FESTIVAL
THE CORONET THEATRE JAZZ FESTIVAL 2024
CURATED BY BYRON WALLEN
“Byron Wallen blew my mind” (Jonny Greenwood)
BBC Jazz Innovation award-winner Byron Wallen returns to The Coronet Theatre to curate a sensational festival of international jazz.
After each show, there will be performances by some of the best young jazz musicians in the UK in our intimate candlelit bar.
Headline events
Thu
12 Dec –
MAX ROACH CENTENERY WITH ROD YOUNGS
MOBO nominated musician Rod Youngs pays tribute to legendary American drummer and composer Max Roach in an exclusive set as part of The Coronet Theatre’s 2024 Jazz Festival. Youngs will also celebrate the life and work of pianist and composer Bud Powell and acclaimed drummer Roy Haynes.
Fri 13 Dec –
HURRICANE BELLS
Living at the intersection between jazz, contemporary art and politics, Hurricane Bells is an extraordinary composition by Byron Wallen in
BYRON WALLEN
Byron Wallen (b. 1969) was raised in a musical family and as a child studied classical piano, euphonium, trumpet, flute and drums. In the mid 1980’s the trumpet became Wallen’s primary instrument of choice.
Wallen’s first major work, Tarot Suite, (1994) was inspired by a love of mythology and symbolism, which reflected the archetypal journey of human life through an interdisciplinary pan-continental approach. Wallen’s study of cognitive psychology has aided his transition towards conceptualising music as a medium for healing. Wallen raises awareness and invokes change by unlocking boundaries through the nature and science of sound.
Widely recognised as a seminal figure in Jazz, Wallen is an acclaimed writer and producer whose original scores have been commissioned by The London Science Museum; PRS For Music, The BBC, Jerwood Foundation, Southbank Centre, National Theatre, Arts Council, FIFA and Sage Gateshead.
He has also composed soundscapes for Universal Pictures, Warner Bros and Game of Thrones. Wallen’s current PRS commission ‘Anthem for Woolwich’ forges new links between schools, venues, musicians and residents to strengthen the resilience and promote the cohesion of the community. Wallen has received the BBC Jazz Innovation award (2003) and has been nominated several times for the MOBO award.
The Coronet Theatre is a risk-taking, international arts venue in a restored and re-imagined Grade II listed building in Notting Hill Both its programme and the building’s restoration are curated by Artistic Director, Anda Winters.
Our year-round multi-disciplinary programme of world-class drama, dance, music, poetry and visual arts in our main auditorium and studio space welcomes our own productions as well as visiting artists, including many UK and World Premieres.
We offer memorable and often unexpected experiences to audiences, while supporting established artists and nurturing new talent Our mission is to entertain, educate and excite UK audiences with the art and cultures beyond our borders.
A TRIBUTE TO MAX ROACH BY DAY ONE
ROD YOUNGS
ROD YOUNGS
A moving tribute to legendary drummer Max Roach from Rod Youngs MOBO nominated musician Rod Youngs, along with four of the UK’s best jazz musicians, pay tribute to legendary American drummer and composer Max Roach in an exclusive set as part of The Coronet Theatre’s 2024 Jazz Festival. Youngs will also celebrate the life and work of pianist and composer Bud Powell and acclaimed drummer Roy Haynes.
A native of Washington D.C. Youngs’ developed an interest and appreciation for music at an early age. This interest gradually grew into a passion that eventually led to his studies at Howard University where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Applied Percussion. He later continued his studies at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. under the tutelage of Keith Copeland. Since those formative years Rod’s consummate musicianship has garnered him a wide variety of work from concerts and recordings to sessions for radio, TV and film.
He has performed/recorded with a formidable array of artists including, Lee Konitz, Bennie Maupin, Jon Hendricks, Gil Scott-Heron, Chico Freeman, Hugh Masekela, Gary Crosby, Natalie Cole, Mica Paris, Denys Baptiste, Abdullah Ibrahim, BBC Concert Orchestra, Julian Joseph, Nu Civilisation Orchestra, Courtney Pine, Ronnie Laws, Jazz
Rod
Youngs Drums
Byron Wallen Trumpet
Larry Bartley Bass
Renato Paris Piano
Tony Kofi
Alto Saxophone
MAX ROACH
Max Roach was one of the two leading drummers of the bebop era (along with Kenny Clarke) and was one of the leading musicians, composers, and bandleaders in jazz since the 1940s. His often biting political commentary and strong intellect, not to mention his rhythmic innovations, kept him at the vanguard of jazz for more than 50 years.
FEATURED DOCUMENTARY:
THE DRUM ALSO WALTZES
a documentary exploring the life and music of Max Roach, his creative peaks, personal struggles and re-inventions from the Jim Crow to Civil Rights eras, from heady days of post-war jazz to hip hop and beyond.
BECOME A FRIEND OF THE THEATRE
The Coronet Theatre’s Membership scheme is your passport to our extraordinary artistic mission As a member, you’ll unlock exclusive benefits, from priority booking to discounts at our iconic bar, invitations to exclusive events, merchandise, and access to the latest news about our cutting-edge productions and events.
