The first Thursday in June marks 10 years of Stratos’ Jazz Jam at Grow, the weekly night led by Rio Kai. Join us in celebrating this massive milestone.
Since 2016, it’s become part of the rhythm of Hackney Wick. It started out on 20th April before landing on Thursdays, and over time, it’s grown into a regular meeting point for musicians and listeners. One of those nights that just kept going, week in, week out, with dedication and commitment, sharing all shades of jazz in our canalside venue.
This anniversary is about bringing that whole community back into the room. The band will play a set of original material in the first set outside on the floating pontoon. In the second set for the jam, we want to welcome back past members, regular players, familiar faces who’ve passed through over the years and new ones. If that’s you, please come and join in the celebration.
It’s been built slowly, over a long stretch of time. Not just by the band, but by everyone who’s played, listened, or found their way into the session and stuck around. If you’ve ever been part of it, this is for you. Come down, celebrate jazz in all its forms and get involved in the jam. Let's raise a glass to this outstanding 10 year residency centred around the community and good music.
STRATOS THE BAND
Led and founded by Rio Kai, Stratos is Grow’s house band and the driving force behind the weekly Thursday jazz residency. Across the past decade, the band has held down the night while continuing to evolve through new collaborations, original material and the wider community that has grown around it.
Rio Kai is a multi-award-winning bassist, musical director and composer. He has performed as both a bandleader and sideman across a range of projects, including SEED Ensemble, which received a Mercury Prize nomination in 2019, Nérija, winner of Best Newcomer at the 2017 Parliamentary Jazz Awards, the Benet McLean Quintet, Do Not Assume, and collaborations with the London Contemporary Orchestra and London Symphony Orchestra. An alumnus of Tomorrow’s Warriors, Rio performs regularly across London’s jazz scene and has also built a major body of work in theatre as a principal musician, musical director and co-composer. Stratos has been a central part of that journey over the past decade.
Dom Pusey has been part of Stratos since 2019. Born in Hertfordshire, he began performing professionally on saxophone and guitar at 15, before studying at the University of North Texas and graduating from the University of Leeds. Since moving to London in 2016, he has collaborated with artists including Wilma Archer and Celeste, and has performed with The O’Jays. His work has also featured across live TV, radio, and recordings for the BBC, Channel 4 and ITV. Alongside Stratos, Dom continues to develop his own original work, including recent releases with his trio.
Mike De Souza is a composer and educator known for his lyrical improvisation, textural sound world and genre-crossing approach. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Music and Leeds College of Music, he has released music as a bandleader including Chrysalis on Fresh Sound New Talent and Pond Life with Big Bad Wolf. As a sideman, he has worked with Byron Wallen, Alex Paxton, Phil Meadows, Joy Ellis, Belle Chen and Twospeak, and has performed internationally at venues and festivals across Europe. Since joining Stratos in 2023, he has become an important part of the band’s current sound.
Zoe Pascal is a drummer who began gaining recognition at a young age, becoming Soultone’s youngest UK endorsee at 11, a VATER artist at 13, and a finalist in Young Drummer of the Year in 2015, 2016 and 2017. He developed through two major jazz education programmes, Junior Jazz Academy at the Royal Academy of Music and Tomorrow’s Warriors, where he was mentored by figures including Gary Crosby, Nathaniel Facey and Binker Golding. Zoe has performed widely with his band Zeñel at venues and festivals including Ronnie Scott’s, Love Supreme, EFG London Jazz Festival and the Royal Albert Hall, and was named a Jazzwise Artist to Watch in 2018 and 2019.
BOOKINGS
The event will be outside for the first set. Table bookings will be moved inside, incase of bad weather.
Book a ticket and table via the OpenTable experiences, where we are offering a festive set menu.
Book just a ticket DICE
We reserve 30% of our tables for walk-ups, so you can still feel free to come down and grab a spot. There is plenty of standing room as well. We advise that you arrive between 6.30 and 7.30 pm to get a table.
If you’ve booked a table via the OpenTable, we recommend you turn up on time, as we cannot hold the tables for more than 15 minutes.
Please read our full FAQs before booking, where you will find information on refunds and exchanges
FOOD & DRINK
Our kitchen is open until 9 pm and serves a range of dishes and snacks. We have a range of drinks from the bar (open until 11.45 pm), including Grow’s signature cocktails.
Arrive early to make the most of excellent happy hour offers.
