Ni maxine in naples

When Naples calls... I was invited to play at REC Napoli, a warehouse style club venue on the outskirts of Naples as part of their 'Jazz Corner' series where the audience enjoy a meal prepared by a guest chef. We headed to the airport straight after my Birmingham show and got an early morning flight to Naples. After finding some of the 'best pizza in the world' we got some rest in our cosy accommodation, right in the heart of the historical centre.

The weather was unusually wet for Naples, apparently, but getting caught in the rain was worth it for the €2.00 arancini and fritatini that we could order from a hatch which was right on our doorstep. We wondered around the quaint streets, eating far too much bread and cheese, checking out all of the food spots Keeks had saved during his research - He loves researching places, and I enjoy going along with it. A place that we kept going back to was a deli where we got fresh sandwiches bigger than my face for only €6, with the most creamy buffalo mozzarella i've ever tried. Another highlight was 'Sorbillo' pizza, classic margarita with fresh basil and olive oil. This pizza gets a solid 9/10 from me.

Now, I don't usually drink coffee, it can make me feel a bit shakey and distracted and then I crash, but I had to try Italian coffee. Keeks found a place in a residential neighbourhood and we sat by the roadside with a coffee and shared a very soft and fluffy donut, followed by a hot chocolate, which was all definitely worth the steep up-hill walk. Amazing quality ingredients. That is something Italians seem to do really well, only the best!

The show itself on Friday 30th January 2026 was a success, with over 200 people buying tickets to come and see us at REC, one of the most stylish venues I have played in with retro Italian furniture and rotating art exhibitions on the walls. For musical direction, I worked with Doom Cannon, London-based composer, producer & multi-instrumentalist (a 'UK Jazz' great in his own right) who built a new Ni Maxine duo show with a full band sound using play-back, which was a very new but positive experience for me, and I look forward to being able to take this show to far away corners of the globe.