Category: Gigs

Black Classical Music at Royal Albert Hall

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I’m back. Well, I finally feel the clouds clearing and that I can be a little more “me” and a little less “mom,” more the woman who has time again to get lost in thinking and writing about jazz, and less the mother wishing a hole would open up in the ground and swallow her whole, for just five minutes’ reprieve. Or perhaps, this is what happens when your lovely 2-year-old finally sleeps through the night.

All that to say, I now have a bit of time to revisit some of the pre-baby jazz gigs I loved and vowed I’d write about during my maternity leave (lol).

So first up: Yussef Dayes at the Royal Albert Hall in October 2023. Dayes’s quiet confidence at the centre of the stage gave way to an atmospheric and soulful celebration of his debut solo album, Black Classical Music. With Elijah Fox on keys, Rocco Palladino on bass, and Venna on saxophone, Dayes’s Afro-Caribbean-inspired but very London-jazz-infused sound expanded moodily to fill the dark, smoky Hall. I loved seeing Venna in his element (he’s since become one of my faves). And Shabaka Hutchings and Theon Cross with the band, for Raisins Under the Sun, was reminiscent of the early days of the pulsing London jazz scene.

Venna leading on saxophone at Royal Albert Hall

Like the show at Royal Albert Hall, the album is an understated, meditative exploration of what makes Dayes’s drumming so unique. Unsurprisingly, I’ve played Marching Band, which oozes sultry soul thanks to Masego’s playful, smooth vocals, a thousand times (I love Masego). Another favourite is, Rust, with guitarist and vocalist extraordinaire Tom Misch. Misch and Dayes together are masterful (and I’ve always had a soft spot for Misch). Their album, What Kinda Music, was my soundtrack to the COVID lockdown and is one of my all-time favourites.

Sadly, Masego and Misch were absent from Dayes’s Royal Albert Hall homecoming. But no matter, I finally got to see Dayes step into the spotlight, effortlessly commanding the band, the room, the night.

DC Jazz: DuPont Brass @ Songbyrd Music House & Record Café

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In the winter of 2012, a group of five Howard University music students set up a 5-piece brass band outside DuPont Circle metro station, busking to raise extra money to cover their tuition costs. Fast forward 6 years, and DuPont Brass–now an 8-piece ensemble with keys, drums and vocals–played a sold-out show at the Songbyrd Music House & Record Café just a few weeks ago.

Songbyrd’s standing-room-only basement space or“byrd cage” was quickly packed with a diverse audience, who seemed as excited as I was to hear DuPont Brass’ eclectic mix of jazz, hip-hop, soul and R&B (their January 2018 release is aptly named Eclectic Soul). Slightly spilling over the stage, the band started their set with fun, jazzy renditions of popular hip-hop and R&B tracks like Kanye West’s We Major and Slow Jamz, Girls Girls Girls by Jay-Z, and I Love Music, originally a 70’s hit by the O’Jays.

A few original tracks were slipped in here and there, but these seemed to elicit a less enthusiastic reaction from the crowd. I could see why: while individually, the band members are extremely talented (who knew that trumpeter Jared “MK Zulu” Bailey would in one breath spit a powerful rap verse and in another kill a screeching trumpet solo), as a band, their original compositions needed a bit more polishing in my opinion. And stripping down the trumpets to let the keys, tuba and guitar shine through a few times could have given the set more flavour. Only towards the end did we get a glimpse of magic from the band’s guitarist, Deante Haggerty-Willis, hidden at the back of the stage for most of the show. Nevertheless, DuPont Brass throw a pretty damn good party. I’m looking forward to hearing more of their original work soon–they release a new EP, ‘Halftime’, at Pearl Street Warehouse on October 5.

All in all, DuPont Brass’ sold-out show at Songbyrd was a heartwarming testament to how far the band has come, especially at a time when DC’s City Council is considering legislation to regulate amplified noise in public spaces. The controversial bill reflects a growing tension between a new DC being ushered in by rapid gentrification, and an old DC struggling to preserve its character and voice. For the district’s budding musicians, the bill is seen as a real threat to their livelihood and creativity. Should it pass, stories like that of DuPont Brass are likely to be fewer and far between.