London Brew

...cians and bandleaders centered in and around South London's flourishing, wildly diverse music scene. The all-star band was assembled in early 2020 by producer and guitarist Martin Terefe and executive producer Bruce Lampcov. Their goal was to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Miles Davis' Bitches Brew album and its massive influence by performing concerts in England and major European cities. Unfortunately, all of the concerts were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Terefe and Lampcov reassembled the group on December 20 at Church Studios in North London, five days after London's second pandemic lockdown ended. The cast included saxophonists Shabaka Hutchings and Nubya Garcia, tubist Theon Cross, drummer Tom Skinner, bassist Tom Herbert, turntablist/rapper Benji B, violinist Raven Bush and guitarist Dave Okumu, among others -- 13 players in all. Rather than attempt a re-creation of the actual music on Bitches Brew, Okumu and Terefe provided musicians with audio sketches inspired by the legendary album, and the group built on and transformed them to reflect the historic relevance of the album and its continued inspiration. Over three days, they recorded dozens of ideas and compiled eight complete jams. The full-length London Brew was issued by Concord Jazz in March 2023. ~ Thom Jurek