Junction Tales

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Main stage on Oxhey Green

• 12.30pm Ten Bells Rag Band (traditional New Orleans jazz with a modern twist)

• 2.15pm Tony Kofi's 'A Portrait of Cannonball' (hard-bop modern jazz)

• 3.45pm Zayn Mohammed Trio (guitar-led fusion jazz)

• 5.30-7pm City Funk Orchestra (funk and soul)

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Elsewhere on Oxhey Green

Activities for young people (including inflatables and games), fantastic live art (including creating our own 6 foot mural) and a very special primary school performance featuring talented young jazzers from Bushey Manor (who'll be joining the Ten Bells at 1.15pm). We can't wait to hear them sing!

 

Food options include chicken, BBQ and local friends Alexander Express and drinks including smoothies, cocktails and beer from local friends Rolling Keg. Ooh, and ice cream of course!

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Also present an inclusive Watford Community Space with a focus on health and wellbeing, providing information about lots of amazing local charities and community groups working in the town.

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Across the Village

St Matthew's Church Hall - new for 2025 (1.30-4.30pm) Come along and dance!

A traditional dance hall vibe with 2 big bands:

• 1.30pm Easy Street Big Band

• 3.30pm The Herts Big Band

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The Load of Hay - hosted by John Watson (1.30-4.30pm)

Sensational Herts-based jazz pianist John Watson leads his consummate trio (The Langham, The Ivy) featuring Sophie Alloway (drums) and Neville Malcolm (bass). You'll hear a range of accessible and well-known jazz favourites, including a guest pop-up performance from Jazz Steps-favourite and singer Esther Bennett.

• 3x50-minute sets starting at 1.30, 2.30, and 3.30pm.

 

Royal Oak - hosted by Watford Jazz Workshop (12.30-5pm)

A rolling jazz jam led by local-bassist and band-leader Jorge Morales, incorporating lots of the best local jazz and blues musicians. Musicians are welcome to join in. Supported by Sanctuary Studios.

• From 12.30pm

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Oxhey Bowls Club (13.30-4.30pm) plus tea & many cakes!

• 2pm Linda Muriel and Watling Street (soulful voice with Herts based jazz band and lead singer who’s performed with Brand New Heavies and Incognito)

• 3.30pm The Out of Handers (modern jazz covers from Watford favourites)

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Railway Arms - hosted by No Trixx (12.30-5pm)

• Beluga

• Big Massive

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  No Trixx

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The Victoria - spinning jazz n' soul (12.30-5pm & beyond)

An afternoon of non-stop soul, funk and jazz groove from some very talented DJs including Nivan Hammond, Emanuel Pavlova and Chris Philips (into the evening).

 

The Rifle (12.30-5pm)

• 12.30pm The Fabulous Red Diesel (all sorts of funk and fusion jazz mayhem from southern England)

• 2pm Blue Spark (local Latin-infused jazz quartet)

• 3.30pmThe Biscuit Brothers (blues specialists from eastern England)

 

The Villiers (2-6pm)

• 2pm Neil C Young Trio (blues/fusion from Manchester)

• 3.30pm Brass Bound (funk/ska from Harrow)

• 5pm The Hodad Swingers (from blues to bluegrass via Oxhey Village with 2 guest singers)

 

Planning your trip

Weather

As always, cross your fingers for fair weather today but we will go ahead come rain or shine so bring a brolly if it looks dodgy. Heavy rain will deter some of our displays, and a tornado may deter all of us!

 

Travel and access

We definitely do NOT recommend driving with limited parking. Oxhey Village is easily reached by traveling to Bushey Rail Station (based in Oxhey Village) with frequent mainline and Overground trains. 

 

Parking is limited in the Village so we would recommend parking elsewhere and jumping on an Overground train (2 minutes from Watford High Street station) or a bus. The Village is served by the 142 and 258 bus routes.

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More about our Mainstage Acts

Ten Bells Rag Band (12.30pm, Oxhey Green): modern trad

'They play with a groove that swing dancers love and a freshness that excites.' The Syncopated Times

 

Returning to Jazz Steps after a foot-stomping performance in 2022, The Ten Bells Rag Band have continued to hold residencies across the capital leading to a memorable performance on the London Louisiana stage for the 2024 EFG London Jazz Festival. Expect an infectious mix of trad jazz with a modern twist.

 

Hailing from East London, the Ten Bells play hard swinging traditional jazz rooted in the streets of New Orleans. This is horn heavy vintage jazz It's NOLA jazz from the soul of Frenchman Street, via the Mile End Road!

 

Line-up: James Conway (trumpet), Simon Conway (trombone), Chris Newstead (clarinet), Paul Staples (guitar), Stefano Galaragga (bass), and Matt Danby (drums).

