At times, we are the first to lose track of how many exciting music events happen in London each month, so we have decided to offer you some sort of “public musical service”, meant for all the locals and passers-by, with the aim of suggesting where to listen to some…

We can’t help but bless every new festival enriching the London summer event calendar even more, when those festivals feature a far-out line-up like Naked City. The event, organised and promoted by the Krankbrother family, fully embodies the spirit and taste of its architects; urban, jazzy and funky, and welcoming…

Contrary to the average UK music festival, Wilderness Festival is equally centred on themes of healthy living, nature and the arts. From sacred nipple adorning, to wild swims and tree play, the festival’s main objective is to fortify the soul, restore the senses and enliven the spirit, by allowing its…

Jazz has many different guises and, within those guises, a further plethora of textures. It’s one of the traits that sets it apart from other genres, classical music excepted. In the ongoing revival and reinvention of jazz within these shores, there is clearly a surfeit of talent. Nestled in amongst…

German musician Hendrik Weber, aka Pantha du Prince, explores the world of ‘layered and cinematographic’ techno, as described with own words. As he brings childhood memories into craft, and experiences the humanistic nature of anthropology, biology, and Sufi mysticism, the music builds strong intentions and they speak through what technology…

 Every now and then, but not so often as to make you blasé, you can find yourself at a gig that will truly leave you speechless and absolutely quivering with the sheer joy of the experience, such is the level of the musical dynamics on show. This was one such…

Two weeks to go until the new edition of Jazz:Re:Found. In its past editions, the forward-looking festival has brought to Italy names such as hip-hop pioneer Grandmaster Flash, techno legend group Underground Resistance, funk-jazz Brazilian masters Azymuth and many more. This year’s theme Black & Forth sums up the two…

Set in the heart of the Sussex Downs, Love Supreme Festival returned for its 6th year of spreading the gospel of jazz, blues and soul to some 40,000 music lovers. Unless you were the man who told me, bizarrely, that he “doesn’t like virtuosity in music”, you were going to…

London has always held a place of honour in the music world, being a propeller of new musical waves and a playground for musical innovators. In recent years, London has seen a bunch of young talents bringing jazz music back to the centre of the scene. Artists like Shabaka Hutchings,…

The most tropical weekend of the year is upon us! So, if you haven’t already, pack your tent, sunscreen and fun appetite, and head for Mount Pleasant Ecological Park. From Friday 13th to Sunday 15th July, Tropical Pressure festival will drop its cargo of Latin, Caribbean, West, East and Central African…

Unrestrained, delirious and other-worldly, The Return is the latest album release from Kamaal Williams. Cruising on the fumes of Black Focus, his 2017 collaboration with Yussef Dayes, Williams launched his newest jazz-fusion solo offering alongside bassist Pete Martin and drummer MckNasty. Despite Williams and Dayes no longer working together, this…

From the first Jamaican rude-boy sound systems of Duke Reid and Prince Buster to Trojan Records of London 1968, ska, rocksteady, reggae and dub sound system culture has thrived in Britain’s black culture and has defined generations and popular trends. A sunny May Bank Holiday saw hundreds take to Peckham Rye…

Opening the evening was Mogadisco’s finest selection of African beats, thus setting the scene for the proceeding collusion of cross-border musicians. The left of the stage was set for a legendary Nigerian afro-beat drummer operating with Tony Allen’s full drum kit, whilst the symmetrical spotlight to the right shone upon…

Colours rise from dark contours as a London jazz renaissance takes form. Feeling both early and late, We Out Here captures the tones of this evolving shape.  Tenor saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings directs the way, bringing together a collection of his most in-demand friends on the new-jazz scene. Familiar names such…

Much like a charming village fete with a complimentary cleansing mud bath, Ealing Jazz Festival provided both entertainment and healing from the music and comedy of sliding from one stage to another. Unfortunately for the locals, this was the second week that the Walpole celebrations had been washed out. However,…

The concept of an outdoor jazz festival hardly conjures images of glitter-filled Glastonbury excitement, a young hip crowd and dance-fuelled elation. However, previously exclusive jazz appears to be undergoing a fashion revolution and the grounds of Glynde Place hinted at this. Love Supreme, the UK’s only three-day greenfield jazz festival…

Last Sunday we went to The Pickle Factory for the first night of Ovation, a monthly series that will bring the best of contemporary jazz and world music to the intimate East London venue. The events are co-curated by Tom Skinner (Hello Skinny, Matthew Herbert, Owiny Sigoma Band, and Sons…

Gilles Peterson has become synonymous with the continued revelation of the latest talents that fuse non-traditional jazz with musical influences from across the world.  This explains why his twelfth annual worldwide awards sold out quickly and why many consider him an ambassador for world music, bringing new global concepts back…