Brian Jackson (11 Sept)

BRIAN JACKSON PRESENTS: SPIDER AND STICK: AMERICAN GRIOTS

The Jazz Café presents for one night the iconic Brian Jackson. The American keyboardist, flautist, singer and composer best known for his collaborations with Gil Scott-Heron in the 1970s.

He and Heron were widely regarded as one of the early architects of the neo-soul era. Of their collaboration Jackson has said “He had this way with words and I thought to myself, ‘People have to hear this stuff.’ What I had to offer was the music and I figured if we can take his words and make this tribal knowledge rhythmic and musical, we can draw people to hear it.”

Their partnership produced some of the most fiercely poignant, politically charged, and significantly soulful albums of the seventies that were ever put to record.. Who can forge track like Pieces of a Man, Free Will, Winter in America, First Minute of a New Day, From South Africa to South Carolina, Bridges and Secrets.

The 1980’s produced consciously tinged and highly inspirational racks like The Bottle, Johannesburg, It’s Your World, Angel Dust, Willing, and 95 South (All the Places We’ve Been),

After collaborating with Gil on ten top selling albums, the turn of the century saw Brian go solo with the release of his first album ‘Gotta Play’. He went on to work with other big stars of the day including Kool and the Gang, Phyllis Hyman, Gwen Guthrie etc.

This is a rare chance to catch a legend of 20th century American music performing songs originally written with Gil, in the intimate surrounds of this popular North London watering hole.

Opening up the show on the night will be Apples & Snakes alumnus Amy Leon.

September 11 @ 7:00 pm – 11:00 pm £20 Jazz Cafe, NW1 7P For tickets and details visit https://ebonyonline.net/event/spider-and-stick-american-griots/