Misconceptions and All That Jazz

Written by Tom Whitsitt

When ‘jazz’ enters into a conversation about music, it is often defined as a term for which some people have a fixed view. A genre of music that has such a loose set of boundaries, it’s hard to definitively describe and – as a genre – has changed throughout the years. Its lack of boundaries has allowed it to become a behemoth in today’s music scene. The UK is currently one of the best locations to find pretty much all the exciting bands and solo musicians within the modern-day jazz movement. The sounds are a melting pot of what’s been exciting and progressive over the last 30 years. Elements of electronic music and hip-hop are prominent within the modern sound with a lot of crazy high energy percussion or wonky, out-of-time J Dilla-style beats.

A fine example of someone who’s been pushing the envelope and is regarded by many to be a world-class drummer for his exploits within the scene over the years is, Richard Spaven. His beat patterns and approach to drumming and production has set a high standard and inspired a lot of young drummers. While attending his gigs, you will quite often see a group of drummers front row just watching him in awe… he’s officially in God mode! Spaven and his quest to create and refine jazz makes him a perfect example of why the genre is so exciting. He has made multiple albums (solo and collaborations) and has worked with some amazing artists like Jordan Rakei and Alfa Mist. He has always managed to create outstanding music, starting with his first release on the Jazz re:freshed label in 2010. He approaches things differently, not scared to incorporate his influences while still staying true to the unique sensibilities of jazz music. His love for genres like drum and bass, dubstep and hip-hop bleeds through into his music and combined with the core roots of jazz, it has given me some of my most memorable moments from gigs I have attended in the last 10 years. I remember a gig on Portobello Road in London at a Jazz re:freshed night and witnessing him perform three to four drum and bass classics from the 90s with his band that will always live In my head.

He has recently gone onto releasing music that showcases his take on drum and bass/jungle, which easily stands out above what a lot of electronic music producers are doing currently.

The high standards and diverse approaches that Richard Spaven and similar artists have injected into the UK jazz scene, have helped to mould up-and-coming talent. This in turn has pushed the music quality at gigs to new highs. Another very crucial factor in the growth and progression of the music is the way the scene is structured. Solo musicians will often be supported by band members who are also superb musicians in their own right. This has created a scene of intertwining creatives who share and learn from one another, which must play a big roll in how the modern-day scene has progressed like it has. It’s not uncommon for me to go see an artist perform live and their band being an allstar line-up of the who’s who of talent that currently occupies the live music scene. One notable artist who is really encapsulating that ethos is an artist called Chiminyo. In 2023 he started a project called NRG which are a series of improvised events featuring different artists from the industry. Each improvised gig is recorded and released on vinyl!

Events I recently attended are gigs by a Drumcat, PHON, Jas Kayser, Move 78, Vertaal, Collettivo Immaginario, Zeñel and Ebi Soda (to name just a few) who were all exceptional live, bringing super progression and edgy vibes!

For people who want a more emotive feel, there are lots of bands who have amazing singers or have incorporated synths heavily into their music or even both. A band called, Noya Rao, are a synth-heavy band who are fronted by a female singer and the music they make is beautiful.

Another honourable mention to a new band who I saw live recently is a band called, Uniri, who make wicked synth-driven jazz. I also see drummers collaborating with electronic music producers to push boundaries with more experimental ventures. Church Andrews is a coming-together of jazz drummer, Matt Davies, and electronic producer, Kirk Barley, who endeavour to splice loose jazz drumming breaks with spacey electronica. I attended their first live gig and it was very interesting to witness. The gig had Matt playing on a drum kit with parts covered in flannels to numb the sound, and an 808 foot pedal. In the meantime, Kirk navigated electronic hardware taking you on a journey which left me excited to see how far the scene would continue to progress.

A similar project worth a mention is a project called, Sunda Arc, which is made up of two members from the jazz band Mammal Hands who merge deep electronica with traditional jazz instruments, taking influence from dubstep and 2-step garage in a lot of their tracks.

Scenes across Europe have been heating up with Belgium becoming a go-to for exciting music. I have bought so much music originating from Belgium within the last 3 years and have been impressed by the music I have heard. There is a large amount of young musicians who are approaching things slightly differently than in the UK and taking influences from electronic artists like Flying Lotus, Ivy Lab and the sounds that came from the American West Coast beats scene that started in the late 2000s. The hybrid of wonky electronica reinterpreted by bands of musicians who are from a jazz background is quite something. The bands to mention are Echt and Kau. I had the pleasure to catch Echt live in London and I thought they were great! They lean into the electronic music side more than some other bands mentioned, which some would argue doesn’t belong in the list, but I think they are an example of my final points I will make later on.

Staying in Belgium, bands like Dishwasher_ and Schroothoop are doing things much differently, incorporating Middle-Eastern influences originating from the large Morrocan population living in Belgium. A band from Pakistan called Jaubi recently collaborated with a band from Poland called EABS. Their album fused traditional instruments with modern techniques resulting in yet another interesting clash of styles.

The music across the UK is covered by a range of different promoters and organisations who are keen to push the modern and exciting sounds that have been coming from the scene within the UK and around the world. One super power organisation would be Jazz re:freshed. To express in words what they have been doing for the scene for more than 20 years is very difficult, but I’m going to attempt it and say “fucking amazing”. They do everything to find artists and connect people (and their ears) with the best this country has to offer through new and exciting bands/musicians, and additionally give them a platform to perform live across their events and release on their label. I have seen so much diversity in sound at their events ranging from vocalists, to deep jazz, and from hip hop to the more electronic progressive stuff with also nods to the cultural side of the music. One very special gig I attended was by a collective called Nok Cultural Ensemble who delivered a 60-minute rhythmic journey using tradional African instruments. It was one of the most unique and special things I attended in recent times, which I will remember for a long time.

So many genres have taken from jazz in the past (jungle music we are looking at you!) and now it’s taking back from modern music and creating something that’s constantly edgy, exciting and varied to the point it’s actually starting to give electronic music (for example) competition with the varied and progressive nature of what’s been happening. As much as I love electronic music there is nothing that beats live music. Humans with instruments bringing vibes simply can’t be beaten! With bands incorporating more electronic music elements these days, my experiences at live gigs are now more memorable and unforgettable than at club events where DJs are playing similar music.

Check out links below for a selection of artists mentioned!

https://echt.bandcamp.com/music

https://richardspaven.bandcamp.com/

https://jazzrefreshed.bandcamp.com/

https://kaumusic.bandcamp.com/

https://move78.bandcamp.com/

https://jaskayser.bandcamp.com/music

https://vertaalofficial.bandcamp.com/music

https://noyarao.bandcamp.com/music

https://uniri.bandcamp.com/album/infinite-reflections

https://zenelmusic.bandcamp.com/

https://ebi-soda.bandcamp.com/