SXSWorld
Issue link: https://sxsw.uberflip.com/i/842067
4 0 SXS W O R L D | M A R C H 2 0 1 7 I N T E R ACT I V E / F I L M | SXSW.COM Yussef Kamaal, photo by Larissa Araz Jazz Refreshed: MODERN MAKEOVER FOR A VENERABLE STYLE By Jeff mccorD residency, we had introduced the live aspect to the night and our aims became more pointed. We realized our purpose was to chal- lenge the most commonly held conceptions about what jazz music is ... who's making it, and who's listening to it." So who is listening? According to McKenzie, "There is a tangible cohesive movement at the moment, given energy by a young van- guard of musicians not afraid to infuse their jazz with inspiration and influences from all spheres; grime, hip-hop, punk, jazz fusion, rare grooves, etc., and that is bringing together a once fragmented scene." Jazz re:freshed's success has led to the launch of a two-year undertaking, displaying the new breed of U.K. jazz at festivals and mini-tours around the globe. The first stop is none other than SXSW, explains McKenzie: "To apply for the International Showcase Grant from Arts Council England, we knew that we needed international showcase experience. Everyone recommended the British Underground." The British Underground is now in its 16th year of producing U.K. showcases, with its first show at SXSW in 2002. "We were introduced to Jazz re:freshed, and found that we had a synergy," says British Underground CEO, Crispin Parry. "This is our first venture into jazz, and to be honest I never really wanted to work in the sector until I met the drummer Moses Boyd and was blown away by him and his music." South London's Boyd is an impressive talent who has already racked up a handful of prestigious awards. Fueled by a Tony Williams-styled, lighter-than-air kineticism, he has the confidence to perform in all kind of settings, from solo to duo to the larger ensemble Moses Boyd Exodus, appearing at SXSW, and in the U.S., for the first time. "It's been a dream of mine to make it out there," Boyd says. "So it's all a bit surreal." "There are names who are generating serious international interest right now," says McKenzie. "And we simply could not leave them at home." Yussef Kamaal is a duo made up of Yussef Dayes and Kamaal Williams. The pair set largely improvised grooves to a glitchy fusion that conjures shades of electric Miles. Like Boyd, their music quickly caught the attention of U.K. tastemaker Gilles Peterson, who signed them to his label. The duo will be joined by at SXSW by another rising star, saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings. Rounding out the British Underground Jazz re:freshed's SXSW showcase lineup is the eclectic group Native Dancer; the mix of Afro- beat grooves and Sun Ra-like eclecticism of United Vibrations; the Indian percussionist Strathy Knower, whose electronic global mash induces a hypnotic power; and the Manchester-based piano trio GoGo Penguin, who had their 2016 debut (released on Blue Note Records) nominated for a Mercury Prize. "I think on all levels, from media and TV to radio and festivals, we need to shed the misconceptions of what people think 'jazz' looks like, and sounds like and instead present a reflection of its current diversity," says Boyd. "I feel the more exposure we get of the music being made right now will help destroy these ideas of what people assume jazz is and ultimately open up people's receptiveness to it. I believe there's something in it for everyone." The British Underground/Jazz re:freshed showcase is on Wednesday, March 15 at The Main II (603 Red River St). For all music showcase info, see schedule.sxsw.com. J azz at South by Southwest? Is that even a thing? SXSW may not be overrun with jazz music, but each year artists make the trek to Austin, from crossover stars like Norah Jones, Jamie Cullum or Tony Bennett to up and comers such as Snarky Puppy, BADBADNOTGOOD and Marco Benevento. Austin vocalist Kat Edmonson's festival appearances helped jump- start her career, and established artists including Stanley Jordan, Jason Moran, Nik Bartsch, Terence Blanchard, Robert Glasper, Joe Lovano, Matthew Shipp and William Parker have appeared over the years. New York's the Jazz Passengers even once showed up with Debbie Harry as their vocalist. Still, the jazz represented at SXSW has not risen above the pro- portions of the genre's small overall market share. The downturn in record sales over the past decade-plus hit jazz artists particularly hard, shrinking their already slim profit margins. Many jazz musi- cians, even veteran stars, are recording less frequently than before. In the swing era, jazz was America's popular music, but the seriousness of the bebop era, reflected in great artists like Miles Davis and Charlie Parker, has only intensified and shrouded the music in an elitist cloud. Sidelined for so long, few uninitiated fans have seemed to show much interest. Yet, saying you don't like jazz is akin to stating you don't like food, with its endless variety of flavors—especially today. Genre-bending is all the rage. Rappers, DJs, electronic musi- cians, soul singers and jazz musicians intertwine on a regular basis and are expanding their visions by adding new elements, and new listeners. Examples include young artists like Thundercat, Flying Lotus and Kendrick Lamar collaborating with the likes of Kamasi Washington and Herbie Hancock. Leading this revolution in the U.K. is an organization called Jazz re:freshed, founded in 2003. Creative Director Justin McKenzie explains: "Within the first few months of what was a weekly DJ