Jazz in the Gardens Brings Friday Night Jazz and more to Nine Elms and Battersea
World Heart Beat Embassy Gardens welcomes back its seasonal concert series – Jazz in the Gardens –bringing rhythm, soul and community spirit with a diverse programme of jazz performances to its intimate music venue in Nine Elms, Battersea.
From late spring to early summer, Friday 1 May to Friday 17 July, World Heart Beat Embassy Gardens will become a vibrant live music destination for jazz lovers, showcasing nine jazz concerts on Friday nights from world-class jazz musicians to rising stars, including legendary saxophonist, Jean Toussaint, Tony Kofi Quartet and jazz pianist, Julian Joseph.
Kicking off the series is saxophonist and composer Trish Clowes album launch ‘Try Me’ featuring her band MY IRIS and cellist Louise McMonagle (Friday 1 May); followed by a double bill from two emerging stars on the London jazz scene Emile Hinton Trio + Nnamdi Nnachi-Cole Quartet (Friday 15 May); Samuel Sesay, a young and promising talent whose work spans the fields of jazz, hip-hop, electronic, and rock The c-se quartet (Friday 22 May 2026); Filomena Campus Quartet blending jazz, improvisation and spoken word Filomena Campus Quartet (Friday 29 May); a return to Embassy Gardens for Grammy Award-winning Jean Toussaint, formerly of Art Blakey’s ‘Jazz Messengers’ Jean Toussaint Quintet (Friday 5 June); award-winning, London-based jazz bass player, composer and arranger Misha Mullov-Abbado Group (Friday 12 June); one of the UK’s finest alto saxophonists, known for his powerful sound, fearless improvisation, and deep-rooted connection to jazz Tony Kofi Quartet (Friday 19 June); spanning jazz, R&B, soul, funk, Latin and gospel, with a strong grounding in straight-ahead jazz and modern improvisation Zeeks and the Brotherhood (Friday 26 June); and to conclude, hailed as one of the finest jazz pianists to emerge on this side of the Atlantic, Julian Joseph will perform standards from the jazz classics as well as his own original compositions Julian Joseph: 60th Birthday Concert (Friday 17 July).
Alongside its Friday night concert series, World Heart Beat champions arts and community engagement through a free, vibrant Jazz in the Gardens Trail and café concerts across Nine Elms and Battersea. In collaboration with local organisations and venues, the neighbourhood will come alive with rhythm and jazz, offering the community an immersive and uplifting musical journey.
With every ticket, audiences are treated to world-class jazz performances in an intimate setting—while also helping nurture the next generation of talent at World Heart Beat Music Academy. Each purchase feeds into the charity’s bursary programme, opening doors for young musicians who face financial or social barriers, and giving them the chance to find their voice through the power of music.
May
Jazz in the Gardens: Trish Clowes: ‘Try Me’ album launch ft. MY IRIS + Louise McMonagle, Friday 1 May 2026
Saxophonist and composer Trish Clowes launches her new album ‘Try Me’ released by UK indie label Stoney Lane Records, featuring her band MY IRIS, with Chris Montague (guitar), Ross Stanley (piano/Hammond organ), and Joel Barford (drums). Cellist Louise McMonagle also appears as a special guest.
Jazz in the Gardens: (Double Bill) Emile Hinton Trio + Nnamdi Nnachi-Cole Quartet, Friday 15 May
Emile Hinton is an award-winning jazz pianist and composer emerging from the heart of the London jazz scene. A mentee of renowned UK pianist Julian Joseph, Emile graduated with first-class honours from Trinity Laban Conservatoire and recently spent three months at the Tribeca Jazz Institute in NYC, studying with some of New York’s top musicians.
Nnamdi Nnachi-Cole is a young pianist with a beautiful flowing integrity of sound; his ballad playing is insightful and mature coupled with an effortless urgency when the music is powerful and fast pace. He will perform in a quartet alongside South London musician Ellis Gates, crowned the Young Drummer of the Year, securing his place in drumming history at the Zildjian Young Drummer contest, testament to his extraordinary talent and dedication.
