JAZZ STROUD NEWS 2025
Spring programme
22nd - 31st May 2025
SVA Celebrates Major Venue Milestone with Jazz-Fuelled Week at the Goods Shed
In a fresh twist for 2025, Jazz Stroud is hitting pause on its usual town-wide takeover to focus on something truly special: the celebration of a major milestone for the local arts scene. This year, the festival will centre around the beloved Goods Shed, marking its official transfer to our umbrella organisation SVA.
We want to have a party to celebrate this huge breakthrough, so this year’s programme for Jazz Stroud 2025 will reflect this and focus on the Goods Shed and all the amazing potential of this extraordinary venue.
This landmark moment signals a new era for the venue, nestled beside Stroud train station, unlocking a world of artistic and community potential. To mark the occasion, there will be over a week of intense Jazz Stroud events from 22nd to 31st May which will spotlight the Goods Shed in all its creative glory. As SVA takes on ownership of the Goods Shed, Stroud’s cultural heartbeat only grows stronger. Jazz Stroud 2025 is set to be a celebration not just of music, but of community, collaboration, and a shared creative future.
The festivities kick off on Thursday May 22 with Unfurl’s electronic jazz improvisation session for a special Jazz Stroud addition in the round at the Goods Shed including special guests for a night of spontaneous improvised electronic jazz fusion.
On Friday, May 23, Bristol’s Analogue Lounge (SpaceJams/Brackery Collective), will take over the Goods Shed for special night which blends open jam sessions, deep vinyl selections, immersive set design and a community feel that’s made it a cornerstone of the Bristol music scene.
On Saturday, May 24, the spirit of carnival arrives in Stroud, led by the vibrant energy of Afon Sistema. Fresh from Brazil, where they’ve been steeped in traditional carnival culture, the group will lead a lively community procession through Stroud’s town centre, culminating at the Goods Shed for a full day and night of music to celebrate the purchase of Brunel Goods Shed and the 200th anniversary of the modern railway.
Our big celebratory activities continue into the evening with Jazz Stroud headliners Alogte Oho and his Sounds of Joy and Afriquoi plus Medina DJs. For a jubilant insight into Ghanian highlife, look no further than the Frafra-Gospel afrofunk of Alogte Oho & His Sounds of Joy. Blending reggae, gospel and afro beats together for something wholly original, he brings an animated and enthusiastic live performance to Jazz Stroud. Accompanied by his cheerful choir, The Sounds of Joy, Oho takes his listeners on a journey like no other – lilting from low slung reggae based numbers to upbeat songs played in traditional local rhythms. Afriquoi are an underground sensation, bringing an uplifting fusion of African music and live electronics. The masterful 5-piece live show combines Gambian kora, Congolese guitar, Mandinka percussion styles with electronic music drawing on house, garage, disco, soul and jungle to create something entirely unique.
Sunday 25th May is a day of reflection from early afternoon till late with Bristol Based Reggae label Poor Man’s Friend Sound System & Friends bringing Reggae music from across different decades played in an original rub a dub style. Special guests include Martin Melody, Rider Shafique, Arthur Apollo from Apollo Sound, Big D & Rankin Snoopy reprsenting Bristol’s Jah Lokko.
East London's much-beloved Tropical Yard club makes its debut appearance outside of the capital to close this year's Jazz Stroud weekend on Sunday night. Focusing broadly on Afro-Latin sounds, all played from original vinyl, expect to hear intense, frenetic and hypnotic rhythms from the Americas, the Caribbean, Africa and beyond.
In the run up to Jazz Stroud and the carnival, SVA is working with local artists and schools to produce a programme of Carnival costume-making workshops and dance classes. There will also be two opportunities for the public to get involved in this colourful parade of headdresses and flags. On Saturday the 10th, 11am-2pm at the Long Table and on the 17th, 11am-4pm at Lansdown Hall you can drop-in anytime. The carnival has been generously supported by GWR Community fund and Stroud Town Council.
On Friday 30th May Sam Judd will be combining leftfield electronica, techno & breakbeats with enveloping sonic landscapes and evocative composition, UK-based newcomer Sam Judd draws from a library of sounds collected all over the world to produce an experience that’s just as deeply sentimental as it is made for the dancefloor.
On Saturday 31st May Jazz Stroud will be welcoming the return of Daniel Inzani, a composer, pianist and band leader based in Stroud, UK. For the past 2 decades Inzani has performed with dozens of bands from Bristol’s underground alternative and avant-garde scene, blending classical, jazz, contemporary, improvisation, unusual harmony and rhythms as a band leader and collaborator.
As SVA takes on ownership of the Goods Shed, Stroud’s cultural heartbeat only grows stronger. Jazz Stroud 2025 is set to be a celebration not just of music, but of community, collaboration, and a shared creative future.
Recent Jazz Stroud Events
Our last event was with Matt Brown’s 6161 on the 25/4/25
6161 is a surge of fiercely drum led and brass heavy alt jazz, its the brand new project of Matt Stockham Brown who has previously received critical acclaim winning a Montreux Jazz Festival talent award in 2019, releasing two albums with Run Logan Run and most recently a 5 star Guardian review with Daniel Inzani’s triple release. Matt has also recorded/performed globally with the likes of Massive Attack, Rodriguez, This Is The Kit, Gregory Porter, Liz Lawrence, Cloth, Get The Blessing, Marc Ford, Squirrel Flower, Ghostpoet, Cosmo Sheldrake any many more.
This exciting original line up of Drums, Synths and a four piece horn section is not to be missed. 6161 singles will be dropping from January and the full self titled debut album will be released in March on Severn Songs label.
“Wildly inventive” – Tom Robinson (BBC Radio 6 Music)
“My beat of the week” – Huey Morgan (BBC Radio 6 Music)
“Full credit must go to Matt Brown for the imagination and artistry of his compositions” – Tony Benjamin (Bristol 24/7)
“A well judged mix of Old-School acoustic values and contemporary Electro-Jazz” – Jazzwise