About Us
Jazz Leeds is a major UK jazz promoter, based mainly at Seven Arts, a beautifully designed acoustic venue in Chapel Allerton, Leeds.
We were formed as Seven Jazz in 2007. We now run over 100 concerts per year, on Thursday evenings and Sunday afternoons in the Seven Arts concert room as well as Rush Hour Jazz gigs in the Seven Arts Bar on Wednesdays. We programme concerts jointly with Howard Assembly Room next to the Grand Theatre in Leeds City Centre, and at two festival jazz stages – Leeds Jazz Festival and Chapel Allerton Arts Festival.
We have a “Taking Part” series for people of all ages who want to play, sing or just find out more about jazz- with jam sessions, jazz workshops, and the Instant World Orchestra, all held at Northlight Arts in Chapel Allerton, a Jazz Voices choir at Leeds Methodist Church and a schools jazz education programme.
Our music is mainly contemporary jazz but we include some more traditional jazz, blues, latin and big band performances as well.
We have picked up a couple of awards on the way – the Jazz Yorkshire award and the UK Parliamentary Jazz award for best jazz venue.
Our programme includes
Evening and Sunday afternoon concerts with international, national and regional jazz artists.
Three jazz venues – Seven Arts (main venue), joint concerts with Howard Assembly Room, and our workshop venue with some concerts at Northlight Arts
Jazz Cafés – monthly jam session at Seven Arts where we encourage people to participate in music making.
Jazz Workshops for people who want to learn to play jazz and a jazz choir for singers.
The annual Leeds Jazz Festival in May each year where we put participate through concerts at Seven Arts and hosting the Cookridge Street jazz stage in Leeds city centre on May bank holiday.
The annual Chapel Allerton Arts Festival in August/September each year with concerts at Seven Arts and hosting the Regent Street Jazz Sunday afternoon stage.
Work with Leeds schools
JazzLeeds ran a pilot project with Roundhay School in autumn 2022 to help them start a Jazz Band and offer a taster day of music making to young people in the school who do not usually get involved in music. In 2022/3/4 we are involved two more secondary schools in Leeds – Allerton Grange and City of Leeds in Woodhouse. We are hoping to continue the project in the near future.
Funding from our Partners
We acknowledge the financial support and assistance we receive from our partners.
Leeds City Council through the “Grow” Culture Fund scheme. Leeds Conservatoire and Junior Conservatoire through our schools project and concerts. Music:Leeds and Leeds BID in funding the “Welcome to Leeds” Jazz Festival tent. Chapel Allerton Arts Festival in funding the Jazz and Blues Sunday and Regent Street open air stage
Our Trustees
Jazz Leeds charity has a board of trustees -Ramesh Narayanan (our chair), Steve Ross, Rosemary Holmes, Steve Crocker, Tony Walsh, and Hayley Harding. We also have a large group of volunteer supporters who help us in running our events.
