London Jazz Festival 2026: Our Top Picks! (Preview)
Another year, another London Jazz Festival – and another thrilling line-up to boot. Here are The House That Soul Built‘s top picks! 13 November: Jazz Voice – Royal Festival Hall [TICKETS] […]
BBC Proms: Bond and Beyond (Review)
Spanning innuendo-ridden crooners (‘Goldfinger’, ‘Diamonds are Forever’), orchestral soul (‘Licence to Kill’, ‘Goldeneye’), schmaltzy ballads (‘For Your Eyes Only’, ‘All Time High’), and pop-rock stormers (‘A View to a Kill’, […]
BBC Proms: Marvin Gaye – Prince of Soul (Review)
The BBC Proms has made a (welcome) habit of honouring Black soul legends in recent years like Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder, and Aretha Franklin. This year’s Proms season has turned […]
BBC Proms: Under African Skies – The Songs of Graceland (Review)
The music of South Africa’s urban townships (‘mbaqanga‘) jolted Paul Simon out of his creative malaise, resulting in his seminal, kaleidoscopic, and controversial Graceland (1986) album. Celebrating its 40th anniversary, […]
BBC Proms: Prog Rock – A Fanfare for the Common Man (Review)
Though lampooned by the punk generation for its self-indulgence, the progressive ‘prog’ rock genre has had its standing somewhat rehabilitated by modern listeners who, as radio DJ Stuart Maconie writes […]
The Burt Bacharach Songbook in Concert (Review)
I had the great pleasure of seeing Burt Bacharach perform during what might have been his final UK concert appearance. The late composer’s illustrious catalogue is being given a triumphant […]
Vanessa Haynes at Soul Mama (Review)
The first time I saw Vanessa Haynes, performing at a Ronnie Scott’s Christmas show, she blew me away with a Gladys Knight cover. I remember being disarmed and thrilled by […]
Jazz Voice 2025
One of the biggest compliments I can give Jazz Voice – the gala which opens each iteration of the EFG London Jazz Festival – is that I invariably leave with […]
London Jazz Festival 2025 – Top Picks!
Every year, The House That Soul Built heads to the London Jazz Festival — an exhilarating, citywide celebration of music across multiple venues. Whether you’re a fan of classic jazz, […]
Round-up: Conner Reeves, Ledisi, James Emmanuel, Jalen N’Gonda
It’s been a while since we’ve done a round-up, so here are some of the latest soul releases on our radar! Who else should we be listening to? Conner Reeves […]
Golda Schultz Sings Gershwin and Bernstein (Review)
South African soprano Golda Schultz joined the Chamber Orchestra of Europe under Robin Ticciati for a Saturday night at the BBC Proms celebrating some of the 20th century’s most distinctive […]
Soul Revolution at the BBC Proms (Review)
The BBC Proms has previously hosted individual tributes to Black American icons like Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder, and Aretha Franklin. This year’s Soul Revolution Prom cast a wider net, drawing […]
Samara Joy at the BBC Proms (Review)
This is a generational talent. I needed little convincing after seeing Samara Joy live at the Barbican for London Jazz Festival a couple of years ago. But she rose to […]
Diana Ross at the O2 (Review)
If this was a goodbye, it was a glorious one. As I write this review from my living room table, I’m faced by a striking print of The Supremes by […]