Southampton's Jazz Story - Southampton Forward

Southampton’s Jazz Story

Southampton’s Jazz Story was a one-night live music and storytelling show that uncovered a remarkable – and often little-known – part of Southampton’s cultural history: the city’s role in the story of jazz in Britain.

From the 1920s onwards, Southampton’s position as an international port brought musicians, audiences and new sounds into the city. Louis Armstrong arrived in Southampton aboard the Majestic in 1932, later performing at the Hippodrome and even jamming with local musician Gil Hume in Shirley. Over the decades, some of the biggest names in jazz and blues performed here, including Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Coleman Hawkins, Ella Fitzgerald, Ben Webster and John Lee Hooker.

The show traced this history through the venues, musicians and communities that made it possible – from the Hippodrome and Gaumont to the Bassett Hotel and Concorde Club. It explored how Southampton’s jazz scene developed alongside the city itself, connecting its story with its maritime heritage, post-war change, migration, race and civil rights, and the emergence of new musical movements including rhythm and blues.

These stories were brought to life on stage by a specially assembled 12-piece house band led by Musical Director Peter Edwards and an outstanding line-up of guest performers. MOBO Award-winning Zara McFarlane, eight-time British Jazz Vocalist of the Year Claire Martin, David McAlmont, Renato Paris, Jay Phelps and Queenie performed alongside Southampton talent including Isla Croll and CJ Edwards. Professor Mykaell Riley guided audiences through the story, drawing on an original narrative by Southampton historian and community activist Don John.

Classic and lesser-known music associated with artists who had connections to Southampton was newly performed and reimagined for the show – from Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and Count Basie to Coleman Hawkins, Charles Mingus, John Lee Hooker and Joe Harriott. Archive photographs, historic material and filmed interviews with people including Don John and Concorde Club founder Cole Mathieson connected the performances with the people and places behind the history.

The story also looked forward, recognising the musicians, venues and organisations continuing Southampton’s jazz tradition today and connecting an extraordinary musical history with the talent performing in the city now.

Southampton’s Jazz Story formed part of Jazz Focus Southampton, a city-wide programme of live jazz during October 2025 and Black History Month. The wider programme included performances at The Concorde Club, The Stage Door and Turner Sims.

Through live music, first-hand memories and Southampton’s archives, the project brought a largely untold part of the city’s history to the stage – revealing just how many internationally significant musicians passed through and performed in Southampton, and the role the city and its communities played in the development of its jazz story.

Vocalist Bios

Claire Martin

Claire Martin has established herself as a tour de force on the UK jazz scene gaining many awards, including winning the British Jazz Awards as best vocalist eight times during her career which spans almost 4 decades.

Claire has performed worldwide with her trio and worked extensively with the celebrated composer and pianist Sir Richard Rodney Bennett in a cabaret duo setting both in England and the US.

Claire also appears as a featured soloist with the Halle Orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the RTE Concert Orchestra, the Royal Northern Sinfonia, the BBC Big Band and the BBC Concert Orchestra.

Claire co-presented BBC Radio 3’s flagship jazz program ‘Jazz Line Up’ from 2000 to 2017 and interviewed many of her musical heroes such as Pat Metheny and the late Michael Brecker. Her 2009 CD A Modern Art prompted Jazz Times USA to claim: “She ranks among the four or five finest female jazz vocalists on the planet”.  

Recent projects see Claire touring with Swedish pianist Martin Sjöstedt, appearing with iG4, her new intergenerational band of four of the UK’s finest jazz talents and appearing internationally with composer, arranger, and trombonist Callum Au, performing modern orchestral and big band arrangements of jazz standards and American Songbook classics.

David McAlmont

David is a much adored singer, songwriter, essayist and art historian. He came to prominence in the 1990s as a singer, in the duo McAlmont and Butler. Their biggest hit, Yes, reached the Top 10. His recent collaboration with HiFi Sean on the album Happy Ending was a Guardian top album of the year and charted in the Top 10. He has created projects and installations celebrating some of his personal icons such as James Baldwin and Billie Holiday.

https://davidmcalmont.co.uk/

Zara McFarlane

Zara McFarlane stands at the forefront of the UK’s British jazz scene, recognised as one of the most dynamic and genre-defying vocalists of her generation. A multi-award-winning singer, songwriter, composer and performer, she has cultivated a career that seamlessly bridges jazz, reggae, folk, nu-soul and electronic music earning her critical acclaim and international recognition.
Renowned for her eloquence and artistic depth, Zara consistently pushes creative boundaries, exploring new sonic landscapes while honouring the rich traditions that shape her artistry.

https://www.zaramcfarlane.com/

Isla Croll

Isla Croll is an emerging singer/songwriter whose attention-grabbing fusion of genres offers the audience her special brand of music.
Isla is currently studying BMus (Hons) Music – Jazz Vocal at Royal Welsh Collage of Music and Drama Conservatoire (https://www.rwcmd.ac.uk/).

