Ashley Henry – ‘Melanin’ (Review)
A vocalist, pianist and composer from South London, Ashley Henry has enjoyed the company of Jean Toussaint and Robert Glasper on stage. The follow-up to his buzzy album debut Beautiful […]
Alex Webb – British Standard Time (Review)
Songwriter and pianist Alex Webb provides a charming collection of jazz reinventions and new readings of jazz classics in his collaborative album British Standard Time. The achingly soulful Tony Momrelle performs […]
2021 Releases We Missed: Judith Hill – Baby, I’m Hollywood!
Three years after her sophomore release Golden Child (2018), Judith Hill returned in 2021 with another impressive project. Consistent with Hill’s oeuvre, Baby, I’m Hollywood! fuses R&B, rock, soul, and funk. Prince’s influence […]
London African Gospel Choir Perform Paul Simon’s Graceland (Review)
Though an astonishing commercial success, Paul Simon’s Graceland (1986) was mired in controversy. In travelling to South Africa to record the album with local musicians, Simon had broken the cultural […]
2021 Releases We Missed: Lady Blackbird – Black Acid Soul
Marley Monroe AKA. Lady Blackbird has deservedly attracted the attention of the jazz press and several key tastemakers with her brand of haunting jazz-soul. She trailed her acclaimed album Black […]
Best Soul Songs of 2021
Although 2021 has been another challenging year for many, there has still been plenty of sublime soul that’s worthy of celebration. Read The House That Soul Built’s top soul tracks […]
Gizelle Smith – ‘Agony Road’ (Review)
Recording her first album with funk collective The Mighty Mocambos, Mancunian singer Gizelle Smith has toured over Europe with her brand of energetic funk. Conceived during a trip to New York, […]
The Degrees – ‘All Said and Done’ (Review)
Bristolian duo Charlie Bierman and Isha Campbell form neo-soul group The Degrees. Their latest release ‘All Said and Done’ is released on label Fallen Tree 1Hundred, curated by British musician and DJ […]
Interviewing Anthony Hamilton
A Grammy Award-winning soul singer with over 25 years in the game, Anthony Hamilton is a joy to talk to. Speaking to me via Zoom from Charlotte, North Carolina, where […]
The Drifters Girl at the Garrick Theatre (Review)
The extraordinary performers on stage manage to drown out the narrative shortcomings of this new jukebox musical. With a bounty of doo-wop and R&B classics in their repertoire, The Drifters […]
What’s Going On: Nu Civilisation Orchestra (Review)
Filling the stage at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, the youthful and energetic Nu Civilisation Orchestra delivered a two-set tribute to Marvin Gaye as part of the EFG London Jazz Festival. The […]
A Symphony of Soul – Motown with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (Review)
It is difficult to dislike this album. Its basis is a handful of brilliant Motown songs, which the globally-renowned Royal Philharmonic Orchestra expand and embellish. Like their take on Aretha […]
Jazz Voice 2021 at Royal Festival Hall (Review)
Last year’s Jazz Voice – the gala which opens the annual EFG London Jazz Festival – was forced online by the introduction of the second national lockdown. Fortunately, audiences were […]
Gregory Porter at Royal Albert Hall (Review)
Gregory Porter is no stranger to the Royal Albert Hall. In 2018, he released a live album recorded at the esteemed venue – a tribute to his idol Nat King […]