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” […]
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 […]
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 […]
Twenty years ago, 16-year old Joss Stone released The Soul Sessions. Comprised primarily of 1960s/70s deep-cuts – with a White Stripes cover thrown in the mix – The Soul Sessions intrigued both […]
Here are The House That Soul Built’s favourite concerts of the year! 5. Gladys Knight at Royal Albert Hall (REVIEW) Thank goodness for us that the reigning Empress of Soul […]
The strongest Jazz Voice in years The EFG London Jazz Festival began 30 years ago. And 15 years ago, the Jazz Voice gala was introduced. The brainchild of composer Guy […]
Though monikered the ‘Queen of Soul’, Aretha Franklin mastered the realms of jazz, blues, and gospel with unwavering conviction. Celebrated recently in both the biopic Respect and the National Geographic […]
Three soul music icons finally made it to the Barbican for this special, one-night-only event. London was hit by a ‘Soul Explosion’ last night as three musicians steeped in the […]
“I’m basically indulging myself,” joked Cynthia Erivo, thrilled to make her BBC Proms debut at the Royal Albert Hall performing songs recorded by her most adored vocalists. But, in choosing […]
It is easy to make allowances for legacy artists whose voices, after 50 years or so in the business, may not be in tip-top shape. But no such allowances should […]
The 2020s have already been full of surprises. Obviously, the global coronavirus pandemic sits at the top of the list. But I’m not sure many anticipated the rise of Dionne […]