What's worth attending this week

World Heart Beat · Music · SW11

Rana Farhan: Persian Soul Book Now Home / Events / Rana Farhan: Persian Soul Uniting two distant cultures through the power of music Rana Farhan grew up in Tehran, lives in New York, sings in Persian and English, sounds like Billie Holiday, adores blues and jazz, and is — in almost every other way — a unique cultural product of both her native Iran and her adopted country, the United States. No one else does what Farhan does on albums and in concerts: She combines the rich oral traditions of Persia with the rich oral traditions that originated in black, American culture. Rana continues to push boundaries with her latest album, Persian Soul , released on March 28, 2025. This new 10-track collection returns to the poetry of Rumi, weaving his timeless words into original compositions that blend blues, soul, and Persian influences in Rana’s signature style. With Persian Soul , she invites listeners on a fresh journey through love, longing, and transcendence — a testament to her ever-evolving artistry and fearless genre-defying spirit. Farhan’s sultry, hybridized song book is a revelation to anyone who thinks they already know the full range of blues music. Jonathan Curial – KQED San Francisco Sat 25 Jul 2026 Blues / Jazz Jazz Book Now Ticket Prices £25 Times Doors: 6:00 pm Stage: 7:30 pm Venue World Heart Beat Embassy Gardens, 3 Ponton Road, London SW11 7BD Directions Accessibility: World Heart Beat Embassy Gardens is a fully accessible venue. If you have any questions or special requirements, please email [email protected]

Irish Cultural Centre · Music · W6

Legendary Irish folk band Dervish. Doors 7.30pm.

Vortex Jazz Club · Music · N16

Doors 7:45 PM, Music 8:30 PM - 2 set(s) of music   Line-up: Zhenya Strigalev - Tenor saxophone Igor Yakovenko - Piano Annie Majin - Vocals Mirko Scarcia - Double bass Darren A Beckett - Drum kit   About Zhenya Strigalev is renowned for his intense, unforgettable performances and distinctive saxophone sound. Drawing on the rich traditions of jazz history and global musical influences, he has developed a voice that is both original and compelling. Today, he joins forces with the brilliant rising star of the UK jazz scene, vocalist Annie Majin, for a performance that promises innovation, energy, and musical chemistry. Since graduating from London’s prestigious Royal Academy of Music - where he was invited on a full scholarship- Zhenya has carved a dynamic path between the London and New York jazz scenes. He has worked with some of today’s most forward-thinking musicians, including Eric Harland, Ambrose Akinmusire, Tim Lefebvre, Chris "Daddy" Dave, Alex Sipiagin, William Parker, Aaron Parks, Joseph "Foley" McCreary (of Miles Davis fame), and Larry Grenadier. Zhenya has performed at many prestigious jazz festivals and concert venues around the world, building an international reputation through extensive touring across both Europe and South America. He has recorded more than six albums with his groups Smiling Organizm, Never Group, and JZ Replacement. His music has been broadcast on BBC Radio as well as on national radio stations across Europe. He enjoys the challenge of shining a light on the undiscovered, and describes the desired on-the-edge thrill that unfolds: “The whole point of what I do is that I need to surprise myself.” His repertoire consists mostly of original compositions, along with select jazz classics in unique arrangements. "A maverick at the heart of modern jazz." ---- The Telegraph "This could be the kind of jazz album that has something for everyone... Universally appealing." ----½ DownBeat Magazine

Union Chapel · Music · N1

Polish Jazz Festival 2026 presents Warsaw Jazz Takeover. As the Polish capital, Warsaw boasts one of the most vibrant and pulsating music scenes in Europe and the current edition of Polish Jazz Festival brings a celebration of this music to Union Chapel by showcasing some of the key artists from the jazz and world music communities. The night will kick off with an energetic and young guitar driven jazz trio - HVMBLE. The second set will come at the hands of the multi-award winning Marcin Masecki Trio. Masecki’s engaging virituosic piano compositions operate at the intersection of jazz, latin, classical and experimental music. The Warsaw Jazz Takeover will be completed by a legendary world music ensemble - Warsaw Village Band. Nominated for the BBC World Music Award, this 8 piece presents a musical language rooted in traditional folk combined with surrealistic, spacious improvisational jams. More Information: For Accessibility, please click here. The venue is seating only. All seats are unreserved and are taken on a first come first serve basis. Please arrive early before event door times if you have preferred seats. Due to the nature of our venue, please be prepared to queue for entry. The venue is fully accessible, with use of ramps and the upstairs bar is accessible with use of a platform lift. Please email [email protected] with any specific accessibility requirements, that we should be aware of, as soon as you purchase your ticket as requests are dealt with on a first come, first serve basis. The bar is located on the first floor of the venue and will be open from the stated door time and remain open after the show. Alcohol consumption will be limited to the bar area only, it is not permitted to take alcohol to the main chapel space. An array of soft drinks and snacks will also be available and are permitted in the main space - please note the Union Chapel bar and kiosk accept card payment only. Strictly no food or drink may be brought from outside into the venue. Water bottles must be emptied before entering the venue, with refilling stations available inside.

