We Out Here – it started as a compilation album, and it since snowballed into something much bigger; a brand of jazz? An event? A movement? Whatever stamp you want to put on it, one thing is clear to see and hear: Gilles Peterson’s inaugural We Out Here festival this August is the result of a buzz that has seen jazz and related music break from its box and spill out into the mainstream.
After Day Breaks was hailed as a return to her jazz roots in 2016, Norah Jones has released Begin Again on Blue Note, an album of unrelated, impromptu recording sessions that add new tones to her well-established sound.
Out of the vibrant coastal town of Brighton, England, Ebi Soda offer a self-titled EP that is full of dynamic personality. It gets a release by the newly-formed label Sola Terra, who seek to showcase the fresh face of modern UK jazz culture.
Triorität have described their latest EP as 3 guys jamming 3 tracks together for Lemonade’s 3rd release, played on 33rpm. Their tight, sure-footed groove comes all the way from Darmstadt, Germany, a place whose name translates as "drunk city."
We are delighted to have Lee Fields as Qwest TV's guest of the month for April. On the back of his new album, It Rains Love, he sat down with us for perhaps his most open interview to date.
With the release of his new album, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah caught up with Qwest TV to unpick and unveil some of the thinking that inspired him. Never one to shy away from articulating his mission, Christian discussed the ancestral power he draws from, the importance of illuminating harmony within rhythm, and the state of modern America.
First in a series where Qwest TV dives into music’s most monumental moments, we journey back to the iconic final day of Woodstock, 1969. Hendrix’ surprise performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” astounded and confounded audiences, and it has inspired music lovers ever since.
The album title Trust In The Lifeforce Of The Deep Mystery is about more than conjuring an image. Instead, it feels like a definite instruction to the listener. Once on board, we flash forward while the cabin walls shake, the light of the past suspended in streaks through the windows, too slow to catch up. Thus the mission log reads: status, launched; destination, unknown.
With Fyah, Theon Cross cements his sound, inseparable from the London milieu that resonates between the notes. Speaking with Qwest, he talks about the factors that drive him, the versatility of the tuba and next steps.
When Spike Lee approached Blanchard with the real-life story of a black man who infiltrated the KKK, Blanchard reportedly replied: “what? You must be smokin’ some shit.” The journey from that moment of incredulity to now has seen him receive a nomination for Best Original Score at the upcoming Academy Awards.
