About this Event
Grass Roots is a monthly live music event which is fully dedicated to supporting young and emerging London-based jazz artists. It takes place at the CLF Art Lounge's Pop Up space in Peckham, South London on the first Thursday of the month, except in January when we take a break.
For the month of December, Grass Roots is particularly pleased to present Finlay Mackenzie.
This precocious talent is already hailed as one of the most promising young jazz drummers from these shores. While living in his native Scotland, he was the main attraction at the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival in 2023 and 2025 with his quintet, as well as at the premier jazz festivals in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee.
Since relocating south of the border to further his studies at Trinity Laban, Finlay has been turning heads overseas with stellar performances at the Umbria Jazz Festival and the Siena Jazz Showcase. Some of the illustrious names he has shared the stage with so far include Alex Sipiagin, Walter Smith III, Fergus McCreadie, Matt Carmichael, Phil Grenadier, corto.alto and Rasmus Sørenson.
In 2023 as a finalist in the UK Young Drummer of the Year competition, his creativity and virtuosity with the sticks earned him widespread admiration on the night. Besides being a sought-after sideman, Finlay is also a forward-thinking composer whose live sets alongside his quintet feature his original works - a pot-pourri of poise, panache, passion and his proud Scottish heritage.
You'll find the venue inside Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts (or Mountview for short) on the ground floor and next to the main entrance. It is also behind Peckham Library and a 10-minute walk from Peckham Rye station.
Doors open at 8pm and the live music starts at 9pm.
For more about Grass Roots, visit the event's official page.
For more about The CLF Art Lounge Pop Up, visit the venue's official page.
Event venue & nearby stays
The CLF Art Lounge, 120 Peckham Hill Street, London, United Kingdom
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