Shabaka Hutchings (born 1984), also known simply as Shabaka, is a British

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

musician, composer and bandleader. He leads the band Shabaka and the Ancestors, and formerly led

Sons of Kemet Sons of Kemet were a British jazz band formed by Shabaka Hutchings, Oren Marshall, Seb Rochford, and Tom Skinner (drummer), Tom Skinner. Theon Cross replaced Marshall on tuba after the first album, and Eddie Hick replaced Rochford on drums afte ...

before its dissolution in 2022. He was also a member of

The Comet Is Coming The Comet Is Coming was a London-based band that incorporated elements of jazz, electronica, funk and psychedelic rock. The band originally recorded for The Leaf Label, on which their debut EP ''Prophecy'' was released, on limited edition 12" ...

, performing under the stage name King Shabaka. Hutchings has played saxophone and other wind instruments with the Sun Ra Arkestra, Andre 3000,

Floating Points Samuel Shepherd (born 1986), known professionally as Floating Points, is a British electronic music producer, DJ, and musician. He is the founder of Pluto Records, co-founder of Eglo Records and leader of a 16-piece group called Floating Poin ...

Mulatu Astatke Mulatu Astatke (; French pronunciation: Astatqé; born 19 December 1943) is an Ethiopian musician and arranger considered as the father of "Ethio-jazz". Born in Jimma, Mulatu was musically trained in London, New York City, and Boston where he ...

Polar Bear The polar bear (''Ursus maritimus'') is a large bear native to the Arctic and nearby areas. It is closely related to the brown bear, and the two species can Hybrid (biology), interbreed. The polar bear is the largest extant species of bear ...

, Melt Yourself Down, Heliocentrics, London Brew and Zed-U.

Background and early years

Hutchings was born in 1984 in London, England, but moved to

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

at the age of two. From the age of six, he was raised in his parents' native

Barbados Barbados, officially the Republic of Barbados, is an island country in the Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies and the easternmost island of the Caribbean region. It lies on the boundary of the South American ...

. There, as a nine-year-old, he picked up the clarinet and practised along to the

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

verses of

Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air (S ...

Notorious BIG Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper. Rooted in the New York rap scene and gangsta rap tradi ...

and

Tupac Tupac Amaru Shakur (; born Lesane Parish Crooks; June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor, regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all tim ...

, as well as the rhythms of

Crop Over Crop Over is a traditional harvest festival which began in Barbados, having had its early beginnings on the sugar cane plantations during slavery. History The original crop-over tradition began in 1687 as a way to mark the end of the yearly harve ...

. Hutchings' father, Anum Iyapo, is a graphic designer who worked on albums by artists including

King Tubby Osbourne Ruddock (28 January 1941 – 6 February 1989), better known as King Tubby, was a Jamaican sound engineer who influenced the development of dub music in the 1960s and 1970s. Tubby's studio work, in which as a mixing engineer he achiev ...

and

Jah Shaka Jah Shaka ( – 12 April 2023), also known as the Zulu Warrior, was a Jamaican reggae/dub sound system operator who operated a South East London-based, roots reggae Jamaican sound system since the early 1970s. His name is an amalgamation of the ...

, and recorded a

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...

poetry album called ''Song of the Motherland'' in 1985. Returning to England, at the age of 19 he went to the

Guildhall School of Music and Drama The Guildhall School of Music and Drama is a music school, music and drama school located in the City of London, England. Established in 1880, the school offers undergraduate and postgraduate training in all aspects of classical music and jazz al ...

, where he received a classical-music degree on the clarinet. In London, he joined the Tomorrow's Warriors programme, a blues workshop led by British bassist Gary Crosby, Janine Irons and expat New Orleans trumpeter

Abram Wilson Abram Wilson (August 30, 1973 – June 9, 2012) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist raised in New Orleans and based in London, England, where he also taught music in schools. Early life Wilson was born to Willie C. Wilson Jr and his ...

, where Hutchings met many of his future collaborators in the burgeoning South East London jazz scene. Hutchings was a BBC New Generation Artist from 2010 to 2012. He has also spent time in South Africa.

Career

Hutchings and many of his contemporaries shrug off the "jazz" label, eschewing the restriction especially as the many groups reflect influences ranging from

acid house Acid house (also simply known as just " acid") is a subgenre of house music developed around the mid-1980s by DJs from Chicago. The style is defined primarily by the squelching sounds and basslines of the Roland TB-303 electronic bass synt ...

and

drum & bass Drum and bass (commonly abbreviated as DnB, D&B, or D'n'B) is a genre of electronic dance music characterised by fast breakbeats (typically 165–185 beats per minute) with heavy bass and sub-bass lines, samples, and synthesizers. The genre ...

