12. Soweto KinchA Life In The Day Of B19: Tales from the Tower Block
I think Soweto is one of our legends. When me, my brother Moses Boyd and a lot of our generation were coming up, we’d see him on the scene. And we had a jam session at the Rich Mix where he’d let us play. A great musician who’s not too far away, someone that you could actually see coming up. I’ve always thought the way he’s melded jazz and hip hop and spoken word has been influential and someone that has always been himself. What’s also great about this album is how he ties in the whole concept album thing as well. It’s almost like theatre on the record, tying in narrative and having characters. It’s one of those albums that doesn’t get talked about enough. But in terms of British jazz, it’s up there. And it’s around that time I was getting into the scene, and people like Abram Wilson and Jazz Jamaica, Denys Baptiste, Femi Temowo, Eska. It reminds me of that period of absorbing music from the older contemporaries from my country. And the playing is monstrous as well!
