Premiere: Jazz Musician Myele Manzanza Takes Us Round South London On "Brixton Blues"

Renowned jazz drummer, composer and producer Myele Manzanza has cultivated an impressive reputation for himself, thanks both to his three solo albums and his work with Jordan Rakei and Theo Parrish. Today, however, we’re focusing on his solo output as he gears up for the release of his upcoming fourth LP, Crisis & Opportunity Vol. 1 – London. 

The album is scheduled to drop April 2 and setting us down the path to release day is key extract, “Brixton Blues”, a sonic exercise in people watching that takes us on a soulful, meandering trip around the whirlwind patchwork of sights and sounds that overlap and intermingle in Brixton. Hopeful and mournful at the same time, you can almost hear the patchwork of cultures running up against the gentrifying property developers.

Creating “Brixton Blues” wasn’t an easy process, as Manzanza explains. “In the rehearsals, I was going for a more interactive approach,” he says, “and upon hearing the recordings from that day, I immediately saw I was getting in the way. I decided to wear my Jimmy Cobb ‘Kind Of Blue’ hat and focus on holding the space for the soloists to speak. I’m glad I did, as Ashley and James ended up delivering masterfully clear, understated solos that are a great study for any musician looking for a master study in making statements behind your instrument.”

Taken from Crisis & Opportunity Vol. 1 – London (due April 2; pre-order it here), stream “Brixton Blues” exclusively below.