The 26th January 2025 marks Tomorrow’s Warriors Co-founder and Artistic Director Dr Gary Crosby OBE 70th birthday, and we will be kicking off the celebrations with A Big Birthday Jam on Sunday 2nd February at Jazz Café, Camden at 12pm-3pm.
On 2nd February, for one day only Gary will recreate one of his legendary Sunday afternoon Jazz Café jam sessions that he started 34 years ago, back in 1991. Gary has been on a mission to increase diversity and representation in the UK jazz scene, and back then the Jazz Café sessions ignited careers such as Gary’s own ensembles Nu Troop and Jazz Jamaica, as well as Denys Baptiste, Nathaniel Facey, Byron Wallen, Soweto Kinch, Jason Yarde, Shane Forbes, Zara McFarlane and ESKA among others. The sessions would go on to become the foundations on which Tomorrow’s Warriors would be built, championing a whole new jazz generation and creating a seminal moment in UK Jazz history.
The one-off Jazz Café event will see a mix of Warriors alumni, emerging artists, and current members of the Tomorrow’s Warriors Young Artist Development programme perform together at what will be an unmissable celebration.
Janine Irons OBE, Co-founder & CEO of Tomorrow’s Warriors, and Gary’s partner, sums up why this is such a special occasion:
“Whilst he might hate us for saying it, it’s hard to overstate the impact that Gary Crosby has made on the UK jazz scene, not only as a hugely respected musician and bandleader, but perhaps most significantly through his incredible ability to recognise talent and inspire generation after generation of young jazz musicians to achieve their potential through Tomorrow’s Warriors.
With a career lasting over half a century, he still can’t bear the title ‘Godfather of UK Jazz’ and that tells you the kind of person he is. For Gary it’s never about glory or credit, he truly loves what he does and it’s what he does best.
The Jazz Café event is a great way to kick off his 70th year celebrations, to say not just ‘Happy Birthday Gary’, but a very big thank you too for your profound dedication! Without Gary, none of this would have been possible.”
“I can’t quite believe I have reached this milestone, what a journey it’s been!
Dr Gary Crosby OBE, Co-founder & Artistic Director of Tomorrow’s Warriors, Nu Civilisation Orchestra, and Jazz Jamaica All Stars
It feels like only yesterday when I started the Jazz Café sessions with the aim to create a platform for young jazz musicians not just to perform, but also to build new connections with other musicians.
I grew up in West London on a council estate and through the support of my family, I saw how the power of education and music could help me extend my horizons, enable me to look at the world differently and see how it can be a positive force for good and bring about change. By reaching young people at a pivotal moment in their artistic journeys, it’s been wonderful to see so much excellence coming through Tomorrow’s Warriors these past 34 years.
It will be like old times and I look forward to seeing my Tomorrow’s Warriors community and my contemporaries from the scene come through to celebrate with me at our spiritual home The Jazz Cafe.”