Olivier-nominated actress Josette Bushell-Mingo explored her personal relationship with Nina Simone’s music, Civil Rights activism, and unapologetic Blackness with the theatre production Nina – A Story About Me and Nina […]
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 […]
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, […]
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” […]
The beauty of the annual EFG London Jazz Festival is that there really is something for everyone. The multi-venue festival caters beyond jazz purists to those who may enjoy a […]
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 […]
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 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, […]
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 […]
“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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
If you’re not a classical music fan, the BBC Proms is probably not the concert series for you. However, each year, the Proms honours genres outside of the classical orbit. […]
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 […]