Union Chapel · Music · N1

Carminho returns with her seventh album, Eu vou Morrer de Amor ou Resistir (“I Will Die of Love or Resist”), a profound and intimate exploration of Fado’s emotional and artistic possibilities. This new work reinforces the artist’s unwavering dedication to expanding the boundaries of the genre, while continuing to affirm a personal voice that has made her one of the most singular figures in contemporary Portuguese music. Her artistic path continues to expand. Recently, she collaborated on “Memória,” a track from Rosalía’s album LUX, demonstrating how her voice moves effortlessly across musical worlds while remaining grounded in the emotional truth of Fado. That same depth, intimacy, and versatility will be present in this concert, making Eu vou Morrer de Amor ou Resistir a live experience where tradition and experimentation coexist, and where every note resonates long after the final song. Please note Margins Cafe will not be held for this event. More Information: For Accessibility, please click here. The venue is seating only. All seats are unreserved and are taken on a first come first serve basis. Please arrive early before event door times if you have preferred seats. Due to the nature of our venue, please be prepared to queue for entry. The venue is fully accessible, with use of ramps and the upstairs bar is accessible with use of a platform lift. Please email [email protected] with your accessibility requirements as soon as you purchase your ticket as requests are dealt with on a first come, first serve basis. The bar is located on the first floor of the venue and will be open from the stated door time and remain open after the show. Alcohol consumption will be limited to the bar area only, it is not permitted to take alcohol to the main chapel space. An array of soft drinks and snacks will also be available and are permitted in the main space - please note the Union Chapel bar and kiosk accept card payment only. Strictly no food or drink may be brought from outside into the venue. Water bottles must be emptied before entering the venue, with refilling stations available inside. Seats for Margin's Cafe Early Dinners can be reserved via the links above. Margin's Cafe accepts both cash and card. If you have any queries about Margins Cafe, please contact [email protected]

Irish Cultural Centre · Music · W6

Union Chapel · Music · N1

Reared in Georgia and now settled in North Carolina, Jake Xerxes Fussell has established himself as a devoted listener and contemplative interpreter of a vast array of so-called folk songs, lovingly sourced from a personal store of favorites. He has released five studio albums to-date, beginning with his self-titled debut album, released by Paradise of Bachelors in 2015. His most recent studio album When I’m Called was produced by James Elkington and features the playing of Ben Whiteley (The Weather Station), Joe Westerlund (Bon Iver, Califone), and others. Blake Mills contributes guitars on several tracks. Joan Shelley and Robin Holcomb provide backing vocals. In their review of the record, Pitchfork wrote: “No other American singer is repurposing our old folk scripts with so much authority or ingenuity.” More recently, Fussell and Elkington collaborated on the music for Rebuilding - a feature film directed by Max Walker-Silverman and starring Josh O’Connor. A soundtrack of the same name was released on Fat Possum Records in November 2025. “Critics love to call things unclassifiable, which can sometimes feel like a subtle admission of defeat. But Jake Xerxes Fussell’s music, which draws heavily from nineteenth- and twentieth-century vernacular folk songs and archival field recordings, is idiomatic, and entirely his own…he is a folksinger in the truest sense, collecting ideas and melodies and lyrics from distant and disparate traditions, looking for the things that unite us in our humanity.” - The New Yorker “(Fussell) is one of the great magpies of American song, collecting forgotten, tarnished gems with a folklorist’s zeal…” – The Guardian “…maybe the leading interpreter of American folk music right now.” – Ann Powers, NPR More Information: For Accessibility, please click here. The venue is seating only. All seats are unreserved and are taken on a first come first serve basis. Please arrive early before event door times if you have preferred seats. Due to the nature of our venue, please be prepared to queue for entry. The venue is fully accessible, with use of ramps and the upstairs bar is accessible with use of a platform lift. Please email [email protected] with any specific accessibility requirements, that we should be aware of, as soon as you purchase your ticket as requests are dealt with on a first come, first serve basis. The bar is located on the first floor of the venue and will be open from the stated door time and remain open after the show. Alcohol consumption will be limited to the bar area only, it is not permitted to take alcohol to the main chapel space. An array of soft drinks and snacks will also be available and are permitted in the main space - please note the Union Chapel bar and kiosk accept card payment only. Strictly no food or drink may be brought from outside into the venue. Water bottles must be emptied before entering the venue, with refilling stations available inside. Seats for Margin's Cafe Early Dinners can be reserved via the links above. Margin's Cafe accepts both cash and card. If you have any queries about Margins Cafe, please contact [email protected]