"What a brilliant club" - Forbes 2025
THE VERDICT
APPJAG Jazz Venue of the Year 2024
The Verdict is a multi award winning grass roots music venue, the only full time Jazz venue outside of London in the south of England, it has been named as one of the best jazz clubs in the World by Star Insider. Weekly hosting the best in jazz music with Top International acts, playing blues, swing, funk, Latin Jazz and fusion.
R.U.M. Band
ft. Michael Bailey & Ama Lia
“R.U.M. Band delivers polyrhythmic fire, masterful musicianship, and grooves that refuse to let go.” Time Out
R.U.M. is a rhythmic underground movement — a global collective of master musicians united by deep groove, rich storytelling, and uplifting root-soul energy. Blurring borders and genres, R.U.M. brings together decades of musical heritage with a forward-thinking sound that feels both timeless and urgent.
Formed by artists who have shaped modern soul, reggae, funk, and jazz from behind the scenes and on the world’s biggest stages, R.U.M. now steps into the spotlight with a sound entirely their own. Their music is built on polyrhythms, organic improvisation, and emotional resonance — music that moves the body while feeding the spirit. With an eagerly anticipated debut album on the horizon, this is a rare opportunity to experience a supergroup in full creative flow.
The collective draws its members from across the globe, including the Caribbean, Greece, Australia, and the UK, giving R.U.M. a truly international pulse. Their combined credits read like a who’s who of popular music history, spanning Johnny Nash, Jimmy Ruffin, Bob Marley, Gregory Isaacs, Eric Clapton, Pete Townshend, Jimmy Page, Chaka Khan, Bee Gees, Jeff Beck, Steve Winwood, Boney M, Lionel Richie, Beyoncé, Ali Campbell (UB40), Omar, Incognito, John Legend, and Joss Stone.
At the rhythmic core is legendary drummer Richard Bailey, whose career stretches from early work with Johnny Nash and a young Bob Marley to recording on Jeff Beck’s iconic Blow by Blow album. Michael Bailey, a bassist of rare depth and authority, has performed and recorded with Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin and Mick Taylor of The Rolling Stones. Keyboardist Felix “Lix” Ruiz brings harmonic colour and texture shaped by collaborations with Gregory Isaacs and Damon Albarn, while dynamic funk and soul vocalist Ama Lia adds power, elegance, and fire, with credits including Beyoncé, Lionel Richie, and John Legend.
Effortlessly weaving between soul, funk, jazz, Latin, reggae, ska, and calypso, R.U.M.’s live performances are immersive, groove-heavy, and deeply human. At Verdict Jazz, expect an evening of musical conversation, masterful musicianship, and rhythms that linger long after the final note.
Mario Bakuna Trio
“Mario Bakuna, a sparkling guitarist, plays with palpable feeling – his virtuosic fluency on the fretboard is controlled and flourishes are perfectly placed. His voice has a texture like heavy cloth” – Songlines
Mario Bakuna is a London-based Brazilian composer, singer and guitarist with over twenty years of professional experience, recognised as one of the leading voices of Brazilian jazz in England. Deeply rooted in Afro-Brazilian traditions, his music draws from Samba, Bossa Nova and Jazz, combining rhythmic vitality, harmonic sophistication and lyrical expression in performances that are both intimate and electrifying.
Born in Brazil and now firmly established in the UK, Mario’s artistic work bridges continents and cultures. His music celebrates the rich heritage of Brazilian composers while bringing a contemporary perspective shaped by his international career. With a style that moves seamlessly between subtle, intricate guitar passages and powerful rhythmic drive, Mario creates a vibrant dialogue between tradition and innovation.
In recent years, he has emerged as a prominent figure on the European Brazilian jazz scene, performing at distinguished venues and festivals across Europe and beyond. He has collaborated with internationally respected musicians including Jean Toussaint, Liam Noble, Ricardo dos Santos, Edmundo Carneiro, Cacau Queiroz, Alain Jean-Marie, Dudu Penz and Filó Machado, further expanding the reach and depth of his musical language.
Mario’s acclaimed albums Where Rio de Janeiro Meets Bahia and Brazilian Landscapes highlight his commitment to exploring Brazil’s diverse musical identities. These projects have toured extensively, reaching audiences in 18 European countries as well as Canada, Brazil, Madagascar, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, earning widespread praise for their authenticity, virtuosity and emotional resonance.
As a performer, Mario is celebrated for his exceptional guitar technique and expressive voice. Songlines describes him as “a sparkling guitarist” whose “virtuosic fluency on the fretboard is controlled and flourishes are perfectly placed,” while The Whitman Review noted that he “exudes music,” praising his voice as “the band’s fifth instrument” and highlighting his remarkable ability to combine precision, finesse and emotional power.
Whether performing solo or with his ensemble, Mario Bakuna brings warmth, depth and rhythmic vitality to the stage, inviting audiences into the rich and captivating world of Brazilian jazz.
