Boundary Pushers: Jazz re:freshed Presents 1000 Kings
Over the past two decades, the London-based Jazz re:freshed organization has played a major role in showcasing some of the best young jazz talent in the region. Beginning with a weekly live event in Notting Hill back in 2003, to now putting on the JAZZ RE:FEST festival, conducting numerous educational outreach workshops, and launching their own label, the community-focused group founded by Justin McKenzie and Adam Moses deserves a lot of credit for the current British jazz revival. Over the last few years, Jazz re:freshed has collaborated with some of the most notable players on the scene, including Nubya Garcia, Ashley Henry, Richard Spaven, Moses Boyd, the Maisha band, Daniel Casimir, Tommaso Cappellato, and many others.
Continuing on it’s solid reputation for presenting great new jazz artists, the Jazz re:freshed label has just released the debut album from 1000 Kings, titled Raw Cause. The band features bassist Karl Rasheed Abel and drummer Kwake Bass, with an “unnamed special guest saxophonist” that may or may not be Shabaka Hutchings (hmm…). The hard-hitting trio brilliantly blends together jazz melodies with rock-influenced rhythms and experimental avant-garde textures.
The record’s explosive opening track “The Drop” sets the tone for the new album, with other highlights including “Kind of Fuji,” “Jimi,” “W.Y. September,” and a number of solid interlude instrumentals.
Overall, Raw Cause is a strong debut from another great London-based group currently pushing the boundaries of jazz.
