We’re proud to announce our partnership with Headline Audio for Brick Lane Jazz Festival 2026 once again, with Nord Keyboards featuring on every stage and powering performances throughout the weekend.
Building on that collaboration, Headline Audio will host the Headline Audio Music Zone inside the Flow State Hub at Elys Yard, our new dedicated conference and culture space for 2026. A meeting point for artists, producers, engineers and curious listeners, the Music Zone is a space to explore the tools shaping contemporary sound.
Expect a showcase of digital instruments and audiophile gear from leading manufacturers including Nord, SSL and more TBA. There will be hands on demos, new releases from Nord and Teenage Engineering, and the opportunity to explore professional audio technology up close.SSL will also host a Q and A session in the space while powering the sound for the Nord Stage (see full programme here).
At the heart of the Flow State Hub, the Nord Stage will host intimate solo sets, conversations and deep dive sessions with artists and industry voices. We’re excited to present exclusive solo performances from:
Friday 24th April • 18:30-19:00 • Flow State Hub, Ely’s Yard, E1 6QR
Eliana Glass (b. 1997) is a singer, pianist, and visual artist born in Australia, raised in Seattle, and based in New York. She is a graduate of the jazz program at The New School where she studied with such mentors as Andrew Cyrille, Ben Street, Kris Davis, and Jay Clayton.
Her work spans contemporary classical composition, improvisation and interdisciplinary performance. Her practice centres on solo piano, combining structured composition with spacious, deliberate phrasing.
Glass has developed a reputation for focused, minimal performances that emphasise touch, tone and dynamic control. Her work often explores repetition and subtle variation, drawing attention to the physical and emotional qualities of the instrument.
This solo performance places her musicianship at the forefront, offering a direct and stripped-back presentation of her compositional voice. In a festival programme that spans panels, club sets and collaborative showcases, this set provides a concentrated listening experience built around clarity, discipline and strong technical command of the piano.
Saturday 25th April • 15:30-16:00 • Flow State Hub, Ely’s Yard, E1 6QR
Special solo Nord performance from Jay Verma — presents a special solo performance broadcast live on One Jazz.
Jay Verma is a London-based pianist and composer whose music sits at the crossroads of jazz, folk and film music.
Known for a rare and distinctive approach to harmony, he is also shaped by a childhood spent listening to grime and a fascination with rhythm through his study of Konnakol, the South Indian vocal percussion tradition.
He has shared stages and recordings with artists such as Olivia Dean, Cleo Sol, Little Simz and Ganavya, with appearances spanning COLORS, BBC Live Lounge, Wembley Arena and Eurovision. Signed to Harbour and endorsed by Nord and Yamaha, Jay continues to develop a singular artist project through acclaimed releases and collaborations.
Saturday 25th April • 18:30-19:00 • Flow State Hub, Ely’s Yard, E1 6QR
David Mrakpor — producer, composer and one half of the BRIT Award-winning duo Blue Lab Beats — presents a special solo performance broadcast live on One Jazz.
As part of Blue Lab Beats, Mrakpor has been central to a project that has helped define the sound of the UK’s contemporary jazz and neo-soul crossover, blending jazz harmony with hip-hop production, broken beat and electronic influences. The duo’s work has positioned them at the forefront of the UK’s global jazz resurgence, collaborating widely and bringing a producer-led perspective to the scene.
This solo set offers an opportunity to experience Mrakpor’s craftsmanship in an intimate setting, foregrounding the compositional and rhythmic sensibilities that underpin Blue Lab Beats’ sound.
Founded in a small basement workshop in 1983, Nord Keyboards has always been driven by curiosity, dedication, and a passion for music. Over the decades, the company has become a leader in synthesizers and stage keyboards, known for its innovative designs, intuitive interfaces, and exceptional sound quality.
Nord’s journey began in 1995 with the release of the Nord Lead, a synthesizer that quickly became a classic due to its unique analog emulation and user-friendly design. In 1997, Nord introduced the Nord Modular, the first digital modular synthesizer, recognized for its groundbreaking flexibility. This was followed in 2001 by the Nord Electro, which set a new standard for emulating vintage instruments with remarkable portability.
In 2005, the company launched the Nord Stage, an instrument that brought together acoustic and electric piano sounds, organ emulations, effects, and synthesizers into a single, versatile keyboard. Two years later, the Nord Wave expanded on the Nord Lead’s legacy, allowing musicians to use audio files as oscillators in a virtual analog environment.
Other significant releases include the Nord C1 Combo Organ (2005), featuring advanced tone wheel modeling and remarkable portability, and the Nord Piano (2010), a lightweight stage piano with cutting-edge features like String Resonance and pedal noise simulation.
Throughout its history, Nord has remained committed to creating instruments that inspire musicians around the world, guided by the same passion for music that shaped its beginnings.
