If you were at the Jazz Warrior Afropeans concert at the Town Hall a couple of weeks back, you will know that one star of the show was the clarinettist Shabaka Hutchings.
Born in Barbados, Shabaka grew up in Birmingham. I remember first hearing him in the saxophone section of the Walsall Jazz Orchestra, where the potential of the tall young man with the studious demeanour was already bursting out in his tenor saxophone solos.
He has had help from Soweto Kinch and Courtney Pine and studied down in London, where he now lives.
In amongst the other great players of the Warriors there were only a couple of chances to hear Shabaka at length; there is a chance to hear a whole lot more on Sunday at The Drum.
This week’s Live Box session features Zed-U, the trio Shabaka has formed with bass player Neil Charles and drummer Tom Skinner.
These are all outstanding players – Charles is a familiar player with Kinch, Skinner with the band Jade Fox and other F-IRE ensembles – and as Zed-U we should be hearing a lot more from them. They have a recording out soon on the always-adventurous Babel label.
Hutchings still plays tenor but has turned increasingly to the once unfashionable clarinet and found a very strong and personal voice on the instrument.
The band pushes at the boundaries of improvised music and brings a lot of raw creativity into it with use of loops and other electronic effects.
The Live Box is at The Drum’s studio room every Sunday, doors open at 7.45pm and it’s just £5 to get in. More information on the-drum.org.uk or 0121 333 2444.
* It’s not jazz but if you fancy a dance on Saturday evening, the African soukous superstar Kanda Bongo Man is in town and well worth checking out.
He helps the World Unlimited promoters celebrate the start of their 20th anniversary season at the Hare & Hounds in Kings Heath. For more info, go to worldunlimited.freeuk.com
