In 1972, Brazilian composer and musician Arthur Verocai recorded an album that failed with both critics and audiences – yet today it is considered one of the greatest milestones of Brazilian popular music. »I could listen to the album every day for the rest of my life,« said legendary producer Madlib about Verocai’s 30-minute masterpiece, which blends jazz, bossa nova and psychedelic folk into a sound that is as relaxed as it is exhilarating.

Arthur Verocai’s second career began in the 1990s, when US rappers such as MF DOOM and Ludacris sampled his orchestral harmonies, and his 1972 album came to be regarded as one of the most valuable records of all time. Verocai went on to release further albums, arrange music for bands such as BadBadNotGood, Hiatus Kaiyote and Tyler, The Creator, and in 2024 sold out major concert halls including Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw and London’s Barbican.

The fact that many concertgoers are in their twenties and thirties highlights Verocai’s cross-generational appeal. Now the musician, born in 1945, returns to Europe to headline major festivals and perform exclusively in Germany at the Elbphilharmonie – with singer Rogê, who most recently appeared at the ÜBERJAZZ Festival at Kampnagel, and the 20-piece Nu Civilisation Orchestra, among others. This concert is one of three collaborations between the Elbphilharmonie and the Kampnagel International Summer Festival.

Brazilian composer, arranger, and producer Arthur Verocai (1945) had to wait a long time for solo success: his self-titled debut album from 1972, a psychedelic mix of samba, soul, jazz, rock, and funk, remained under the radar for thirty years until it was embraced by the hip-hop community and re-released in the 2000s. Encouraged by the revaluation of his work, Verocai began making music again: his second album, Encore, was released in 2007, followed in 2016 by No Vôo Do Urubu and collaborations with Tyler, The Creator and BadBadNotGood. A living South American legend!

 Line-up:

Lauren Breen – Tenor and Soprano Sax – Alto saxophone
Donovan Haffner – Alto saxophone
Christ-Stéphane Boizi – trombone
Alice J. R. S. Cool – Bass guitar
Lorenzo Kobina – Piano
Simon Mouctar de Rover – Drum kit

About:

This is now the third edition of Tomorrow’s Warriors BXL x LDN Interplay, a ground-breaking, vibrant, cross-channel jazz collaboration uniting rising stars from London and Brussels, in partnership with Brosella Festival.

This special showcase brings together six of the most exciting young voices in contemporary jazz and creative music, celebrating collaboration, experimentation, and cultural exchange.

Expect an electrifying night of boundary-pushing sounds, fresh compositions and fearless improvisation, as emerging artists from both scenes share the stage and spark new musical conversations. A platform for innovation and connection, Interplay III captures the energy of two cities redefining the future of jazz.

This year the project has already headlined at Brick Lane Jazz Festival, opened for Brazilian legend Marcos Valle at Jazz Middleheim, and is set to take the stage at We Out Here Festival the day after this exclusive London show.

Doors 7:45 PM, Music 8:30 PM – 2 sets of music

Line-up:

Lauren Breen – Tenor and Soprano Sax – Alto saxophone
Donovan Haffner – Alto saxophone
Christ-Stéphane Boizi – trombone
Alice J. R. S. Cool – Bass guitar
Lorenzo Kobina – Piano
Simon Mouctar de Rover – Drum kit

About:

This is now the third edition of Tomorrow’s Warriors BXL x LDN Interplay, a ground-breaking, vibrant, cross-channel jazz collaboration uniting rising stars from London and Brussels, in partnership with Brosella Festival.

This special showcase brings together six of the most exciting young voices in contemporary jazz and creative music, celebrating collaboration, experimentation, and cultural exchange.

Expect an electrifying night of boundary-pushing sounds, fresh compositions and fearless improvisation, as emerging artists from both scenes share the stage and spark new musical conversations. A platform for innovation and connection, Interplay III captures the energy of two cities redefining the future of jazz.

This year the project has already headlined at Brick Lane Jazz Festival, opened for Brazilian legend Marcos Valle at Jazz Middleheim, and is set to take the stage at We Out Here Festival.

Brazilian composer, arranger, and producer Arthur Verocai (1945) had to wait a long time for solo success: his self-titled debut album from 1972, a psychedelic mix of samba, soul, jazz, rock, and funk, remained under the radar for thirty years until it was embraced by the hip-hop community and re-released in the 2000s. Encouraged by the revaluation of his work, Verocai began making music again: his second album, Encore, was released in 2007, followed in 2016 by No Vôo Do Urubu and collaborations with Tyler, The Creator and BadBadNotGood. A living South American legend!

