Six-day jazz festival set to kick off in Bengaluru on April 20

Jazz April 2025’, a six-day celebration, will be held on April 20 and from April 25 to 30, across eight venues in the city. International Jazz Day is on April 30.

Curated by the Jazz and Contemporary Department of The Bangalore School of Music (BSM), and presented in collaboration with the Alliance Française de Bangalore and the Goethe-Institut, the event will feature concerts, jam sessions, lecture-demonstrations, and workshops. This year’s edition is dedicated to the late Dr Thomas Chandy, who was loved by the jazz community. He passed away on April 7.

The lineup features over 15 jazz acts. ‘Friends with Standards’, featuring Aman Mahajan (on piano) and Rohit P S (on drums), will perform on April 20 at The Blue Room, Jayanagar, while ‘Arvind Achappa Trio’ and ‘SoulTrane’ will take the stage on April 25 at Goethe-Institut, Indiranagar. ‘Love, The Classics and The Ladies of Jazz’ are expected to perform on April 26, at Jagriti Theatre, Whitefield. 

On April 27, the BSM orchestra, will entertain audiences. This will be followed by a workshop conducted by percussionist Carlos Gonsalves. 

A jazz guitar workshop will be conducted on April 29 at Yamaha Thomsun Showroom, Indiranagar. The festival culminates on April 30 at Alliance Française, Millers Road, with performances by ‘Deep Blue Brass Band’, ‘MoonArra’, ‘Art Tantra Trio’, and ‘Jazz Revival’, among others. 

“Jazz is a highly creative form of music. It draws from experience, skill, and spontaneity. It invites both young and old alike,” says Jagadeesh M R, guitarist, composer and head of the Jazz and Contemporary department at BSM.

Aside from the ticketed shows at The Blue Room and Jagriti Theatre, all events are free to attend. 

For full schedule and registration details, visit @cafejazzsessions and @soundsofbangalore on Instagram.