In the Pocket

In The Pocket began in August 2024 at The Blues Kitchen Shoreditch, sparked by a conversation with bassist Solomon Douglas — current MD of one of the house bands — who wanted to explore a new kind of improvised night.

The night centres around pocket grooves, blending jazz, soul, funk, hip-hop, Latin, and R&B — all rooted in the old-school art of listening and spontaneous creation. Each ensemble is one-of-a-kind: no rehearsals, no setlists, just musicians free to groove in the moment.

Artists like Tom Misch, Kaidi Akinnibi, Samson Jatto, and Laurie Milton have graced the stage, alongside vocalists such as SHANTÉH Fuller, Emmanuel Ayeni, Laville, and Ruby Wood. More recently, MCs like Deeriginal have joined — all fully improvised performances.

Inspired by legendary nights like Steez, The Spaces Between, Unit31, and The Oracle, Solomon sees himself not as the centre, but as the facilitator of a recipe that sparks timeless moments