In a scene that’s been lauded as fostering the next wave of jazz, London’s Shabaka Hutchings stands apart, not just as an instrumentalist, but during the past 15 years as a peerless composer and bandleader. Black To The Future, the new album by Shabaka Hutchings and Sons of Kemet, is out now to stream, download, […]
Pianist, producer, and composer James Francies has released the new single ‘713’, a vivid tribute to his Houston hometown. The track is the first single from his forthcoming album Purest Form, to be released 21 May on Blue Note Records. Stream ‘713’, the new single by James Francies ABOUT JAMES FRANCIES Since his debut album […]
The contribution black artists have made to contemporary music is impossible to quantify. Whether it is the far reaching influence of the African diaspora on local musical practices, or the virtuosic innovations of American jazz artists, black creativity has influenced all people in all places. It has pushed the artform into bold and exciting new […]
Joel Ross plays the vibraphone. But that isn’t the most interesting thing about him. Joel is a 25-year-old musical prodigy. A young man born and raised in Chicago – the son of two police officers – who dares to move Black American Music into uncharted new territory. He does it with the gleeful joy of […]
Move over, yoga and mindfulness apps. In Modes of Communication: Letters From The Underworlds, Nduduzo Makhathini takes meditation to a new level with his masterclass on spirituality and modern jazz. Hailed as the “Sonic Shaman”, the prolific pianist and healer creates music imbued with buoyancy and lush storytelling rooted in Zulu rituals and traditions. There […]
Ambrose Akinmusire is ‘one of the most acclaimed jazz artists of his generation’. We discuss his new album ‘on the tender spot of every calloused moment’.
Derrick Hodge is an all-star all-rounder. A bass player, band-leader, composer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist so versatile that any attempt to categorise him is rendered futile. In addition to Grammy-winning collaborations with Robert Glasper, Terence Blanchard, and Common, Hodge has worked on film scores for Spike Lee and brought his subversive concepts to orchestras in Atlanta, […]
“if jazz is looking to reinvent itself…Shabaka and the Ancestors might be a good place to start.” – The New York Times Shabaka & The Ancestors have released their debut album on Impulse! – We Are Sent Here By History. The group’s breakout 2016 album, Wisdom of Elders, established Shabaka & The Ancestors as a […]
Visionary South African pianist and composer Nduduzo Makhathini will be releasing his debut album on Blue Note Records this April – the first South African artist ever to sign to the prestigious jazz label. The album, titled Modes of Communication: Letters from the Underworlds, is musically anchored by Makhathini’s expressive piano and blends lyrical, plaintive […]
