Watford Jazz Junction

Past shows

Since 2021 we're presented hundreds of musicians across scores of shows. Here we present a selection of those.

2021

March 2021
Pump House Colne River Room

Emma Smith

A very special show recorded in lockdown with Emma Smith (v), Conor Chaplin (b), Jamie Safir (p) and Luke Tomlinson (d). The show was behind closed doors & broadcast online.

Watch on YouTube here.

2 songs from our recording (made by Miles Ashton) also premiered on Cerys Matthews' Sunday Show on BBC6 Music radio.

30 October 2021
Pump House Theatre

The Jazz of

Dudley Moore

The Chris Ingham Quartet featuring Chris Ingham (p), George Double (d), Geoff Gascoyne (b) and Paul Higgs (t).

This was our first ever show with an audience. And it really swung!

2022

12 February 2022
Pump House Theatre

A Portrait of Cannonball

The Tony Kofi Quintet featuring Tony Kofi (s), Alex Webb (p), Andy Davies (t), Andrew Cleyndert (b) and Alfonso Vitale (d).

22 April 2022
On the 11.34 from Euston!

Adrian Cox

Clarinettist Adrian Cox helped us to announce of first ever festival, as he played on the train from Euston to Watford (Jazz) Junction.

A journey that takes only 16 minutes but plenty of time for some proper tunes!

IMGP5372 - photo Robert Crowley Photography 2022_edited_edited.jpg

19 May 2022
Watford Palace Theatre

Gala Show 2022

Our first festival started with a bang, featuring:

The Ilario Ferrari Trio with Ilario Ferrari (p), Katie Patterson (d) & Charlie Pyne (b)

Shri with Shri Sriram (b), Dennis Rollins (tb) & Callum Rose (beats)

The National Youth Jazz Orchestra led by Mark Armstrong and featuring Tim Garland (s)

Blimey!

IMG-8456 photo by Justin Turford 2022.JPG

20 April 2022
Harlequin Shopping Centre

John Watson

A great friend of the festival and one of our first performers was pianist John Watson, who busked on a lovely yellow piano at the Harlequin Shopping Centre much to the delight of shoppers and passers by,