Her early love of music was natured in the Hampshire County Youth Jazz Centre, at the local Locks Heath/Warsash schools and then at Barton Peveril studying Popular Music and Jazz.

Her music has been regularly featured on Radio and she has had the honour of performing on a BBC Introducing Stage.

Her soulful voice is clear, highly emotive and athletic.
https://www.islacroll.com/

Renato Paris

A BRIT School graduate, flourishing artist and a regular on the vibrant young London Jazz Scene, music has taken Renato Paris all over the world honing his craft on the road. He has worked with an array of artists, the likes of: Julian Joseph, Burt Bacharach, Jorja Smith, Nicola Piovani and Carleen Anderson to name a few. His passion for the art of song and improvisation knows no bounds. As well as leading his own band, he is a key member of -time MOBO award-winner Moses Boyd’s Exodus band.

12 – Piece Band Bios

Jay Phelps – Trumpet

London-based trumpeter who has performed with some of the world’s top artists such as Wynton Marsalis, Shabaka Hutchings, Amy Winehouse and Wizkid. With an instantly recognisable warm and projecting trumpet tone, Phelps is a household name on the international Jazz scene with worldwide streams exceeding 500k

J Fashole-Luke – Piano

A celebrated Southampton-based performer and a dedicated promoter of Southampton’s music scene who has worked with some top music artists including Usher and Alexandra Burke, and has appeared on BBC2’s Later…With Jools Holland.

Our Narrator

Professor Mykaell S. Riley

Professor Mykaell S. Riley is an award-winning creative and academic whose career spans over four decades in the UK music and cultural sectors. A founding member of the Grammy-winning British reggae band Steel Pulse, Mykaell has since shaped the landscape of Black British music as a producer, songwriter, curator, educator, and leading researcher.

As a producer and songwriter, his work has led to three UK number ones and over eleven Top 20 hits, collaborating with artists such as Mark Morrison, Soul II Soul, and E17. He also formed the pioneering Reggae Philharmonic Orchestra, Britain’s first Black pop string section, and has composed for TV, film, and theatre, with credits spanning the BBC, ITV, SKY, Netflix and more.

In academia, Mykaell is the Director of the Black Music Research Unit (BMRU), which he founded at the University of Westminster in 2012. His leadership of the Bass Culture project – funded by the AHRC – culminated in a major exhibition, a documentary film, and the influential Grime Report, which contributed to changes in Metropolitan Police policy. The project was shortlisted for The Times Higher Education Awards in 2021 and played a key role in Westminster’s research being ranked #1 for impact in the UK by THES.

Recent highlights include his role as Music Director for the BBC hit
TV series Boarders (2024–25), generating over 35 IMDb credits for University of Westminster students, and his work as Curator of the landmark exhibition Beyond the Bassline: 500 Years of Black British Music at the British Library and National Sound Archive.

Mykaell serves on multiple academic and cultural boards including the Museum of London, Leeds Arts University, Trinity Laban, and the Tavaziva Dance Trust. He is a Fellow of both Arts & Business and the Royal Society of the Arts (RSA).

His ongoing work champions the cultural, historical, and social value of Black British music – from reggae and sound system culture to grime and beyond – inspiring the next generation of thinkers, creators, and changemakers.

Southampton’s Jazz Story is presented by Southampton Forward, with support from Mayflower Studios and in collaboration with event partners Black History Month South. It has been shaped by the expertise of Don John (Race & Diversity Consultant) and Peter Edwards (Musical Director), with programming support from Turner Sims and Kevin Appleby. The project has been made possible through funding from Arts Council England, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, People’s Postcode Lottery, the Hollick Family Foundation and the Mark Allen Foundation. Special thanks also go to Southampton Forward’s founding city partners: Southampton City Council, University of Southampton, Southampton Solent University, GO! Southampton, Paris Smith and Mayflower Theatre

SO: Cultured

18th August 2025

Don John: Jazz Story celebrates Southampton’s cultural legacy

SO: Cultured

8th September 2025

Jacquelyn Ockwell: Southampton’s Jazz Story will be an incredible night out

Press release

24th October 2025

Southampton’s Jazz Story sells out Mayflower Studios with a powerful celebration of the city’s jazz heritage

SO: Cultured

6th October 2025

Queenie: All I ever wanted to do was sing and act

SO: Cultured

22nd September 2025

Isla Croll: Music has always been a part of my life

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