, to hiphop and soca, with less of a blues influence than jazz, which reviewers have noted marks a distinction between the London scene as represented by Hutchings and American jazz music. The Comet is Coming 2019 Glastonbury Festival 06

The Comet is Coming 2019 Glastonbury Festival 06

Shabaka and the Ancestors debuted in 2016 with the album ''Wisdom of Elders'' on

Gilles Peterson Gilles Jérôme Moehrle MBE (; born 28 September 1964), better known as Gilles Peterson (), is a broadcaster, DJ, record label and festival owner. He is renowned for his genre-defying approach to music with jazz at its core. From this base he ...

Brownswood Recordings Brownswood Recordings is a London-based independent record label founded by Gilles Peterson in 2006. The label has released an eclectic range of music, reflecting Peterson's diverse musical taste. The roster includes Oreglo, Ben Westbeech ...

label.

, a trio with keyboardist Dan Leavers and drummer Max Hallett, received a

Mercury Prize The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual Music award, music prize awarded for the best album released by a musical act from the Music of the United Kingdom, United Kingdom or Music of Ireland, Ireland. It was cre ...

nomination for their debut album '' Channel the Spirits'', released on

The Leaf Label The Leaf Label is a British independent record label based in Yorkshire, England. Initially an electronic music label, releasing mainly instrumental music, the company's approach now features artists spanning jazz and post-punk. History The Le ...

in April 2016. Sons of Kemet, a quartet of saxophone, tuba and two drummers, launched with the album ''

Burn A burn is an injury to skin, or other tissues, caused by heat, electricity, chemicals, friction, or ionizing radiation (such as sunburn, caused by ultraviolet radiation). Most burns are due to heat from hot fluids (called scalding), soli ...

'' in 2013, followed up with '' Lest We Forget What We Came Here to Do'' in 2015, both on the Naim Jazz label, before moving to Impulse! for '' Your Queen Is a Reptile'' in 2018, which coincided with a breakout into wider public consciousness of the UK jazz scene, captured by the attention on the Hutchings-directed compilation ''We Out Here'' on Brownswood. In November the same year, Hutchings curated part of the programme for the Dutch

Le Guess Who? Le Guess Who? is a Dutch music festival featuring different music genres: from avant-garde, jazz, hip hop, electronic, experimental, noise rock, indie rock, world music and others. This festival was founded by Bob van Heur and Johan Gijsen. It ...

festival. In March 2020, Shabaka and the Ancestors released '' We Are Sent Here by History'' under

Impulse! Records Impulse! Records (occasionally styled as "¡mpulse! Records" and "¡!") is an American jazz record label established by Creed Taylor in 1960. John Coltrane was among Impulse!'s earliest signings. Thanks to consistent sales and positive critiques ...

. Hutchings was due to take part in a series of concerts to commemorate the 50th anniversary of

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music, 20th-century music. Davis ado ...

' ''

Bitches Brew ''Bitches Brew'' is a studio album by the American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader Miles Davis. It was recorded from August 19 to 21, 1969, at Columbia's Studio B in New York City and released on March 30, 1970, by Columbia Records. I ...

'', but these were cancelled due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. Instead, a group was assembled under the name '' London Brew'' in December 2020 to record an improvised set inspired by the 1970 album. This would go on to be released in March 2023. Also in 2020, Hutchings launched the London-based record label Native Rebel Recordings. The idea for the label was conceived by Hutchings and music industry publisher Matt Smith. Hutchings drew inspiration from

ECM Records ECM (Edition of Contemporary Music) is an independent record label founded by Karl Egger, Manfred Eicher and Manfred Scheffner in Munich in 1969. While ECM is best known for jazz music, the label has released a variety of recordings, and ECM's a ...

, its founder

Manfred Eicher Manfred Eicher (born 9 July 1943) is a German record producer and the founder of ECM Records. Life and career Eicher was born in Lindau, Germany. He studied music at the Academy of Music in Berlin. He started as a double-bass player of classi ...