Jazz in the Gardens: The c-se quartet, Friday 22 May 2026
Samuel Sesay, simply known as ‘c-sé’, is a young and promising talent whose work spans the fields of jazz, hip-hop, electronic, and rock. With influences such as Herbie Hancock, Horace Silver, and Joe Armon-Jones, he presents a set of mostly original jazz compositions, reflecting his upbringing in Hackney and the culture around him.
Jazz in the Gardens: Filomena Campus Quartet, Friday 29 May 2026
The Filomena Campus Quartet presents a special preview of their forthcoming album, offering a rare chance to experience the music live in the very space where it was recorded. Blending jazz, improvisation and spoken word, the performance unfolds as a vibrant and theatrical musical journey. The programme features original multilingual compositions co-written with Steve Lodder and Charlie Pyne, alongside new arrangements from Campus’ rich repertoire and international collaborations, including a vocal solo interpretation of a Jobim classic.
June
Jazz in the Gardens: Jean Toussaint Quintet, Friday 5 June 2026
An exciting visit from the Grammy Award-winning Jean Toussaint, formerly of Art Blakey’s ‘Jazz Messengers’. His blistering technique and lyrical sound have earned Jean acclaim from across the world, and the band leader has 12 albums under his belt. Toussaint is also often invited to join tours with US musicians visiting Europe and most recently was on tour with pianist Cedar Walton and Donald Brown, trumpeter Eddie Henderson and an extensive tour of Europe the Middle East and New York with the great Jeff Watts.
Jazz in the Gardens: Misha Mullov-Abbado Group, Friday 12 June 2026
Award-winning, London-based jazz bass player, composer and arranger Misha Mullov-Abbado is a musician who combines great imagination with raw talent and a clear vision.
A BBC New Generation Artist and with three critically acclaimed albums on Edition Records under his name, his most recent offering Effra showcases his ‘melodic gift’ (John Fordham, The Guardian) and ability to masterfully combine beautifully crafted compositions with free-spirited improvisation.
Jazz in the Gardens: Tony Kofi Quartet, Friday 19 June 2026
Tony Kofi is renowned as one of the UK’s finest alto saxophonists, known for his powerful sound, fearless improvisation, and deep-rooted connection to the jazz tradition. A graduate of the legendary Berklee College of Music, he has built an extensive career performing with the likes of the World Saxophone Quartet, Courtney Pine, Abdullah Ibrahim, Branford Marsalis, and many leading UK ensembles.
Jazz in the Gardens: Zeeks and the Brotherhood, Friday 26 June 2026
Ezekiel Ajie, aka Zeeks, is a former boxer turned double bassist and electric bassist, now firmly established as a versatile and in-demand musician on the UK jazz scene. His work spans jazz, R&B, soul, funk, Latin and gospel, with a strong grounding in straight-ahead jazz and modern improvisation. He has performed with leading figures including Wynton Marsalis, Tony Kofi, Byron Wallen, Leon Garner, Andy Davies and Jas Kayser and is known for his solid time, clear melodic sense and adaptability across genres.
July
Jazz in the Gardens: Julian Joseph: 60th Birthday Concert, Friday 17 July 2026.
In celebration of his 60th birthday, and to conclude the Jazz in the Gardens concert series, Julian will perform a selection of the most beautiful standards from the jazz classics as well as original compositions by Joseph himself; never ceasing to inspire with his mastery of the keyboard, versatility of musicality and boundless creative imagination. Hailed as one of the finest pianists to emerge on this side of the Atlantic, for over two decades Julian Joseph has been a towering figure in contemporary jazz.
If you are a local organisation who would like to be part of the Jazz in the Gardens Trail, please email info@worldheartbeat.org.
For World Heart Beat
Address: World Heart Beat Embassy Gardens, Nine Elms
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/worldheartbeat
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cyrillibrahim
