News for Summer 2023

We’re really enjoying programming ‘Jazz in the House’ at Lauderdale House in Waterlow Park, Highgate following the death of Brian Blain last October. This long standing series of modern, world class jazz was run and hosted by Brian for over 25 years.

Our first two events in May featuring Norma Winstone and John Etheridge were sold out. Alan Barnes & Dave Newton, Deirdre Cartwright’s Picnic and Laura Jurd will be appearing there in June 2023.
Award-winning musicians Deirdre and Alison have run their own jazz club for over 30 years and will carry forward ‘Jazz in the House’ in the spirit of Brian Blain and his tireless support for musicians and live music.
#jazzinthehouse

Blow the Fuse jazz club continues to be in the heart of Stoke Newington in the superb space of St Matthias Hall and St Matthias Church.

Fri 26 May BTF Jazz Club
Ruthie Smith & Friends  BOOK
Ruthie Smith Sax & Vocals • Deirdre Cartwright Guitar, voc • Alison Rayner Bass, voc • Linda da Mango Congas, percussion, voc • Jim Dvorak Trumpet, voc • Alastair Gavin Keyboards • Winston Clifford Drums, voc.
An evening led by Ruthie Smith celebrating the coming together of various musical friends and genres, and a variety of soulful jazzy styles including original material, mainstream and bebop, softer moods of cool jazz, blues, South African Township and joyful uplifting Latin-Jazz

Fri 30 June BTF Jazz Club
St Matthias Church
The Casimir Connection +
Deirdre Cartwright / Alison Rayner Duo BOOK
Part of the Stokebourne Festival in the Grade 1 listed St Matthias Church we have a wonderful concert with the Casimir Connection led by Diane McLoughlin plus Deirdre Cartwight & Alison Rayner playing their ‘Ronnie Scott’s’ jazz duo.
This event is sponsored by local independent financial advisers Ruth Whitehead Associates, celebrating their 30th birthday! 

Blow the Fuse ‘On Air’ 
In 2020 – 2021, we were awarded funding by the Arts Council of England to produce a series of online concerts recorded exclusively by Blow the Fuse from the Vortex Jazz Club in Dalston plus archive film footage and interviews. We’d like to thank everyone who’s supported us through these extraordinary times and to all of you who became a BTF Patron through donations. Your support was crucial and helped us to produce TEN shows in all. A very steep but rewarding learning curve.

All shows can now be viewed anytime on our You Tube channel HERE

Carol Grimes • Deirdre Cartwright • Liane Carroll • Annie Whitehead
D’n’A present vintage Guest Stars • Martha & Eve + The  DaDa Dandies
Back to the 70s • The Casimir Connection + Add3io • Ian Shaw • ARQ

Please join our club by clicking here and receive links to the shows. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and look on our fb page for more updates. See you at a LIVE gig soon!

Many thanks to the Arts Council Of England for their support….

We’ve won the 2020 award for ‘Services to Jazz’ at the All Party Parliamentary Jazz Awards.
Thanks to everyone involved, it meant a lot to us, we’re really honoured.

Tomorrow the Moon, supported by PRS Foundation’s The Open Fund began in January 2020. We have finally been able to stage our last two events of this season this Autumn 2022 with Alex Clarke and ARQ + Balledestre.

We were delighted to have received funding to record the latest ARQ album ‘Short Stories’ and for a national tour promoting the album.

and to the equally wonderful people working at the PRSF for the Women Make music fund.

Thank you to all our supporters and watch this space for more news…

BTF we are..

C R E A T I V E    •   C U R I O U S
•  
E X P E R I E N C E D  •

In May 2019, Blow the Fuse celebrated 30 years. Started in 1989 by musicians and composers Deirdre Cartwright and Alison Rayner who were members of the internationally acclaimed jazz group The Guest Stars, BTF have played a crucial role in raising awareness about women jazz musicians and importantly giving them support, a space and opportunity to perform in times which have sometimes been very challenging.

BTF have been very much part of the new resurgence of jazz musicians, which contain many talented young women. Beginning in 2012, Blow the Fuse seasons Tomorrow the Moon one small step for women’ have featured groups led by composers Laura Jurd, Yazz Ahmed, Laura Cole, Dee Byrne, Shirley Tetteh, Lauren Kinsella, Roz Harding, Nikki Iles, Shama Rahman, Daphna Sadeh, Flo Moore, Chelsea Carmichael, Camilla George and Nubya Garcia.

BTF have managed many UK jazz tours with new musical works, innovative collaborations and educational projects and run the Blow the Fuse record label. Last year we produced Blow the Fuse ‘On Air’ a series of online performances recorded live from The Vortex. We’ve had over 13,000 views for these shows on You Tube and Facebook.

 Performances for the ‘Resistance’ and ‘Tomorrow the Moon’ seasons took place at the Vortex Jazz Club and the Old Church on Stoke Newington Church Street. 2022 saw the club move to St Matthias Halls in N16. 2023 Blow the Fuse programmes at ‘Jazz in the House’ Lauderdale House, Waterlow Park, Highgate, London.  See our gigs page for details on all our events.

ARQ Album ‘Short Stories’

Spring 2023

Fri Mar 17 London Piano Smithfield BOOK
Wed April 5 Leicester The Musician
Wed May 31 Eastbourne Splash Point Jazz
Bright, open jazz music that rejoices in human experience without sentimentalising it. A collection of eight perfectly formed originals that makes the most of three standout soloists.”
BBC Music Magazine ★★★★

‘A Celebration of life itself ‘ LondonJazzNews

LIVE preview of songs from the album
‘Short Stories’ released October 2019


ARQ website HERE

‘Croajingolong Bushwalk’ from ‘Short Stories’ is available as a FREE download on
iTunes/ Apple Music and Spotify.