LIJF 2027 Fringe: Jazz North Northern Line Afternoon Showcase

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NB: This event is part of the Liverpool International Jazz Festival 2027 Fringe and will take place in The Cornerstone Theatre, Liverpool Hope University Creative Campus, 17 Shaw Street, Liverpool L6 1HP.

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Northern Line artists were chosen for Jazz North with the support of an advisory panel of promoters, radio producers, artists and festival teams. The programme provides essential support to artists’ live touring ambitions. Each of the five bands receive a live touring bursary and tailored 1:1 support across an 18-month period. A set from Rivkala will be presented today, following a short Q&A from Jazz North at 3.50pm which will be of particular interest to emerging artists on the Liverpool Jazz scene. In 2027 The Fringe is delighted to be supported by Jazz North Promoters’ Bursary and Arts Council of England Grassroots Fund. 

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This concert will include a set from Rivkala; showgirl, singer and storyteller, an award-winning multidisciplinary jazz and soul artist, vocalist, writer and bandleader. From the campy cabaret world of Crushed Velvet, she and her six-piece band blend jazz, soul, funk and klezmer into provocatively playful songs about gender, wealth inequality and mental health. Serious grooves meet theatrical wit beneath the warm glow of her beloved lamp, Lucille. “I couldn't be more excited to receive Jazz North's support in organising my first UK tour with the full Rivkala band. We've been working hard to develop the show into a uniquely theatrical experience, to give new audiences a taste of the bitter and twisted world inside the Crushed Velvet cabaret.”

An opening set will be provided by Positive Vibes, a duo comprising Tom Sykes (piano, keyboard) and Mike Hughes (vibraphone) performing a wide variety of contemporary music. Tom and Mike are both well established in the Northwest Jazz circuit as side men and here as Positive Vibes they take centre stage. Tom and Mike are heavily involved in the music scene of Liverpool City Region with Tom being a senior member of staff at Liverpool Hope University Music Department and Mike organising several weekly jazz venues on the Wirral. The duo look to explore the musical possibilities of piano and vibes with their performance at this event ranging from revisiting established jazz standards arranged for the unusual combination of the duo, through to contemporary compositions, and the more experimental.

Schedule:

4pm - Positive Vibes / 4:45pm – Q&A Jazz North / 5:15pm - Rivkala