Now in its third year the Kings Place Festival returns on Thursday for a four-day music extravaganza that includes 100 performances across the venue’s multiple performance areas. Combining jazz, folk, world, classical and experimental music forms the festival offers a chance to sample a huge variety of genres all within the confines of its impressive contemporary music and gallery space. Among the jazz highlights hotfoot from the Mercury Prize pianist Kit Downes appears with his acclaimed trio, of bassist Callum Gourlay and drummer James Maddren, on Saturday, as part of a F-IRE Presents triple bill. They are sandwiched between an opening set from trumpeter Tom Arthurs who appears with his trio – of bass maestro Jasper Høiby and drummer Stuart Ritchie – and the Elysian String quartet while another former Mercury nominated group Basquiat Strings make a rare appearance topping this exciting line up.

Representing 21st century hard bop the Dune label-affiliated Tomorrow’s Warriors appear in three incarnations on Friday, with the Biggish Band, Tomorrow’s Warriors Quartet and a headlining vocal-led all star band featuring emerging vocalist Myrna Hague, backed by bassist Gary Crosby’s Nu Troop with award winning pianist Andrew McCormack and renowned saxophonist Denys Baptiste. More esoteric music offerings appear in the venue’s St Pancras hall with experimental audiovisual sets from David Toop, Leon Michener and Lore Lixenberg as well as free sets from the Spitz jazz collective in the foyer. With folk stars Eliza Carthy and John Kirkpatrick, as well as a plethora of art, literature and comedy talks and events, plus an all-consuming Food Market, there’s something for culture vultures of all persuasions.       

- Mike Flynn

For more go to www.kingsplace.co.uk/music/kings-place-festival