 

Tony Kofi's 'A Portrait of Cannonball' (2.15pm, Oxhey Green): hard-bop modern jazz

‘An absolute blast, one of the most exciting gigs of the year.’ London Jazz News

  

This acclaimed project, a loving celebration of the jazz giant Julian ‘Cannnonball’ Adderley has had a unanimous critical reaction: ‘Hard-bop heaven’ Jazzwise, ‘Breathtaking’ Northern Sky, ‘The best gig that I’ve seen at Progress’ Jazz In Reading. The band has played to capacity audiences at Ronnie Scott’s, The 606, The Hideaway, and The Vortex, as well as at the Swanage, Southport, Wigan and Ealing Jazz Festivals.

 

In May 2020 alto saxophonist Tony Kofi’s ‘A Portrait of Cannonball’ released the show's debut album Another Kind of Soul, winning the Presto Music Award for a best jazz album. The group traces the explosive music of Cannonball from his first session as leader in 1955 through work with Miles Davis to the soul-jazz of the 1960s. The repertoire includes Adderley brothers classics like Things Are Getting Better, Work Song, Del Sasser, Sack o’Woe and many others.

 

Line-up: Tony Kofi (saxophone), Andy Davies (trumpet), Alex Webb (piano), Hamish Moore (bass), and Alfonso Vitale (drums).

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Zayn Mohammed Trio (3.45pm, Oxhey Green): guitar-led fusion jazz

'He shows what guitar is all about! A star.' George Benson 

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Zayn Mohammed is a London-based multi-award-winning guitarist. Mentored by George Benson and the late great Ahmad Jamal, he studied with the jazz greats Wayne Shorter and John Patitucci before graduating from the Berklee College of Music in the US.

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He is influenced by Indian Raga, Turkish sufi music, and jazz-fusion, blending the ancient and the modern. Known for his unique phrasing & undiscovered melodic improvisation, Zayn steps into indefinable territories. This will be a rare genre-blending treat to hear a musician at the top of his game.

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City Funk Orchestra (5.30-7pm, Oxhey Green): funk & soul

'City Funk Orchestra go out there and Do The Deed. They really are a party on legs!” Music Riot

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The capital’s best loved and most popular funk & soul dance band, The City Funk Orchestra plays to packed houses throughout the South, having opened for the Average White Band and Kid Creole and the Coconuts. This year you'll also see them at the Saturday Love and Cropredy festivals.

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CFO's sound centres around the ‘golden age’ of soul and funk from the 70s to the 90s featuring the most loved floor fillers of Chaka Khan, Luther Vandross, Maze, SOS Band, Shalamar, Gap Band, and The Emotions.

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Line-up: two of the best soul singers in the UK with Imaani (Incognito, Chaka Khan) and Mary Pearce (Culture Club, Primal Scream, Roy Ayres, Calvin Harris... yes, she’s the voice of Ready For The Weekend), plus Nial Tompkins (guitar), Carl Hudson (keys), Matt Pegg (bass), and Geoff Dunn (drums). 

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Support and funding

Jazz Steps Around Oxhey Village is kindly supported by: Arts Council England, Watford Community Grants, Watford Community Housing, Watford Council, funding through Scops Arts Trust & The Wavendon Foundation, and the generosity of many people through our Crowdfunder campaign.

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Our HUGE thanks to all. And we hope you have a GREAT day!

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Addresses

• Main Stage: Oxhey Green, Lower Paddock Road, WD19 4DS

From Station: exit via Ticket Hall; right and up Capel Road, cross over Villiers Road & up Lower Paddock Road. 7 minute walk

• St Matthew's Church Hall: St Matthew's Close, off Eastbury Road, WD19 4ST

Just behind the Station: opposite exit from Ticket Hall. Left up Eastbury Road and left into St Matthew's Close. 3 minute walk

• The Royal Oak: Watford Heath, WD19 4EU

From Station: exit via Ticket Hall; right and keep walking up Pinner Road. 10 minute walk

• Oxhey Bowls Club: Watford Heath, WD19 4EU

From Station: exit via Ticket Hall; right and keep walking up Pinner Road. 10 minute walk

• The Load of Hay: Pinner Road, WD19 4ET

From Station: exit via Ticket Hall; right and keep walking up Pinner Road. 10 minute walk

• The Railway Arms: Aldenham Road, WD19 4AB

From Station: exit via Ticket Hall. It's opposite.

• The Victoria: Aldenham Road/Chalk Hill, WD19 4BU

From Station: exit via Ticket Hall. It's just along from the Railway Arms. 1 minute walk

• The Rifle Volunteer: 36 Villiers Road, WD19 4AJ

From Station: exit via Ticket Hall; right & up Capel Road. 3 minute walk

• The Villiers Arms: 108 Villiers Road, WD19 4AJ

From Station: exit via Ticket Hall; right & up Capel Road and turn right onto Villiers Road. 5 minute walk