A special night at Blue Note London as we host Tomorrow’s Warriors for an evening celebrating the inter-generational impact that this trailblazing organisation has had on the UK jazz scene, supporting and inspiring generations of musicians to change the musical landscape.
Featuring artists at different stages of their careers, from the emerging new talent of Maddy Coombs to the Godfather of UK jazz, and co-founder of Tomorrow’s Warriors, bassist Gary Crosby – this truly is a journey that reflects the unique role Warriors has played over the last three decades. If you know your UK jazz, then you probably already know Tomorrow's Warriors. For the last 35 years, Tomorrow’s Warriors has played a vital role within its community and the wider music industry and has been credited with literally changing the face of UK jazz.
Free access to Tomorrow’s Warriors artistic programme has proved crucial in nurturing the nascent talent and early careers of so many of the most exciting UK artists currently tearing up the international jazz scene including Mercury Prize 2023 winners Ezra Collective, Moses Boyd, Nubya Garcia, Shabaka Hutchings and Sons of Kemet, ESKA, Jason Yarde, Denys Baptiste, Robert Mitchell, Soweto Kinch, Shirley Tetteh, Byron Wallen, Mark Kavuma, Sultan Stevenson, CHERISE, Donovan Haffner...the list goes on.
Gary Crosby Quartet feat. Cherise Perform the Music of Betty Carter
The Gary Crosby Quartet is joined by special guest Cherise for this celebration of the music of the legendary jazz vocalist Betty Carter. With an uncompromising approach, Carter used her voice as an instrument, rebuilding song structures and reshaping the role of the jazz singer, Crosby explains the impact her music made:
"Betty's music carried wisdom, grit and freedom in equal measure. She's been a beacon to me throughout my life as a musician, not just for what she sang, but for the spirit she brought to her music: fearless, uncompromising, always searching, always pushing deeper. Her example reminds us that jazz isn't something you preserve, it's something you keep discovering."
London-based vocalist and songwriter CHERISE was a featured artist in last 2024’s BBC Prom Sarah Vaughn: If You Could See Me Now and has been named by Clash magazine as “one of the women raising the bar for Soul and Jazz in the UK”.
Her debut album, Calling was described by CLASH Magazine as “beautiful” and “imbued with real power”, and she has collaborated with Reuban James, Omar, and Nubiyan Twist. In 2021, Gregory Porter invited her to sing alongside him for a special Disney Christmas animation, and her soulful reimagining of the Nora Jones classic Sunrise features on the 2022 Blue Note Reimagined: II album.
Line Up
Gary Crosby - upright bass
Denys Baptiste – tenor saxophone
Andrew McCormack – piano
Rod Youngs – drums
Support: Maddy Coombs
Tipped as a rising talent on the British jazz scene by Jazz Wise magazine, saxophonist Maddy Coombs is a Tomorrow’s Warriors alumna and has been mentored by Binker Golding, Denys Baptiste and Gary Crosby.
Maddy has played alongside Judi Jackson, Soweto Kinch, Mark Kavuma, and The Silhouettes Project and has earnt a reputation as a brilliant composer and arranger, with her own music drawing inspiration from many artists including Stan Getz and John Coltrane, as well as from her own experiences as a young artist who is already firmly rooted in the London jazz scene.
“This band’s uncompromising desire to express their own music in their own way was particularly pleasing. This performance didn’t just have real dynamism about it, there was a wonderful looseness in the way they interweaved their lines, it was also full of surprises.
And there is also a narrative element. This is particularly apparent in Coombs’s compositions and her sax playing where one can often hear a story being told.… her tone, which is strong, resonant, fluid and breathy as appropriate.” UK Jazz News, review from Deal Jazz Festival, July 2025.
SHOW DETAILS
Doors open at 5pm for the 7pm Show and 9pm for the 9:30pm Show. All seating is first come first served.
Table seating all-ages. Bar area strictly over 18s only.
Bar Area seating is limited. Once capacity is reached, the remaining Bar Area becomes standing room only.
A max of 6 tickets per person and per household applies for the presale, rising to a max of 8 tickets per person and per household for the general sale. Tickets in excess of this will be cancelled.