We have such a big year coming up in 2026. It’s the year of the Fire Horse associated with optimism, energy and freedom and …..a Golden Jubilee!

Alison Rayner and Deirdre Cartwright met in a shed in Peckham in 1976. They went on to become multi award winning musicians, composers, promoters and record producers.
Join them as they celebrate 50 years of musical partnership. 1976-2026 

In a special Sunday lunchtime event in Ronnie Scott’s club, these trailblazing women will be joined by members of the Guest Stars, ARQ and trombonist Annie Whitehead to play the music they love: African and Latin-influenced originals, acapella vocals, exciting small group jazz grooves and everyone on stage for an amazing finale.  THIS IS NOW SOLD OUT….watch this space!

Over the past fifty years they have performed together in numerous influential groups and projects including Jam Today, Sisterhood of Spit, The Guest Stars, The Happening, Lydia D’Ustebyn, The Emma Peel Fan Club, The Electric Landladies, the Deirdre Cartwright Group and Alison Rayner Quintet (ARQ), while co-founding Blow the Fuse in 1989.

We know that some of you have been a part of this extraordinary adventure from the very beginning and many of you have joined us more recently. We hope to see you during 2026 – so let the 50 year Celebrations commence with these marvellous gigs and watch out for some big events during the year!

Deirdre recorded a new album with ORGANIK. The launch at Pizza Express Dean Street on Wednesday 15 July – with special guests from BBCTV’s Rockschool was SOLD OUT.

Also look out for our new Jazz in the House season at Lauderdale House. All details below and on our gigs page.

Mrs Dates Diary:

• Sun 6 Sept Deirdre w/Jo Fooks, Marianne Windham
  Guildford Jazz & Soul Festival 5-7pm free but BOOK
• Thurs 10 Sept Wanstead Fringe Festival, Cricket Club BOOK
  Deirdre w/Jon Howells Quartet Amy Baldwin, James Edmunds
• Mon 14 Sept SEAFORD – Splash Point Jazz Club BOOK
  Deirdre Cartwright with The Neal Richardson Trio
• Sat 3 Oct Deirdre Cartwright’s PICNIC Birmingham Jazz BOOK
• w/Annie Whitehead, Alison Rayner, Winston Clifford
• Fri 9 Oct SeaChange Aldeburgh. Jubilee Hall BOOK
  w/ Deirdre Cartwright, Diane McLoughlin, Alison Rayner, Jessica Palin
• Tues 13 Oct Deirdre Cartwright’s ORGANIK Brecon Jazz BOOK
  The Muse  w/ Pete Whittaker, Gary Hammond
• Sun 25 Oct 50 year Celebration @Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club
  Deirdre & Alison celebrate 50 years  with  The Guest Stars, ARQ, Annie Whitehead.
  Sunday lunch SOLD OUT
• Thurs 30 Oct PICNIC St Matthias Halls, London N16 BOOK
  w/Annie Whitehead, Alison Rayner, Winston Clifford
• Fri 6 November Chats Palace London E5
  Deirdre Cartwright w/ Diane McLoughlin, Alison Rayner, Michele Drees special guest Carol Grimes
• Thurs 19 Nov PICNIC Lauderdale House N6 5HG BOOK
  w/Annie Whitehead, Alison Rayner, Winston Clifford
• Thurs 3 Dec Ian Shaw Xmas Caper Lauderdale House N6 5HG BOOK
  Ian Shaw Early Xmas Caper special guests Deirdre Cartwright & Alison Rayner
• Sat 12 Dec ELECTRIC LANDLADIES Walthamstow Trades Club
• Thurs 17 Dec ARQ | Alison Rayner Quintet BOOK
  Wolverhampton Arts Centre

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.

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

‘Wild is the music of autumnal winds Amongst the faded woods.’ William Wordsworth

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 and we’re now in our 37th year!
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. In 2021 after lockdowns, we produced Blow the Fuse ‘On Air’ a series of online performances recorded live from The Vortex. We’ve had over 20,000 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.
In 2022 we began presenting regular events St Matthias Halls N16 8DD.
In 2023 we began programming  ‘Jazz in the House’ Lauderdale House, Waterlow Park, Highgate, London.

See our gigs page for details on all our events.