Christ-Stéphane Boizi is one of the most compelling emerging voices on the contemporary UK jazz scene, earning recognition for his dynamic live performances. Spearheading the Christ-Stéphane Boizi Sextet, Boizi brings together some of London’s most exciting young musicians: Lauren Breen (alto saxophone), Jacob Wilson (tenor saxophone), Kezia Abuoma (piano), Tom Sheen (double bass), and Sacha Harlan (drums). Together, the group has cultivated a sound marked by emotional honesty, deep interplay, and a fearless commitment to presence in the moment.

Formed through shared musical foundations at Tomorrow’s Warriors and Trinity Laban, the sextet approaches performance as both artistic practice and spiritual act. Deeply shaped by Boizi’s Christian faith and profound respect for the Hard Bop tradition, the ensemble embraces spontaneity, deep listening, and a shared sensitivity to what emerges on the bandstand.

Christ-Stéphane’s compositions serve as frameworks for exploration, creating space for the music to unfold organically through responsiveness, collective intuition, and the act of letting the Spirit guide in the moment.

The sextet has rapidly built a strong reputation on the UK scene, impressing audiences at major venues and festivals including the PizzaExpress Jazz Club, King’s Place, The Jazz Café, the Elgar Room at the Royal Albert Hall, as well as We Out Here Festival, Brick Lane Jazz Festival, and the EFG London Jazz Festival. With their debut release ‘As The Spirt Leads’ scheduled for late 2026 on Banger Factory Records, the Christ-Stéphane Boizi Sextet continues to build momentum as one of the most exciting emerging ensembles on the UK jazz scene.

PRESENTED IN ASSOCIATION WITH FOLDED WING

Trombonist, composer, bandleader, and a Tomorrow’s Warriors Emerging Artist, Christ-Stéphane Boizi is already making his mark on the London jazz scene, but his reputation is set to soar with the news that he has signed to Mark Kavuma’s Banger Factory Records label, with his debut LP As The Spirit Leads scheduled for release later in the year.  

Boizi’s sound is steeped in the hard bop tradition - carrying influences of the legacy of by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Horace Silver, and Jackie McLean. With his compositions he creates his own a sonic exploration of his close personal connection to the music of the Black Christian Church together with that hard bop sound. 

Christ-Stéphane is also member of the acclaimed Nu Civilisation Orchestra, and was a featured soloist in Mississippi Goddamn, a celebration of Nina Simone at the Royal Festival Hall, he has also performed with Brazilian maestro Arthur Verocai at the Barbican.
This performance is part of Tomorrow’s Warriors’ Warriors Rise initiative, which sees the acclaimed jazz talent development organisation support three emerging Warriors’ artists, including Christ-Stéphane, across a seven-date run of UK gigs, providing tour planning and marketing mentoring.

Warriors Rise is supported by Music Venues Trust, the Stanley Thomas Johnson Foundation and is a  PRS Foundation Talent Development Network Partner initiative supported by PPL.

About Folded Wing
Straight out of Essex and based on Leigh-On-Sea  Folded Wing are passionate about producing content that makes a difference. Collaborations with artists, creators, producers and musicians allow us to take risks and develop new opportunities in the creative space. We forge top-flight partnerships with brands, the BBC and cultural organisations that reach global audiences with award-winning podcasts, documentaries and globally-syndicated radio shows – including a recent ARIA Gold for Romesh Ranganathan’s BBC Radio 2 show For The Love Of Hip Hop.  
Folded Wing have established themselves as the largest producer of jazz content in the UK, having produced Jamie Cullum's Jazz show on Radio 2 for the last 15 years and launching the BBC's firstly daily jazz show on the BBC with 'Round Midnight with Soweto Kinch for BBC Radio 3.

About Tomorrow’s Warriors
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.  
Tomorrow’s Warriors offers a pioneering, comprehensive programme of learning and training which champions and supports young Black and female talent and those who come from challenging circumstances that would be a barrier to accessing opportunities to pursue a music career.
“Tomorrow's Warriors occupies a unique and vital space in our cultural landscape. Their work in helping positively shape future generations is of critical importance especially with the tribulations we currently face. Please keep supporting - each one, teach one!” Gilles Peterson

Christ-Stéphane Boizi is a trombonist, composer, bandleader, and a Tomorrow’s Warriors Emerging Artist, already making his mark on the London jazz scene. His reputation is set to soar with the news that he has signed to Mark Kavuma’s Banger Factory Records label. His debut LP is scheduled for release later in the year. 

