GoGo Penguin

Norwich Jazz Festival brings GoGo Penguin to Epic Studios, Norwich, on 23 May 2026, as part of the Norfolk & Norwich Festival. The Manchester trio — pianist Chris Illingworth, bassist Nick Blacka and drummer Jon Scott — refine their blend of jazz, minimalism and club textures with a new album, Necessary Fictions. On stage, they push their acoustic core into new territory, folding modular synths, a Moog Grandmother and electric bass into tightly patterned grooves and lyrical motifs. Drums sit forward, melodies thread through propulsive rhythms, and the music moves from piano-led interplay to glassy electronic swells.

Necessary Fictions focuses on essential ideas and contrast: percussive piano figures, melodic low-end lines, fractured beats and spacious electronics that leave room for detail. GoGo Penguin’s live set builds momentum without showy peaks, drawing you into patterns that evolve, pivot and lock across the set. Also on the bill: Daudi Matsiko.