Sultan Stevenson is one of the most exciting young jazz musicians in London today and a firm favourite with The Bear Club audience. He played one of his first gigs outside London at The Bear Club in July 2023, the same year he received a Parliamentary Jazz Award for Best Newcomer.
2024 also took Sultan’s trio (Jacob Gryn on bass and Joel Waters on drums) across Europe. They appeared at Jazz Jantar in Poland, Jamboree in Barcelona, Duc De Lombards in Paris and for a 2-night residency at The Birds Eye Jazz Club in Basel, Switzerland.
2025 has already been a tremendous year for Sultan. In March, he released his second album El Roi on Edition Records, launching with a sold-out show at the Southbank Centre and he has performed across Europe including in Utrecht at The Transition Festival, in Belfast at The Brilliant Corners Festival, and he plays the largest and most prestigious room of his career so far when he plays King’s Place in October. His star has well and truly risen and we are delighted to welcome him back with his trio for what will be a very special night in the intimate setting of The Bear Club.
Sultan honed his craft at both the Julian Joseph Jazz Academy and Tomorrow’s Warriors, studying under luminaries like Julian Joseph, Gary Crosby, Simon Purcell, and Robert Mitchell. Graduating from The Guildhall School of Music in 2023 he draws inspiration from the “greats” of jazz piano including McCoy Tyner, Kennie Kirkland and Herbie Hancock. Drawing from their legacy, he crafts a modern sound that remains accessible yet deeply personal incorporating ideas of faith and identity.
The title to his latest album, El Roi, is hebrew for the biblical “God of sight” or “the God who sees me” and serves as a thematic bridge between faith and perception. “The title binds together these two themes well. ‘God’ refers to faith and ‘sight’ refers to how one is seen and how you perceive the world around you” Stevenson explains. This album builds upon the foundation laid by his debut, Faithful One, where he delved into faith-based experiences like prayer and gratitude.
Featuring Sultan Stevenson (piano), Jacob Gryn (bass) and Joel Waters (drums).
“His writing is a constant flow of memorable melodies”
Doors 7pm / Music 8.30pm / Tickets £20 / £14 for members
All seating/tables are first come first served.