be there. Currently studying at the Royal Academy of Music, we are delighted to see Oscar’s return, his excellent quartet including the BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year 2024 finalist, tenor saxophonist George Johnson.

 

More about Mark

 

After spending his formative years in Uganda, where he was born, it was after moving to South London that Mark began his musical life, first playing the trumpet at his secondary school, St Thomas The Apostle in Peckham. Shortly afterwards, he joined the acclaimed youth music charity and carnival band Kinetika Bloco (Mark is now a brass tutor and leader at Kinetika Bloco and released their debut album Legacy (2022) on his label), and then onto the developmental hothouse of the Tomorrow’s Warriors programme: two community-focussed outfits whose inclusionary and mentorship-driven mission objectives informs much of how Mark operates himself. With the encouragement of mentors of the calibre of Matt Fox, Claude Deppa, Gary Crosby, Giles Liddiard, Andy Grappy and Quentin Collins, Mark’s commitment to his musical journey was set.

 

It took a few years before the release of his debut album ‘Kavuma’ on Ubuntu in 2018 (acclaimed as one of the best albums of the year by DownBeat Magazine) but he was certainly not resting. Alongside taking advanced studies at Trinity College of Music, Mark was featured as a guest soloist for Jazz at Lincoln Centre Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis in 2012, having been voted best soloist at the very first 'Essentially Ellington' competition in the UK. The following year saw Mark involved in the National Theatre's production of the Amen Corner, and receiving offers to play with the Ethio-jazz pioneer Mulatu Astatke and with John Hendricks at Ronnie’s, and to cap it all off, a prestigious support slot for Wayne Shorter at the Barbican during the EFG London Jazz Festival. In 2014, Mark toured the world in Peter Brook's production of 'The Suit' and in 2015, went on tour with the legendary Salif Keita and Les Ambassadeurs. He also performed with artists as diverse as Jean Toussaint's Young Lions, Jazz Jamaica, Nu Civilisation Orchestra, the LSO and Brinsley Forde MBE. In 2016, Mark was once again invited to play at the Barbican as guest soloist with Jazz at Lincoln Centre Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis performing the Gershwin songbook.

 

Ever the communal-minded organiser and a natural leader, Mark formed a collective based on the exceptional young talent around him called The Banger Factory in 2015. It was with this outfit that he released his second critically acclaimed album for Ubuntu, ‘The Banger Factory’ (2019), its response and natural evolution leading Mark to set up his own label, aptly named Banger Factory Records. He has since released six more celebrated albums with the band or with members of - ‘Arashi No Ato’ (2021), ‘Back-to-Back’ (2022), ‘The Banger Factory – Warriors’ (2022), Erskine & Kavuma  ‘Ultrasound’ (2023), ‘The Dandy’ (2024) and fresh off the press: Mark Kavuma & The Banger Factory ‘Magnum Opus’ (2024). The label has also released records by guitarist Artie Zaitz and Kinetika Bloco.

 

A remarkably mature and visionary character, we are very excited to host Mark and his brilliant quartet. He was asked several years ago in an interview what were the key ideas behind his approach to music and art: the answer was very telling and certainly adjacent to what we strive for as a festival - “Community, Self-Expression, Integrity, Honesty and Love.”

 

Band line-up

Mark Kavuma – trumpet

Jack Garside – bass

Jack Thomas – drums

Deschanel Gordon – piano

 

More about Oscar

 

Oscar was born and raised in Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk to a jazz-loving British father and his mother who is from Mexico, the blending of the two cultures leaving a lasting influence on his musical journey. At five years old, he was introduced to the piano by his parents, working through the classical grades before joining the three year Aldeburgh Young Musicians programme at the prestigious Snape Maltings concert hall. An early convert to public performance, Oscar would perform ‘Happy Birthday’ for his fellow pupils on the school piano during Friday assemblies at St Edmund’s Primary School, a sign of things to come!

 

Attending St Benedict’s Catholic School until last year, Oscar was also a pupil on the Royal Academy of Music's Junior Jazz programme for three years (where he met BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year 2024 finalist, tenor saxophonist George Johnson) and is now studying full time at the Royal Academy, after also receiving offers from Trinity and Guildhall.

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Oscar is a two-time National Youth Jazz Collective alumnus. There is no doubt he is a generational talent and that we shall be hearing from Oscar for a long time with his compositional maturity and piano dexterity.

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Support act line-up

Oscar Lyons – piano

George Johnson – tenor sax

Zaki Osahn – double bass

Ananda Brandão – drums