“Both exciting talents who understand the music… creating content that has real attention to detail, depth and is also highly entertaining”, says pianist Barry Green about Lucy Joy and Thomas Sladden, an up and coming jazz duo based in London.

They are currently studying jazz at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, performing a combination of luscious, sensitively interpreted standards and soaring, melodic original material. Influences range from Oscar Peterson to Blossom Dearie, from Cecile McLorin Salvant to Kurt Elling, all imaginatively drawn into a soulful, lyrical sound. Come and listen and they will draw you into their world.

Joy and Sladden are interested in exploring standards a little off the piano/voice-duo-beaten-track, whether through adding original vocalese to instrumental standards, finding a joyful sense of fun in 'character tunes', modern reharmonisation of older tunes or digging a little deeper for repertoire. They also include some original tunes by Joy and Sladden. Examples include a lyrically-updated version of I'm Hip, a compelling original take on Naima with a new vocalese by Lucy Joy, and a modern reharmonisation of Tea For Two by Thomas Sladden. The jazz duo lends a unique opportunity for collective improvisation, which they explore keenly. Each solo becomes not a feature but an opportunity to work together to move the music in a different direction. Exploratory rehearsal and two like-minds often leads to spontaneous arrangements and dynamic but always sensitive free improvisation. As a result, no two performances are the same.

Please note The Jazz Social is a pop-up venue with mixed standing / seated. Limited seating operates on a first come first serve basis with no reservations. For more information on accessibility access head to the bottom of The Jazz Social page.