There are few places in London where you can quite so easily forget you are in the middle of one of the world’s busiest cities. St Katharine Docks is one of them – and this August Bank Holiday weekend, its peaceful waterside setting will provide the backdrop to three days of world-class jazz.
From Friday 28 to Sunday 30 August, the St Kat’s Jazz Festival will take over Marble Quay, bringing more than 20 musicians to the waterfront for a weekend of live performances, food and drink – and, best of all, free entry.
The festival brings together an impressive mix of established names, award-winning performers and emerging talent, with Olivia Swann, the festival’s artist in residence throughout the summer, featuring across all three days.
Jazz legends Ian Shaw and Esther Bennet will be among the established names, while award-winning artists including Jamie Safir and Louise Balkwill add to a line-up that reaches well beyond the British jazz scene.
There is also an international flavour, with Angie Pastor travelling from New York and Mike Harrison from Chicago, alongside a new generation of musicians including Noah Stoneman, Kelly Craige, Grace Sheene, Lauren Bush, Sophya, Fraser Urquhart, Inés Nassara, Wura Abimbola, Emmanuel Ayeni, Rupert Cox, Kate Threlfall and Stephanie Da Silva.
The result should be rather more than background music while you have lunch. The organisers have spent the summer carefully curating St Kat’s Sessions, bringing together musicians and performances designed to give the festival its own character, mixing familiar favourites with new material.
Festival and music timings:
Friday: 4pm–8.30pm
Saturday: 1pm–8.30pm
Sunday: 1pm–8.30pm
And then there is the setting.
A Waterside Haven in the Heart of London
St Katharine Docks sits just to the east of Tower Bridge and within easy reach of the Tower of London, yet step into the marina and the noise and bustle of central London seem to fall away.
The docks have a fascinating history. They opened in 1828, having been designed by celebrated engineer Thomas Telford, and were once among the busiest ports in Britain. The docks handled luxury goods including sugar, rum, spices, perfumes, wine and tea, before suffering extensive damage during the Blitz.
Today, the former working docks have been transformed into a rather more tranquil waterside destination, with restaurants, cafés, shops, offices and residential buildings surrounding three historic interlinked basins. The marina now has 185 berths, accommodating boats of up to 40 metres, and provides a particularly attractive setting for visitors looking for somewhere slightly removed from the usual London crowds.
It is that contrast between old and new which makes the location so appealing. Historic warehouses and the familiar timber-framed Dickens Inn sit alongside modern buildings, while boats bob on the water and the Tower of London and Tower Bridge are just a short stroll away.
For the jazz festival, Marble Quay will become the centre of the action, with the marina providing a suitably atmospheric backdrop as daylight fades and the evening performances get under way.
Food, Drinks and a Sunday Finale
There will be plenty to keep visitors occupied between sets, with independent London food retailers serving up everything from pizza and cheesecake to coffee and healthier café fare.
Food comes from The Pizza Club London, Heavy Slice, &KAFFEIN and Bite Me Baby, while a full bar will be open throughout the festival, with Nyetimber and Opihr Gin among the sponsors.
The festival opens at 11am each day, with live music running from 4pm to 8.30pm on Friday and 1pm to 8.30pm on Saturday and Sunday.
And if simply listening isn’t enough, Sunday evening offers the chance to become part of the entertainment.
At 7pm on Sunday, the festival culminates in The Vocal Jam, when singers and musicians are invited to get up and perform with the house band. You can sign up in advance via Instagram at @stkatssessions or register on the day.
So whether you know your bebop from your blues, or simply fancy spending a late-summer weekend listening to excellent live music beside the water, St Katharine Docks looks set to provide an appealing alternative to the usual Bank Holiday crowds.
And with free entry, independent food, a full bar and one of London’s most atmospheric waterside settings, you don’t even need to be a jazz aficionado to enjoy the experience.
For further information, visit St Katharine Docks.
(Photos © skdocks.co.uk)
