Yussef Kamaal

Yussef Kamaal’s music is shaped by the sound of London. The hum of jungle, grime and broken beats from bassy pirate radio broadcasts has shaped their self-taught approach to playing jazz.

The pair, made up of Yussef Dayes and Kamaal Williams, have had little in the way of formal training. Instead, their sound is indebted to Thelonious Monk’s piano as much as the drum programming of Kaidi Tatham, as heard on their debut album Black Focus. ‘It’s all about the drums and the keys,’ Williams says.

'This is the kind of record that inspires new listeners to explore unfamiliar sounds and musical histories; the kind of record that bodes very well for the future of British jazz' Clash Magazine