His sound is steeped in the hard bop tradition, carrying influences of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Horace Silver, and Jackie McLean. His own compositions are a sonic exploration, bringing the music of the Black Church together with that hard bop Jazz tradition.   

Christ-Stéphane is also member of the acclaimed Nu Civilisation Orchestra. He was a featured soloist in ‘Mississippi Goddamn’, a celebration of Nina Simone at the Royal Festival Hall, and he performed with Brazilian maestro Arthur Verocai at the Barbican.  

This performance is part of Tomorrow’s Warriors’ Warriors Rise initiative, which sees the acclaimed jazz talent development organisation support three emerging Warriors’ artists, including Christ-Stéphane, across a seven-date run of UK gigs, providing tour planning and marketing mentoring.  

Warriors Rise is a PRS Foundation Talent Development Network Partner initiative supported by PPL.  

This Gig is a Double Bill with the Genevieve Namazzi Quartet, as a part of their Jazz Platform Series

Christ-Stéphane Boizi is a London‑based trombonist and composer whose debut album As The Spirit Leads is a deeply personal statement of faith, presence, and collective expression. 

Rooted in the hard‑bop tradition and shaped by a gospel upbringing, the album reflects Boizi’s Christian faith, approaching the bandstand as a space of trust, humility, and spiritual guidance. A product of Kinetika Bloco and an alumnus of Tomorrow’s Warriors, As The Spirit Leads, released on Banger Factory Records, stands as an uncompromising expression of faith, spontaneity, and collective intent.

Christ-Stéphane Boizi is a trombonist, composer, bandleader, and a Tomorrow’s Warriors Emerging Artist, already making his mark on the London jazz scene. His reputation is set to soar with the news that he has signed to Mark Kavuma’s Banger Factory Records label. His debut LP is scheduled for release later in the year. 

His sound is steeped in the hard bop tradition, carrying influences of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Horace Silver, and Jackie McLean. His own compositions are a sonic exploration, bringing the music of the Black Church together with that hard bop Jazz tradition.   

Christ-Stéphane is also member of the acclaimed Nu Civilisation Orchestra. He was a featured soloist in ‘Mississippi Goddamn’, a celebration of Nina Simone at the Royal Festival Hall, and he performed with Brazilian maestro Arthur Verocai at the Barbican.  

This performance is part of Tomorrow’s Warriors’ Warriors Rise initiative, which sees the acclaimed jazz talent development organisation support three emerging Warriors’ artists, including Christ-Stéphane, across a seven-date run of UK gigs, providing tour planning and marketing mentoring.  

Warriors Rise is a PRS Foundation Talent Development Network Partner initiative supported by PPL.  

Trombonist, composer, bandleader, and a Tomorrow’s Warriors Emerging Artist, Christ-Stéphane Boizi is already making his mark on the London jazz scene (and made a terrific debut at The Bear Club last year), but his reputation is set to soar with the news that he has signed to Mark Kavuma’s Banger Factory Records label, with his debut LP scheduled for release later in the year. 

Boizi’s sound is steeped in the hard bop tradition - carrying influences of the legacy of by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Horace Silver, and Jackie McLean. With his compositions he creates his own a sonic exploration of his close personal connection to the music of the Black Christian Church together with that hard bop sound. 

Christ-Stéphane is also member of the acclaimed Nu Civilisation Orchestra, and was a featured soloist in Mississippi Goddamn, a celebration of Nina Simone at the Royal Festival Hall, he has also performed with Brazilian maestro Arthur Verocai at the Barbican.

This performance is part of Tomorrow’s Warriors’ Warriors Rise initiative, which sees the acclaimed jazz talent development organisation support three emerging Warriors’ artists, including Christ-Stéphane, across a seven-date run of UK gigs, providing tour planning and marketing mentoring.

Warriors Rise is a PRS Foundation Talent Development Network Partner initiative supported by PPL.

This performance is also part of The Bear Club’s Generation Jazz 2.0 series of gigs, showcasing brilliant young jazz musicians across the summer and autumn of 2026. Discounted ticket pricing applies for those under 25, students, and universal credit beneficiaries.

Trombonist, composer, bandleader, and a Tomorrow’s Warriors Emerging Artist, Christ-Stéphane Boizi is already making his mark on the London jazz scene, but his reputation is set to soar with the news that he has signed to Mark Kavuma’s Banger Factory Records label, with his debut LP As The Spirit Leads scheduled for release later in the year.  