For just £10 a month you can enjoy these amazing benefits:
Priority Booking - Book ahead of the general public and secure great seats
10% Bar Discount - Get a 10% discount on all drinks in our atmospheric candlelit stalls bar
Season Launch Events - Receive an invitation to at least one exclusive season launch event a year
Tote Bag - Receive a free Coronet Theatre Tote Bag worth £15
Supporters' Newsletter - Be the first to hear news about our new productions, meet the team and get a behind the scenes insight into how our shows are brought to life with an exclusive quarterly newsletter
By becoming a member, you ’ re not just gaining access to world-class international arts –you ’ re also joining a community that values the transformative power of culture.
DAY TWO
BYRON WALLEN’S
HURRICANE BELLS
HURRICANE BELLS
COMPOSED BY BYRON WALLEN
Living at the intersection between jazz, contemporary art and politics, Hurricane Bells is an extraordinary composition by Byron Wallen in response to Peter Shenai‘s work of the same name.
Contemporary artist Peter Shenai cast five bronze bells using analyses of the structure of Hurricane Katrina – the storm that devastated New Orleans in 2005. These cyclonic, irregularly shaped bells produce a tonally complex web of sounds reminiscent of Chinese bells and gongs and when struck in order, their descending tones indicate the growing power of the storm. Building on these unique sounds, Wallen’s work reflects on the tragedy, taking in the culture of New Orleans and the climate crisis that threatens ever larger storms.
“Gong instruments in general, have this amazing political and communicative power: they memorialize, they mark celebrations, they sound alarms, they call communities to gather around important issues. These bells based on the structure of Hurricane Katrina carry a powerful message and set of meanings with them. My piece is an exploration of the socio-political economic climate where their sound resonates.” – Byron Wallen
BYRON WALLEN
Trumpet
MIKE
Guitar
Drums
DE SOUZA
JONNY MANSFIELD
Vibraphone
MENELICK CLAFFEY
Bass
SAM NICHOLLS
THE MAKING OF HURRICANE BELLS:
By Peter Shenai
FEATURED DOCUMENTARY
ADDITIONAL SETS
After each show, there will be performances by some of the best young jazz musicians in the UK in our intimate candlelit bar.
KLARA DEVLIN
Klara Devlin is an awesome talent with a refreshing approach to the music and its legacy. It has been a joy to see her mercurial and meteoric progress since the first few lessons we had together In the words of Tony Kofi: “Klara Devlin, remember her name, she is in my opinion one of the most amazing and unique new trumpet voices to emerge onto the UK jazz scene. To coin the famous quote ‘if ya ain’t got it in ya, ya can’t blow it out’. Klara Devlin definitely has it, and definitely blows it out of her horn! I’m about 2-3 jazz generations in front of her and I’ve never been this excited about a young musician.”
CHRIST-STÉPHANE BOIZI
Christ-Stéphane Boizi is currently in his third year at Trinity Laban. His main influences in developing his sound and craft as a trombonist range from the great bop trombonists in Jay Jay Johnson and Slide Hampton to more contemporary figures such as Corey Wilcox and Robert Edwards. As a composer and bandleader, Christ-Stéphane draws on the influences of hard bop artists including Horace Silver and Jackie McLean and is particularly inspired by Art Blakey and his use of instrumentation with the Jazz Messengers Christ-Stephane blends this hard-bop psyche with elements of Gospel and Contemporary jazz in his own stunning compositions that are becoming the hallmark of this exciting emerging artist
THE CORONET THEATRE TEAM
Artistic Director & CEO
Anda Winters
General Manager
Andy McDonald
Finance Manager
Andrew Michel
Company & Production Coordinator
Emma Smith Producer
Daphne Seale
Associate Producer
Cathy Lewis
Consultant Producer
Hetty Shand
Marketing Manager
Elliot Hall
Press Representative
Sharon Kean
Poetry Coordinator
Marion Manning
Audience Experience Manager
Amelia Campbell
Theatre Administrator / PA to the
Artistic Director
Emma Zetterberg
Producing & Marketing Assistant
Esme Bishop
Duty Managers
Francesca Battinieri, Joshua ColeBrown, Adrielle Feliciano, Maria Lisberg-Jonasson, Joanna Papanastassiou, Tatiana Martinez
Box Office Assistant
Ivana Dieli
Front of House Staff
Brian Maitland, Andreane Rellou, Ewa Emini, Stefanie Bruckner, Juliet Dempsey, Katrina Foster, Sua Tsubokura-Aguiriano, Hazel Townsend, Kelsey Moebius, Thea Gavanski, Aishani Ghosh, Eugénie Bakker, Emma Laird-Craig, Scarlett Stitt, Daniel Timoney, Dominika Jarečná, Hamza Mullick, Dong Ting Huang
Trustees
Linda Bernhardt, Mike Fisher, Mimi Gilligan, Jane Quinn, Anda Winters, Bill Winters (Chair)
