It may be a little under six months away until the London Jazz Festival, held in association with BBC Radio 3, begins on 12 November but it’s never too early to book, and the first shows for one of the biggest music festivals in the country are now going on sale, the organisers Serious have announced.

Highlights so far include the European premiere of Brad Mehldau and Joshua Redman’s new project Highway Rider with the Britten Sinfonia; the return of Sonny Rollins on his eightieth birthday tour to the Barbican on 20 November after last year’s triumph; exciting US bassist Esperanza Spalding, legendary French pianist Martial Solal, and a three-day residency for post-jazz trio The Bad Plus at Kings Place.

The festival opens with the jazz voice gala Celebrating a Century of Song musically directed by Guy Barker on 12 November at the Barbican, followed the next night by Mehldau and Redman, again at the Barbican, with Esperanza Spalding across town at the QEH.

The “Italian Tom Waits”, Paolo Conte, appears at the Albert Hall on 16 November while also on the 16th at the Wigmore Hall it’s Martial Solal followed on 18 November by the great Spanish flamenco guitarist Paco De Lucia at the Royal Festival Hall.

The Bad Plus residency which begins on the 18th at Kings Place and runs until the 20th features guests Wendy Lewis on the second night and Django Bates on the last night.

Tickets for a further show, Hugh Masekela and the Mahotella Queens scheduled for 12 November at the Royal Festival Hall will go on sale on 26 May which is also the same day for the release of the Paco de Lucia and Esperanza Spalding show tickets.

For the Bad Plus residency tickets will be put on sale on 5 June.

Many more additions to the programme are due in the coming months so watch this space. For Barbican shows call 020 7638 8891 or go to www.barbican.org.uk for tickets; for Kings Place shows call 020 7520 1490 or go to www.kingsplace.co.uk for tickets; for the Royal Albert Hall call 0845 401 5034 or go to www.royalalberthall.com For Festival Hall and QEH shows call 0844 8750073 or go to www.southbankcentre.co.uk for tickets and for Wigmore Hall concerts call 020 7935 2141 or go to www.wigmore-hall.org.uk for tickets 

Jazzwise is a media sponsor of the London Jazz Festival.