Alto saxophonist, Donovan Haffner has been described as one of the best kept secrets on the London jazz scene but if you caught his set at The Bear Club last November you will be well aware of his talent!.
With the release of his debut album, Alleviate, he is about to become much better known and we are delighted to welcome him back with his quintet to mark the end of the Bear’s “Generation Jazz” series (for this year at least).
Donovan joined the highly respected Tomorrow’s Warriors Young Artist Development Programme aged 11 and was mentored by Gary Crosby OBE, Binker Golding, and Alex Davis. He proved to be a stand-out talent and, by the age of 18, he was invited to tour Italy with multi-award-winning drummer Moses Boyd.
Since then, Donovan has played with Jay Phelps, Charlie Stacey, and Balimaya. He has also performed with the Danish jazz pianist/composer Rasmus Sorenson and was selected by Tony Kofi to be part of, American jazz legend, Charles Tolliver’s Big Band, headlining at the Barbican as part of the EFG London Jazz Festival. And Donovan is still very much part of the Tomorrow’s Warriors musical family, performing with both Nu Civilisation Orchestra and Jazz Jamaica.
However, it is his growing reputation as a bandleader and composer in his own right that is set to see Donovan come to the attention of jazz fans across the country.
If you have already been lucky enough to catch Donovan play live (including at The Bear, Ronnie Scott’s, The Jazz Café, and Pizza Express Live) or at a festival (We Out Here, Love Supreme), then you will have been struck not just by the drive and sophistication of his playing, but also how he interprets his own compositions. His music is a fine assimilation of the music he loves, straight ahead and contemporary jazz – drawing on the inspiration of the musicians that have influenced him, including Kenny Garrett, Freddie Hubbard, Immanuel Wilkins, Joe Henderson, Wayne Shorter, and Walter Smith III – but enhanced with his own distinctive compositional style.
Donovan’s debut album Alleviate is vitally exciting contemporary jazz which will undoubtedly position him as a rising star and one of 2025’s breakthrough artists.
This performance is part of The Bear Club’s “Generation Jazz” series of gigs showcasing brilliant young jazz musicians across the summer and autumn of 2025. Discounted ticket pricing applies for those under 25, students and universal credit beneficiaries.
Tonight’s performance is also part of Tomorrow’s Warriors’ Warriors Rise initiative, which sees the acclaimed jazz talent development organisation support three emerging Warriors’ artists, including Maddy, across a seven-date run of UK gigs, providing tour planning and marketing mentoring.
Warriors Rise is a PRS Foundation Talent Development Network Partner initiative supported by PPL.
More about Tomorrow’s Warriors
For over 30 years, Tomorrow’s Warriors has played a vital role within its community and the wider music industry and has been credited with literally changing the face of UK jazz.
Free access to Tomorrow’s Warriors artistic programme has proved crucial in nurturing the nascent talent and early careers of so many of the most exciting UK artists currently tearing up the international jazz scene including Mercury Prize 2023 recipients and BRIT Awards Best Group 2025 winners EZRA Collective, Moses Boyd, Nubya Garcia, Shabaka Hutchings and Sons of Kemet, ESKA, Jason Yarde, Denys Baptiste, Robert Mitchell, Soweto Kinch, Shirley Tetteh, Byron Wallen...the list goes on.
A Black-founded and Black-led organisation, Tomorrow’s Warriors offers a pioneering, free to access, comprehensive programme of learning and training which champions and supports young Black and female talent and those who come from challenging circumstances that would be a barrier to accessing opportunities to pursue a music career.
“…an absolutely awesome debut and a really amazing release. I’ve watched his development for the last two or three years and he has blossomed into a really special musician.”
“A confident and impressive debut.”
Doors 7pm / Music 8.30pm
Tickets £16 / £10 for members/ £8 for U25s, Students and UC Beneficiaries (Accreditation on entry)
All seating/tables are first come first served.