Boizi’s sound is steeped in the hard bop tradition – carrying influences of the legacy of by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Horace Silver, and Jackie McLean. With his compositions he creates his own a sonic exploration of his close personal connection to the music of the Black Christian Church together with that hard bop sound.

Christ-Stéphane is also member of the acclaimed Nu Civilisation Orchestra, and was a featured soloist in Mississippi Goddamn, a celebration of Nina Simone at the Royal Festival Hall, he has also performed with Brazilian maestro Arthur Verocai at the Barbican.

SoundCellar regulars will also get to see Christ-Stéphane, saxophonist Lauren Breen and the return to SoundCellar of Sula’s pianist Kezia Abuoma, here in Poole a month before.

This performance is part of Tomorrow’s Warriors’ Warriors Rise initiative, which sees the acclaimed jazz talent development organisation support three emerging Warriors’ artists, including Christ-Stéphane, across a seven-date run of UK gigs, providing tour planning and marketing mentoring.

Warriors Rise is supported by Music Venues Trust in association with Liveline and the LIVE Trust, the Stanley Thomas Johnson Foundation and is a  PRS Foundation Talent Development Network Partner initiative supported by PPL.

Trombonist, composer, bandleader, and a Tomorrow’s Warriors Emerging Artist, Christ-Stéphane Boizi is already making his mark on the London jazz scene, but his reputation is set to soar with the news that he has signed to Mark Kavuma’s Banger Factory Records label, with his debut LP As The Spirit Leads scheduled for release later in the year. 

Boizi’s sound is steeped in the hard bop tradition – carrying influences of the legacy of by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Horace Silver, and Jackie McLean. With his compositions he creates his own a sonic exploration of his close personal connection to the music of the Black Christian Church together with that hard bop sound.

Christ-Stéphane is also member of the acclaimed Nu Civilisation Orchestra, and was a featured soloist in Mississippi Goddamn, a celebration of Nina Simone at the Royal Festival Hall, he has also performed with Brazilian maestro Arthur Verocai at the Barbican.

This performance is part of Tomorrow’s Warriors’ Warriors Rise initiative, which sees the acclaimed jazz talent development organisation support three emerging Warriors’ artists, including Christ-Stéphane, across a seven-date run of UK gigs, providing tour planning and marketing mentoring.

Warriors Rise is supported by Music Venues Trust in association with Liveline and the LIVE Trust, the Stanley Thomas Johnson Foundation and is a  PRS Foundation Talent Development Network Partner initiative supported by PPL.

Trombonist, composer, bandleader, and a Tomorrow’s Warriors Emerging Artist, Christ-Stéphane Boizi is already making his mark on the London jazz scene, but his reputation is set to soar with the news that he has signed to Mark Kavuma’s Banger Factory Records label, with his debut LP scheduled for release later in the year.

Boizi’s sound is steeped in the hard bop tradition - carrying influences of the legacy of by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Horace Silver, and Jackie McLean. With his own compositions he creates his own a sonic exploration bringing the music of the Black Church together with that hard bop Jazz tradition.

This performance is part of Tomorrow’s Warriors’ Warriors Rise initiative, which sees the acclaimed jazz talent development organisation support three emerging Warriors’ artists, including Christ-Stéphane, across a seven-date run of UK gigs, providing tour planning and marketing mentoring.

Warriors Rise is a PRS Foundation Talent Development Network Partner initiative supported by PPL.

Trombonist, composer, bandleader, and a Tomorrow’s Warriors Emerging Artist, Christ-Stéphane Boizi is already making his mark on the London jazz scene, but his reputation is set to soar with the news that he has signed to Mark Kavuma’s Banger Factory Records label, with his debut LP scheduled for release later in the year.

Boizi’s sound is steeped in the hard bop tradition - carrying influences of the legacy of by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Horace Silver, and Jackie McLean. With his own compositions he creates his own a sonic exploration bringing the music of the Black Church together with that hard bop Jazz tradition.

This performance is part of Tomorrow’s Warriors’ Warriors Rise initiative, which sees the acclaimed jazz talent development organisation support three emerging Warriors’ artists, including Christ-Stéphane, across a seven-date run of UK gigs, providing tour planning and marketing mentoring.

Warriors Rise is a PRS Foundation Talent Development Network Partner initiative supported by PPL.

This performance is a part of a FREE Jazz Fortnightly Fridays at 5pm on the Jennifer Blackwell stage at Symphony Hall!