, and the idea that a label could have an overriding aesthetic. All of the label's releases are recorded at

RAK Studios RAK Studios is a recording studio complex, with residential facilities, used by Rak Records, and located near Regent's Park in central London, England. It was founded in 1976 by English record producer Mickie Most. History The RAK complex res ...

over a three-day period, with rehearsal incorporated into that time in order to emphasize first experiences with the music. The label has released albums from such artists as Chelsea Carmichael, Confucius MC and Kwake Bass, the Brother Moves On, Ganavya Doraiswamy, and Kofi Flexxx. The label also released a 10th anniversary reissue of Sons of Kemet's ''Burn'', and a remaster of the 1985 album ''Song of the Motherland'' by Hutchings' father AnkAnum. In May 2022, Hutchings released his debut solo EP, ''Afrikan Culture'', under the mononym Shabaka. On New Year's Day in 2023, Hutchings issued a statement on his Instagram page, that he would take a hiatus from playing the saxophone from the end of 2023. He later clarified his reasons for doing so, citing the physical and emotional strain that comes from performing on the saxophone on tour. His final live saxophone performance took place on 7 December 2023, where he played

John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the Jazz#Post-war jazz, history of jazz and 20th-century musi ...

's ''

A Love Supreme ''A Love Supreme'' is an album by the jazz saxophonist and composer John Coltrane. He recorded it in one session on December 9, 1964, at Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, leading a quartet featuring pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist J ...

'' at the

Institute of Contemporary Arts The Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) is an modernism, artistic and cultural centre on The Mall (London), The Mall in London, just off Trafalgar Square. Located within Nash House, part of Carlton House Terrace, near the Duke of York Steps a ...

in London. Hutchings' solo debut album, '' Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace'', was released in April 2024 by Impulse!

Awards and honours

Hutchings has won a

MOBO Award The MOBO Awards (Music of Black Origin, also known as the MOBOs) are an annual British music award presentation honouring achievements in " music of black origin", including hip hop, grime, UK Drill, R&B, soul, reggae, jazz, gospel, and Bant ...

for best jazz act with the Sons of Kemet in 2013, the Paul Hamlyn Composer Award in 2014, and Jazz Innovation awards from Jazz FM.

Discography

Studio albums

*''Afrikan Culture'' ( Impulse!, 2023) *'' Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace'' ( Impulse!, 2024)

As leader and co-leader

with
Sons of Kemet Sons of Kemet were a British jazz band formed by Shabaka Hutchings, Oren Marshall, Seb Rochford, and Tom Skinner (drummer), Tom Skinner. Theon Cross replaced Marshall on tuba after the first album, and Eddie Hick replaced Rochford on drums afte ...

*''Burn''( Naim, 2013) *'' Lest We Forget What We Came Here to Do'' ( Naim, 2015) *'' Your Queen Is a Reptile'' ( Impulse!, 2018) *'' Black to the Future (Sons of Kemet album)'' ( Impulse!, 2021)

with Melt Yourself Down

*'' Melt Yourself Down (album)'' (

Leaf A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the plant stem, stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leav ...

, 2016) *'' Last Evenings on Earth (album)'' (

, 2016)

with
The Comet Is Coming The Comet Is Coming was a London-based band that incorporated elements of jazz, electronica, funk and psychedelic rock. The band originally recorded for The Leaf Label, on which their debut EP ''Prophecy'' was released, on limited edition 12" ...

*'' Channel The Spirits'' (

Revolver A revolver is a repeating handgun with at least one barrel and a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold six cartridges before needing to be reloaded, ...

, 2016) *'' Trust in the Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery'' ( Impulse!, 2019) *''The Afterlife (as King Shabaka)'' ( Impulse!, 2019) *'' Hyper-Dimensional Expansion Beam (as King Shabaka)'' ( Impulse!, 2022)

with Shabaka & the Ancestors

*''Wisdom of Elders'' ( Brownswood, 2018) *'' We Are Sent Here by History '' (( Impulse!, 2020)

with others

*''Night Time on the Middle Passage ''(Zed-U) (

Babel Babel is a name used in the Hebrew Bible for the city of Babylon and may refer to: Arts and media Written works Books *Babel (book), ''Babel'' (book), by Patti Smith * Babel (2012 manga), ''Babel'' (2012 manga), by Narumi Shigematsu * Babel (20 ...

Bandcamp Bandcamp is an American online music distribution platform founded in 2008 by Oddpost co-founder Ethan Diamond and programmers Shawn Grunberger, Joe Holt and Neal Tucker, with an office and record store in Oakland, California. Acquired by Epic ...

