Ankora @ankoramusic [EMERGENCE}
Ankora is a London based, eight-piece ensemble composed of Kezia Abuoma, Tami Adebanjo, Keira Chakraborty, Hannah Clifton, Klara Devlin, Aleks Dimitrova, Miranda Radford and Mali Sheard. Meeting at the hailed music organisation ‘Tomorrow’s Warriors’, these ambitious young musicians were previously selected to perform as the band ‘Tomorrow’s Warriors Frontline’, under the tutelage of acclaimed drummer and composer, Romarna Campbell. Ankora is the exciting new step the ensemble are taking to launch into the London jazz scene. The name ‘Ankora’ is derived from the Latin word for ‘anchor’ (anchora): a symbol of groundedness, hope and a connection to roots. These connotations are expressed through their repertoire of both originals and covers of powerful jazz tunes. The name links to an alternative meaning in Italian, ‘again’, marking the momentum of their rebirth as they continue their musical and artistic journey.
The band's influences include the legacies of Freddie Hubbard, Herbie Hancock, Joe Henderson and Wayne Shorter, while branching out to the more contemporary mastery of Esperanza Spalding, Geri Allen, Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts and Kenny Kirkland. The ensemble takes inspiration from the spark and power of these jazz legends, compositionally and in their playing. Ankora have already made their mark on the jazz scene through performances at venues such as Love Supreme Jazz Festival, We Out Here, Cheltenham Jazz Festival, The Vortex, The Royal Albert Hall's Elgar Room, Brick Lane Jazz Festival, Manchester Jazz Festival and The Jazz Café. Ready for more, the unique, powerful voice of the ensemble is excited to embrace the wonder and diversity of today's jazz scene.
Niklas Lukassen @niklas_lukassen (Solo)
Niklas Lukassen displays an equally astonishing lyrical sensibility and skilful command on the upright bass, the bass guitar and his unique bass cello. Having lived in New York for several years, he today resides between London and Berlin. Described as "a versatile bass virtuoso" by Jazzwise magazine, Niklas continues to establish himself as a significant presence within the young European jazz scene. Moreover, his sound and artistic vision radiate a striking band leader potential. Niklas ventured from an inconspicuous village somewhere in the South German Black Forest out into a life of creative opportunity through his personal musical journey. Aged 16, he moved to Berlin to cut his teeth in the capital's music scene and attended the Jazz Institute. A formative part of his career lies in New York. Mentored by Ron Carter, he received his Masters Degree from Manhattan School of Music on a full scholarship. Currently Pursuing a doctoral degree and teaching at the Royal Academy of Music in London, he researches ways of Broadening his scope of sounds on a range of String bass instruments.
Immersed in contrasting musical worlds, Niklas has accompanied performances with artists such as Kurt Rosenwinkel, Joe Lovano, Jorge Rossy, Norma Winstone, Jo Lawry, Will Vinson & The New York Voices. Among the records he played on is the Grammy Award Nominated album Some days are better by the Kenny Wheeler Legacy Project. Niklas expands beyond his position as a bass player and composer through his singing voice. Notably, he sang in the German National Jazz Orchestra. Niklas international quartet with saxophonist Ben van Gelder, pianist Kit Downes and drummer Francesco Ciniglio, fuses captivating individualists of the jazz scenes of Amsterdam, London, Paris and Berlin into one symbiotic musical organism. Enriched by musical contributions from guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel, saxophonist Wanja Slavin, vocalist Céline Rudolph & trombonist Geoffroy De Masure, they explore unimagined depths on his Heartcore Records release Still Waters. He is also the creative mind behind the group ECHO, which paints sonic landscapes in a poignant instrumentation. In this format, Niklas embraces his penchant for lyric and songwriting, while staying true to his nature as an improviser. Furthermore, alongside pianist Gwilym Simcock and drummer James Maddren, he ventures on untrodden musical paths in his trio with himself on a unique and novel instrument: the bass cello. Niklas has toured extensively throughout Europe, the UK, North America, Asia and North Africa. Notable stages he performed on include the Lincoln Center, the Beacon Theatre, the John F. Kennedy Center and the Berlin Philharmonie.
Sliding-scale ticket options:
To help make our shows accessible while ensuring we can continue to pay our artists properly, we’ve introduced new sliding scale options for our ticket prices. These prices include our usual £15 tickets, plus 'Pay It Forward' options for those who are in a position to pay slightly more, as well as our half price tickets for musicians and students.
Please note: ALL ticket prices are for general admission, with all seats unreserved and first-come-first-served.
High note: £25.00
Cool cat: £20.00
Standard jam: £15.00
Students & MU members: £7.50 [ID required]
As always, carers go free, call the box office to book: 020 7258 2925
All acts are subject to contract and may sometimes change.
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