When we learned that Camden’s iconic Jazz Café would bring their soulful sounds South-side to draw the final curtain on Summer ’24, we knew Burgess Park was the place to be on that September Sunday.
For some years, Burgess was our local – a place where happy memories of hazy days reside. The nostalgia of a sun-soaked evening here supplemented the mellow mood in the air, uplifted by an array of live and electronic acts showcasing their and craft and talent.
Leaving the whirring traffic of Old Kent Road behind, we followed the euphonious sound of brass drifting along the breeze towards us, ready to lap up the very last of the festival season. The serene atmosphere provided an ideal setting to smoothly slip away from the chaos of late.
Reaching the source of the music, we discovered a perfectly-pocket-sized set-up nestled deeply in the park. Four stages – each structure’s design aligned expertly with the calibre of artists and genres playing there – were accompanied by a sizzling selection of food vendors. We made sure to indulge in the abundance of global cuisines, tucking into some Vietnamese duck and Caribbean jerk chicken.
For a surround-sound electro extravaganza, Four Corners is home to an abstract, concrete-style structure with a 360 view of the booth, where a packed-out arena of groovers could observe and appreciate the Masters at work.
A standout set from the renowned Soichi Terada saw an impressive collection of various keys and synthesizers played with delight and finesse as the daylight faded into dusk.
Gilles Peterson demonstrated his versatility during a 3 hour closer, blending through a range of electronic sub-genres; every time we returned from a lap of the other stages, the energy had shifted entirely from the previous visit.
Parkway had the ‘Main Stage’ aura, standing tall and central to accommodate a diverse range of live acts. Syrian singer Omar Souleyman burst onto the stage, barely pausing the intermission music before diving right into his set combining traditional Dabke and techno.
Arc De Soleil soothed us into the sunset and ELIZA graced the eve with delicate, wispy vocals – like a layer of silk draping over the night.
Our highlight here was Berlin composer Nils Frahm, who closed Parkway with an utterly unique and surreal performance. Where you would often expect to find a crowd of rowdiness and chatter (at this particular hour of a festival, anyway), the entire audience fell silent and spoke only in whispers as they witnessed Frahm’s enchanting orchestration combining classical and electronic composition.
For a relatively mini festival site, Jazz Café’s first edition had a stunningly extensive variety of musical entertainment.
The Dome, as it sounds, is a spherical structure complete with a vast disco ball glimmering within. Record label ‘Trippin’ residents were trusted to keep this orb bouncing: dancers were hooked on Nídia’s progressive Kuduro and Afro-house beats, and caught the vibes of an R&B infused set from Jordss.
The Plant Room was overflowing with fans of US rap, as they gathered to listen to creative lyricism from the likes of Odd Future’s Earl Sweatshirt, Roc Marciano and The Alchemist.
With the pairing of an idyllic location and multifaceted mixture of local and global artists, Jazz Café continue to prove their expertise in the musical realm – It’s safe to say their first festival was a storming success.
We knew we were in for a treat, but the complimentary combination of music, food and culture exceeded our expectations, and we couldn’t have asked for a more wonderful wind-down into the hibernation season.
Images from Sophie Harbinson