every thursday

Improv Lounge Jam Sessions – live from the basement, every Thursday!

Come along with your instrument (or just yourself) and get stuck into a relaxed night of jamming. Whether you're here to play or just enjoy the tunes, everyone's welcome.

To keep these sessions free to attend, we just ask that you support the night by grabbing a drink or a bite while you're here – every purchase at the bar helps us keep the jams going.

No need to drink alcohol if that's not your thing – we've got loads of soft drinks and some cracking empanadas too.

See you down there!

saturday 07/06/2025

Mally Harpaz, a London based composer and multi instrumentalist (Anna Calvi, James Marples, Hazel Iris), joined by renowned cellist Matt Constantine, will be performing her original compositions from her debut solo album Zoom In Zoom Out, distinct pieces which were mainly written as part of a collaboration with award-winning video artist Clara Aparicio Yoldi, along with some new yet unreleased material. Mally’s reverence for the profound creates mysterious melodic lines and shares a luscious ambience with other contemporary pioneers.

“There are some compositions that were created to inspire, and Mally Harpaz’s 'Zoom In Zoom Out' is fuelled by them... Zoom In Zoom Out is a score; tracks like ‘Voices’ and ‘Not Without Pain’ say everything that has to be said: to anyone, wherever they are when listening. For me, a dark room through studio headphones with an aching soul” - Get in Her Ears

“Mally Harpaz is a multi-instrumentalist and a daring experimenter and “Zoom in zoom out” is the shining and exciting manifesto of her talent. “Zoom in Zoom out” is a jumble of sounds expressed with great poetry and effect, a jumble of sounds that, with great intrinsic tension, unleash in us irrepressible emotions. At times, listening to this album, one has the impression that the music wants to question us” and dig inside us” - System Failure

Queen of Nothing is the solo project of guitarist and songwriter Abi Crisp. With a unique blend of atmospheric indie folk and alt-rock, her music serves as a cathartic release, capturing the essence of her stories and experiences through lush soundscapes and intricate guitar work.

sunday 08/06/2025

Come try a completely unique way of making music at The Muddy Puddle in Stoke Newington.

This is a night of Rhythm with Signs – a way of guiding improvised music using the hands and body. No experience needed, just a willingness to jump in, have fun and make some tunes.

- Workshop: Learn the basics of Rhythm with Signs with facilitator Gonzalo Teijeiro in a hands-on group session. Explore real-time musical improvisation and core conducting skills to guide the jam yourself! Ideal for beginners or experienced musicians looking for something a bit different.

- Open Jam: Put your new skills into practice in a relaxed, collaborative setting.

- Bring your own instrument, or use what’s provided (keyboard, drums, guitar, percussion, microphones and PA).

- A complimentary empanada included with your ticket!

wednesday 18/06/2025

Musician and composer Alasdair Pennington has in recent years established himself as a distinct and creative voice on the drum kit within the London jazz and improvised music scenes. An in-demand sideman, Pennington has performed and recorded with many eminent, international artists across genres including Helen Sung, Baptiste Herbin, Laura Jurd, Michael Dease, Dennis Rollins and The Flaming Lips among others. His musical contributions with various projects have garnered much positive acclaim, including from Downbeat Magazine who in October 2023 wrote: “Pennington’s a kick-ass drummer”.

Pennington has performed and recorded at venues, studios and festivals across England and beyond including Manchester Jazz Festival, Cheltenham Jazz Festival, Abbey Road Studios, Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, Cafe Oto, Porgy & Bess (Vienna), Jamboree Jazz Club (Barcelona) and Take 5 Jazz Club (California).

This Is, Pennington’s debut album as leader, was released in October 2024 on Hidden Threads Records. Jazz Journal described the album as “a highly listenable collection which in places harks back to the sound of American jazz from the 50s and 60s”, going on to state that "his craft as a composer really stands out”. Plastic Magazine wrote “This Is takes listeners on a cinematic jazz voyage” describing Pennington as an “imaginative force behind the drum kit”.

Alasdair Pennington - drums

Alex Wilson - piano

Jason Simpson - double bass

friday 11/07/2025

On her new album, Carnival, folk/pop singer-songwriter Juliet Lloyd showcases her signature “evocative storytelling and raw honesty” and “powerfully emotive performance from start to finish,” honed over more than two decades as a writer and artist. She has released four studio albums, garnering placements on television shows on MTV and VH1 and airplay on more than 175 radio stations across the US. Raised in rural New York, Juliet was a classically trained pianist and jazz trumpet player from an early age before studying songwriting at Berklee College of Music. It wasn’t long before she was a fixture in the Boston singer-songwriter scene, releasing two critically acclaimed albums, touring across the country, and garnering placements on MTV and VH1. Struggling with burnout, Juliet walked away from music completely in 2009 and got a lucrative corporate job. Fast forward ten years, and in the midst of a global pandemic, she returned to songwriting and performing. After winning a string of national songwriting awards and releasing her 2022 EP High Road—hailed as a “top-tier singer/songwriter album”—Juliet returned full force. Since then, she has performed 150+ shows a year, both solo and with her band, at clubs and listening rooms across the US.