Artists are all hitting right notes at this year’s London Jazz Festival
A group of Jamaican jazz artists are taking this year’s London Jazz Festival by storm, writes Claudia Lee.
Jamaican rum company, Appleton Estate, has enlisted a set of energetic artists that will be paired with an expert bar team for each live performance in a series that will get everyone on their feet.
Each artist will perform their own fresh take on the genre, and their own stories on how Jamaica has influenced their sound.
The line-up includes Dave Okumu and The 7 Generations at Bush Hall in Uxbridge Road, Shepherds Bush, on November 16.
Dave Okumu is a prolific songwriter, producer, performer and musical director.
His 2023 album with the 7 Generations – I Came From Love – shape shifts through genres.
Sea shanties and spiritual melodies set the tone of the collection of songs – illustrative of a slave ship’s crossing.
Blood Ah Go Run, featuring up and coming artist Wesley Joseph, is inspired by the New Cross fire – finding political urgency with voice overs reporting the tragedy mixed with protest chants and a punk-rock bass line.
With prayer songs, saxophone solos and transformative vocals, there is very little out there right now that can compare to Mr Okumu’s work.
He would be hard to follow, but the London Jazz Festival has selected the perfect performer to do it.
Multi-instrumentalist, producer and DJ from Lewisham, Bradley Miller, will perform at the same venue on November 17, under his artist name cktrl – which stands for can’t keep to reality.
Mr Miller creates music full of potency and vision.
His jazz arrangements of strings, harps, skittering electronics and vocals offer a flourishing celebration of black artistry and culture.
Next up, Summer Pearl will bring her powerful live performances with to-the-point lyrics to Lower Third on November 18, to transcend you to a place of jazz, soul, Hip-Hop and truth.
Closing the section, Marcus Joseph, will take to the stage with his saxophone on November 19.
Mr Joseph is a musician and spoken word artist, his songs charged with the righteous energy of reggae music accompanied with uplifting saxophone solos.
Visit the London Jazz Festival website to get tickets and find out more about the festivals’ events.
Tickets: https://efglondonjazzfestival.org.uk/
Picture: Bradley Miller is cktrl. Pictures: London Jazz Festival