, 2009) *''The Ragging Of Time''(SFS) (Bruce's Fingers,

, 2015) *''A.R.E.(Association for Research & Enlightment) Project'' (Hieroglyphic Being, Sarathy Korwar, Shabaka Hutchings) (

, 2017) *'' London Brew'' ( Concord, 2020)

As sideman

*''Day to Day''( Sarathy Korwar) (

Ninja A , or was a spy and infiltrator in pre-modern Japan. The functions of a ninja included siege and infiltration, ambush, reconnaissance, espionage, deception, and later bodyguarding.Kawakami, pp. 21–22 Antecedents may have existed as ear ...

, 2017) *''La Saboteuse''( Yazz Ahmed) ( Naim, 2017) *''Unit(e)''(

Alexander Hawkins Alexander Hawkins (born 3 May 1981) is a British jazz pianist and composer. Three of the main groups he has led or co-led are the Alexander Hawkins Ensemble; the Convergence Quartet (with Taylor Ho Bynum, Harris Eisenstadt, and Dominic Lash); ...

) (Alexander Hawkings Music,

2017) *''The Sunshine Makers''

The Heliocentrics The Heliocentrics are an English, London-based musical collective that combines funk, jazz, psych, and library influences. The group is based around drummer and producer Malcolm Catto, bassist Jake Ferguson, guitarist Adrian Owusu, and multi-ins ...

( Soundway, 2017) *''The Rich Are Only Defeated When Running For Their Lives'' (Anthony Joseph) (tracks 1 (Kamau), 5 (Swing Praxis) (Heavenly Sweetness,

2021) *''Break a Vase (Alexander Hawkins Mirror Canon)'' ( Intakt, 2022)

As featured artist

*''Soho Live (Shez Raja Collective)(track 1 - Adrenalize)'' (33 Records, 2014) *'' Arise (track 10 - Silhouette)'' ( Brownswood, 2017) *''Universal Beings (

Makaya McCraven Makaya McCraven (born October 19, 1983) is an American jazz drummer and bandleader. Life and career McCraven was born in Paris, France, to jazz drummer and Hungarian singer Ágnes Zsigmondi (of the band Kolind, and from the age of three was r ...

'' (tracks 7-11) ( International Anthem, 2018) *''Celia (

Angélique Kidjo Angélique Kpasseloko Hinto Hounsinou Kandjo Manta Zogbin Kidjo (; born July 14, 1960) is a Beninese- French singer-songwriter, actress and activist noted for her diverse musical influences and creative music videos. Kidjo has won five Grammy A ...

'' (tracks 7-11) (

Verve Verve may refer to: Music * The Verve, an English rock band * '' The Verve E.P.'', a 1992 EP by The Verve * ''Verve'' (R. Stevie Moore album) * Verve Records, an American jazz record label Businesses * Verve Coffee Roasters, an American coffee h ...

, 2019) *''Yellow Ochre (Vels Trio) (track 1 - 40 Point)'' (Rhythm Section International, Total Refreshment Centre,

, 2021) *''Shout Out! To Freedom ..." (tracks 4 (3D Warrior), 10 (Wonder)) "

Nightmares on Wax George Herbert Evelyn (born 15 January 1970), better known by his stage name Nightmares on Wax or DJ E.A.S.E., is an English DJ and record producer from Leeds. His music has been released by Warp Records. He is based in Ibiza. Nightmares on Wax ...

'' (

Warp Warp, warped or warping may refer to: Arts and entertainment Books and comics * WaRP Graphics, an alternative comics publisher * ''Warp'' (First Comics), comic book series published by First Comics based on the play ''Warp!'' * Warp (comics), a D ...

, 2021) *'' Black Classical Music ( Yussef Dayes) (track 3 - Raisins Under the Sun)'' ( Brownswood,

, 2023) *''Starship/Can I Know You (Afriquoi)(track 1 - Starship)'' (Wormfood Records,

, 2017)

References

External links

* * * * Marcus J. Moore
"On 'Wisdom of Elders,' Shabaka Channels the Spirit of South African Jazz"
(interview), ''Bandcamp Daily'', 2016.

– UK Jazz showcase article in ''The New York Times'' featuring Hutchings as part of Jazz re:freshed Outernational showcases, 2017 {{DEFAULTSORT:Hutchings, Shabaka 1984 births Living people 21st-century British clarinetists 21st-century British saxophonists English people of Barbadian descent British jazz bandleaders British jazz composers English jazz clarinetists English jazz saxophonists Musicians from London Sons of Kemet members The Spatial AKA Orchestra members Tomorrow's Warriors alumni Alumni of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama