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The very first Newport Jazz Festival in 1954 included London-born pianist George Shearing. The next year, his fellow British pianist — and future NPR host — Marian McPartland was on the bill. More recent editions of the festival have included contemporary London jazz stars like Shabaka Hutchings, both on his own and with his erstwhile bands Sons of Kismet and The Comet is Coming.
But it’s hard to imagine there’s even been a year at Newport as stacked with U.K. talent as 2025, when the three-day festival includes eight British artists, spanning from improv-loving pop star Jacob Collier to Afrofunk pioneers Cymande. Here’s a look at how Newport will showcase the past, present and future of British jazz and adjacent music during its Aug. 1-3 run at Fort Adams State Park.
The Yussef Dayes Experience
Drummer and producer Yussef Dayes encapsulates what makes the London jazz scene so special: A love of futuristic experimentation grounded by Afro-Caribbean rhythms as well as modern beats. His 2023 debut as a leader, “Black Classical Music,” was a breakthrough project with an astounding rhythmic range as well as a guest spot from the elusive reggae superstar Chronixx. Aug. 1
Raye
Yes, with her deep soul vocals, vintage wardrobe, and horn-powered classic R&B arrangements, Raye gets a lot of comparisons to another British singer: Amy Winehouse. But she’s also able to slip more easily into more contemporary grooves — including on her recent collaboration with Winehouse producer Mark Ronson. And she gained a lot of new fans with her performance at the 2025 Grammys, where she was nominated for Best New Artist and Songwriter of the Year. Aug. 1
Nubya Garcia
While some argue that the term “spiritual jazz” has been overused lately, it’s hard to think of a more apt descriptor for saxophonist Nubya Garcia, whose rich tone echoes the greats like John Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders. The London-raised daughter of a Guyanese mother and Trinidadian father layers her ferocious sound on top of more contemporary Caribbean and African-inspired rhythms, creating one of the more vibrant sounds in contemporary jazz. Aug. 1
Samm Henshaw
In recent years, Newport Jazz has showcased a lot of artists who could be described as edgy R&B/hip-hop. London-born singer-songwriter Samm Henshaw thrives in that space, but adds a heavy dose of the African gospel music he grew up hearing from his Nigerian family. A favorite of tastemaking DJs and critics, Henshaw possesses one of the great voices of his young generation. Aug 2
Kokoroko
In 2018, the burgeoning London jazz scene was showcased in an influential compilation called “We Out Here.” One of the standout tracks was “Abusey Junction,” which suddenly became a viral hit for the band Kokoroko. The group formed in 2014 when trumpeter Sheila Maurice-Grey and percussionist Onome Edgeworth met as Londoners who were working on a youth music education program in Kenya. They kept in touch and eventually started what is now a seven-piece aggregation whose music has gone well beyond its origins as a West African-inspired jazz combo. Aug. 2
Cymande
As this list illustrates, today’s London jazz scene is defined by artists who mix in R&B, African and Caribbean influences. Perhaps no band played a more important role in that development than Cymande. The group’s genesis came when several young jazz musicians from Caribbean families joined an African drum ensemble. In 1971, they added their own love of American soul music and the result was Cymande. The group ended up being fairly popular in the U.S., where they were the first British act to play the Apollo, toured with Al Green, and gigged at Paul’s Mall, a famed Boston nightclub. But at home, the act was largely ignored — it was never invited to play in front of the BBC’s cameras. Amidst changing tastes, Cymande disbanded, with two members becoming lawyers. Recent years have seen a resurgence of interest in the frequently sampled group, which has a recording of new material and is also the subject of a recent documentary. Aug. 3
Jorja Smith
London may be the epicenter of the U.K. music scene, but it’s not for everyone. Two years ago, Jorja Smith, who Pitchfork has described as one of Great Britain’s biggest homegrown pop stars, moved back to her hometown of Walsall in the East Midlands. That hasn’t stopped the 2019 Best New Artist Grammy nominee from continuing to create music that is as expansive as her voice, whether it be dancefloor-packing house music or Afrobeats collaborations with Burna Boy. Aug. 3
Jacob Collier
At the outset of his career, Jacob Collier was presented as a jazz protégé celebrated by such major figures as Quincy Jones and Herbie Hancock. Since then, the social media star has gone on to a genre-smashing career that has touched on pop and classical traditions while exploring how technology has shifted the way that music can be created. But one thing he hasn’t changed is that improvisation is always at the center of his art — just ask his audience members, who routinely find themselves called upon to be the orchestra and choir. Collier is closing out the final day of the festival, and it’s hard to imagine that he won’t have some surprise guests and antics. Aug. 3.
A waiting list for the sold-out festival is available at NewportJazz.org.
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