2016

Double-Bass phenomenon, multi-instrumentalist and YouTube sensation Adam Ben Ezra; a man seemingly on a mission to bring his instrument from its status as a background note to the dominant front-presence it deserves.

With credits that include work with artists such as, Prince, Dave Stewart of Eurythmics fame, Glee and most recently, special guest appearances on American Idol, bassist, singer and songwriter Nik West is anything more than just another pretty face.

Caro Emerald is a Dutch elektroswing singer. She debuted in 2009 with her single "Back It Up". Her next single "A Night Like This" reached the number 1 position in the Netherlands. Emerald is often praised for her live performances.

Singer Robert Summerfield’s American background, with roots in Chicago and Michigan, is blended with a tangibly European style. As a consequence, ROBB’s music is permeated by smooth, soulful vocals, acting in contrast to beat-heavy, playful, instrumentals.

Enrico Rava is a prolific jazz trumpeter and arguably one of the best known Italian jazz musicians. He originally played trombone, changing to the trumpet after hearing Miles Davis. Enrico Rava is an ECM label artist.

Three-time Grammy-nominated Afro-Caribbean music group Tiempo Libre is one of the hottest Latin bands today.  Equally at home in concert halls, jazz clubs, festival stages and dance venues, Tiempo Libre is celebrated for its sophisticated tropical music featuring an irresistible, exhilarating mix of jazz harmonies, contemporary sonorities and seductive Latin rhythms.  

It’s been an astonishing couple of years for Manchester based trio GoGo Penguin (drummer Rob Turner, double bassist Nick Blacka and pianist Chris Illingworth). Their trademark mash-up of minimalist piano themes, deeply propulsive bass lines and electronica-inspired drums has seen them shortlisted for the Mercury Prize and fuelled their exhilarating live shows from Manchester to Montreal and Paris to London.

Andreas Varady is the gipsy guitar player wunderkind. At the age of fourteen he was contracted by Quincy Jones to his management company, and later supported his hero George Benson in Europe and America. His family trio would be supported by legendary Slovak sax player Radovan Tariška.

Jon Cleary is a funk and R&B musician based in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was originally from Cranbrook in Kent, England, and has studied for the past 35 years the "musical culture and life of New Orleans". Cleary is an accomplished honky-tonk pianist as well as being a multi-instrumentalist, a vocalist and a song-writer.