Discover the Magic of Leeds Jazz Festival: A Symphony of Sensational Sounds

What better way than to spend the blossoming summer outside in the heart of Leeds, the sound of authentic jazz lingering in the air, people dancing and making daisy chains on the grass and the sun beaming against your cold beverage of choice? Nothing (Obviously). 

A bit of a background of the event : The Welcome to Leeds Stage at the Leeds Jazz Festival is a family-friendly, open-air, complimentary stage located on Cookridge Street. It’s an event that is supported and funded by the city and Leeds City Council to highlight the discovery of how Leeds became the focal point for UK jazz, as well as how it continues to thrive and excite the music lovers of today. With that being said, fans and critics are excited to welcome the return of Leeds Jazz Festival for its second year! The event seeks to bring together and honour the artists, establishments, organisers and spectators that contribute to the Jazz scene within the City, all the while featuring spectacular local, national and global musical talent. Additionally, the Welcome to Leeds Stage is a collaborative effort between LeedsBID and New Citizens.

The open-air event’s atmosphere was pure bliss, incredibly chilled and all-around positive. With people coming together to socialise and dance, live music swarming the act as friends reunite and families bask in the pleasant weather. Onto the audience, it was a dazzling tapestry of individuals, with some swaying to the rhythm whilst others sat down chatted and laughed together. To compliment the weather, Radisson Blu and Browns provided refreshments, quenching the thirst of people and became another catalyst to fuel the vibrant energy that radiated throughout the entire event. 

The Welcome to Leeds Stage, located between the Radisson hotel and Henry Moore Institute, was held and presented by Sable Radio; an online radio station and creative platform crafted in Leeds. The radio associates dedicate their time broadcasting, running workshops, producing upcoming podcasts and curate programmes throughout the city. As the anticipation for performer, Mica Sefia, grew, Sable radio set the perfect tone for the event by presenting a tasty collection of uplifting and positive tunes, with the melodies of the playlist bringing smiles to everyone’s faces. The atmosphere being filled with a sense of unity and shared joy set the stage for Mica Sefia, allowing her to prepare and be ready to sweep the audience off their feet with her performance. 

Mica Sefia is a singer/songwriter born in Liverpool. The singer is a contemporary soul singer that combines the power of spoken word and heavy rock to generate an atmospheric sound to immerse the audience. Usually, Mica does this alongside her 11-piece band to give that full impact of emotions, however it’s a little different in this JazzFest! With her spoken words to articulate her experiences as a black woman manoeuvring through the music industry, she will be delivering a stripped back set performance, supported by trumpet and piano. 

Throughout the performance, Mica Sefia had left the audience completely spellbound with her powerful vocals and heartfelt performance, hypnotising their hearts and feet effortlessly as they swayed to the rhythm of her melodies. Her remarkable vocal range resonated with the crowd,  evoking nothing but a surge of emotions, stimulating bursts of applause after each song. Without a doubt, her enthralling presence on stage had indeed exceeded all expectations and left an indelible impression on everyone!

Onto the 2nd day of the Festival, which was as exhilarating and did not disappoint.

Leeds Jazz Festival has extended a welcoming invitation to the renowned live music promoter, DJ Lubi! With the Welcome To Leeds Stage being taken over by the legendary promoter, there was no doubt that the air was to be filled with diverse jazz performances, showcasing a vast amount of talented young musicians.

The stage introduces Heritage, a dazzling 9-piece future soul and nu-jazz ensemble that features three incredibly captivating singers. With their soulful melodies and intricate arrangements, they had no trouble winning the hearts of many. The band’s chemistry was undeniable, with their innovative and original approach to jazz, they left everybody wanting more.

Next up, we have Plantfood, a hard-hitting dance floor band, devoted to the jazz world. Their intense and high-energy radiated throughout their performance, having people on their feet boogieing to their infectious beats.  The band’s highly exceptional skills and passion for their craft were crystal clear, making their performance unforgettable and all-around a joyous moment!

Lastly, closing the day on a solid bang was Leeds’ new leftfield alt-soul queen, Tiger Edison. Her voice emitted uniqueness and passion, effortlessly charming everyone in the audience. Edison’s performance was the perfect finale to an incredible day filled with music, showcasing the huge diversity of young talent evolving within Jazz. Her raw emotions and compelling stage presence solidified her as an artist to watch in the future!