Jon Onabowu [Groove-based Jazz]

About this event

“Onabowu is quite literally the pulse of each song” – Maxine Sibihwana, Soul Mama

London-based drummer, composer, and bandleader Jon Onabowu creates groove-driven contemporary jazz built for the stage. His music draws from jazz, hip-hop, gospel, and modern fusion, shaped into instrumental compositions that prioritise rhythm, melody, and collective interplay. This performance follows the release of his new album and features an all-original set from his quartet – music designed to move, stretch, and evolve in real time.

Raised in a British-Nigerian household and immersed in the communal spirit of church music, Jon developed an early sensitivity to pulse and ensemble dynamics. Later study at the Academy of Contemporary Music deepened his harmonic language, while London’s diverse musical landscape broadened his perspective.

On stage, his quartet brings this approach into sharp focus. Deep-pocket rhythms sit alongside shifting meters and layered harmony; themes emerge, transform, and expand through improvisation.

This ethos underpins Jon’s Cosmic Fusion residency at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, a platform dedicated to collaboration and forward-thinking live performance. Beyond his own projects, he has performed and collaborated with artists including Theo Croker, Venna, and Bubby Lewis, positioning him within a new wave of UK-based musicians redefining contemporary jazz. While his work sits in conversation with figures such as Yussef Dayes, Kamasi Washington, Thundercat, and Snarky Puppy, it is grounded in his own rhythmic voice and bandleading vision.

Line up:
Jon Onabowu – Drums
INSXGHT – Keys
Laurie Milton  – Keys
Leslie Essel – Bass