D’Influence at The Forge (Review)
Emerging in 1989 as self-described “purveyors of the finest UK street soul”, D’Influence now only perform rare one-off shows. A shame, as, though more active in the production space, with credits […]
Singles Round-Up – September ’23
Check out the newest music from Aaron Frazer, Will Heard, Beverley Knight, and OURAA! Aaron Frazer – ‘Bring You a Ring’ A founding member of Durand Jones & the Indications, […]
Meshell Ndegeocello at Ronnie Scott’s (Review)
I once interviewed Meshell Ndegeocello‘s former backing vocalist Sy Smith, whose Sometimes a Rose Will Grow in Concrete is a devastatingly good record. Smith extolled Ndegeocello’s ability to “craft a mood” […]
Stevie Wonder’s Innervisions at BBC Proms (Review)
Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin, and now Stevie Wonder: Three (soul) music titans whose repertoires conductor and arranger Jules Buckley has taken to the BBC Proms. Having premiered his own orchestra […]
Dee Dee Bridgewater and the National Youth Orchestra (Review)
Starting at 10:15pm, I wondered whether this late-night prom was past the bedtime for the preternaturally talented musicians (aged 16-19) of the National Youth Orchestra (NYO) Jazz. Yet this Carnegie […]
Laura Mvula at the Boulevard (Review)
Laura Mvula delivers a spellbinding, stripped back set Prior to this intimate residency at Soho’s Boulevard theatre, Laura Mvula last performed at Wembley Stadium opening for Coldplay. What a juxtaposition, […]
BBC Proms, Northern Soul (Review)
It could have jarred hearing the underground music of Northern Soul rendered so properly in the glossy environs of the Royal Albert Hall. But with arrangements from Joe Duddell and […]
Bettye LaVette – LaVette! (Review)
“I ain’t got no plan B / Rhythm and blues in the back of my mind / Champagne and a joint will do me just fine,” rasps Bettye LaVette on […]
Acantha Lang – ‘Come Back Home’ (Review)
I’ve been waiting a few years for this song to be released, ever since I first heard Acantha Lang perform it at Soho’s Pizza Express Live. An anthemic, brassy number, […]
Will Heard – ‘Flashlight’ (Review)
Best known for his guest vocals on the dance track “Sonnentanz (Sun Don’t Shine)” by Austrian electronic music duo Klangkarussell, Will Heard is a London-based singer-songwriter who can boast collaborations […]
Interviewing Terri Walker
British R&B/soul singer Terri Walker discusses British soul, her career to date, and her latest album. Talking at a thousand words a minute, Terri Walker is a hoot. The British […]
Durand Jones – Wait Til I Get Over (Review)
Like his fellow bandmember turned soloist Aaron Frazer, Durand Jones unlocks new artistic heights on his first solo outing. Trailed by single ‘Lord Have Mercy’, Jones’ debut album Wait Til I […]
Postmodern Jukebox at Royal Festival Hall (Review)
Musical collective Postmodern Jukebox, the brainchild of pianist Scott Bradlee, continues to rack up viral success with their unashamedly retro reimaginations of pop hits. But their archive of YouTube videos […]
Interviewing Judith Hill
Judith Hill enters our Zoom call from a hotel in France. A terrific soul singer who puts on a stomping live show with her family band, Hill is in the […]