New London Jazz: From Underground to Center Stage
Around 2015, a fresh energy began to reshape London’s Jazz scene as the genre gained real momentum. Emerging from the city’s underground, a new and distinctive style of jazz took form: raw, eclectic, and unconventional. Fast forward to 2025, and what was once a niche movement has earned global recognition, reaching major stages and capturing the attention of mainstream audiences. In this piece, we highlight a group of pioneering artists who have redefined jazz for today’s listeners and the platforms on which they have arrived.
Ezra Collective
Ezra Collective epitomizes the celebratory spirit of the movement. Once staples of underground showcases, they now turn major festival stages into euphoric block parties. Their Glastonbury 2025 set on The Other Stage was a fever pitch of jazz, Afrobeat, and hip-hop energy, elevated by surprise appearances from Jorja Smith, Loyle Carner, and Kojey Radical. The group’s dynamic presence proves that jazz can move feet as well as minds.
Yussef Dayes
A drummer whose performances are as visual as they are musical, Yussef Dayes has redefined the role of percussion in jazz. His Glastonbury 2025 West Holts set was a genre-blurring spectacle, merging hip-hop rhythms, electronic textures, and spiritual improvisation into a powerful narrative encapsulated by his debut album title, "Black Classical Music." But Dayes is also known for taking jazz to unexpected places…literally. His live performance in front of Mount Fuji earlier this year, captured in a cinematic YouTube film shot in Japan, blends meditative visuals with virtuosic drumming, showcasing his global vision and creativity. From the grassroots to the global, Dayes has become a voice for the avant-garde.
Alfa Mist
From uploading lo-fi jazz-inflected beats on YouTube in the mid-2010s, to preparing for his biggest stage yet , Alfa Mist’s journey encapsulates the essence of DIY artistry. With a unique blend of jazz, soul, and hip-hop, Alfa has built a reputation for creating complex yet accessible soundscapes that resonate on a deeply personal level. This November, he will take to the iconic Royal Albert Hall, a testament to the staying power of his introspective, cinematic sound. Though the venue is grand, his music remains rooted in the intimacy that first defined his work.
KOKOROKO
KOKOROKO emerged as one of the most exciting live acts of the new jazz wave. Their Boiler Room London jam, centered around the now-iconic "Abusey Junction," transformed a late-night session into a global moment. By blending Afrobeat roots with London’s jazz scene pulse, KOKOROKO deliver a sound that feels both reflective and relevant, inviting audiences around the world into theirs.
Nubya Garcia
An early graduate of the transformative Tomorrow’s Warriors program, saxophonist Nubya Garcia has become a defining voice of the scene. Her NPR Tiny Desk Concert distills her talent into pure form: beatiful tone, adventurous phrasing, and real command of her instrument. Garcia's journey from community workshops to Mercury Prize recognition signals a broader shift in what jazz can be, both inclusive and innovative.
Moses Boyd
Producer-drummer Moses Boyd channels London’s pulse through his approach to jazz. His Mercury-nominated album Dark Matter became a defining statement of the new wave, fusing jazz with grime, electronica, and Afro-Caribbean rhythms. At the 2020 Mercury Prize Awards, Boyd’s performance of “Stranger Than Fiction”, featuring four synchronized drummers and dramatic lighting, captured the track’s surreal energy and established him as a powerful visual and sonic force. The album, and its accompanying performance, cemented Boyd’s role as a genre-blurring innovator who reimagines jazz as an immersive, contemporary experience.
These six artists exemplify how London’s once-underground jazz scene has not only entered the spotlight but redefined it. What began in shadow-lit rooms now fills concert halls and festival fields. New London Jazz now stands as a leading light in the new global jazz movement, breathing new life into the genre and inspiring the next wave to follow.
