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Sons of Kemet
From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist
Sons of Kemet was a British jazz band, formed by Shabaka Hutchings, Oren Marshall, Seb Rochford and Tom Skinner. After the first album Theon Cross took over the tuba from Marshall, and after the third album Eddie Hick joined on drums in place of Rochford. The line-up was unusual: saxophone and clarinet from Hutchings, a tuba instead of a bass, and two drummers. The group played a mixture of jazz, rock, Caribbean folk music and African music.
Music and breakthrough
The debut album Burn was released on 9 September 2013 and was named album of the year by The Arts Desk. It also received a nomination at Gilles Peterson's awards. That same year the band won the MOBO Award for best jazz act. Lest We Forget What We Came Here to Do from 2015 received the same nomination. The third album, Your Queen Is a Reptile, came out on 30 March 2018 on Impulse! and was nominated for the Mercury Prize. The fourth, Black to the Future, followed on 14 May 2021 and was called an eloquent dance between rage and joy by The Observer. In June 2022 the band announced that it was closing this chapter for the time being.
Influence
The sound is danceable and urgent: a heavy tuba as the foundation, two drummers who complement each other and a saxophone that rises above it sharp and melodic. Sons of Kemet belonged to the new wave of British jazz, in which young musicians mixed their jazz with rock, Caribbean and African music and political messages. In this way the group brought jazz to a new, young audience.
Listening
My Queen Is Harriet Tubman · Sons of Kemet, 2018
Field Negus · Sons of Kemet, 2021
Discography
Studio albums
- 2013Burn
- 2015Lest We Forget What We Came Here to Do
- 2018Your Queen Is a Reptile
- 2021Black to the Future
In School of Rock
The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.
- After Hours: Session 4NL Reader
Mentioned in other articles
- New London jazz Genre
The saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings played in Sons of Kemet, with tuba and two drummers, and in The Comet Is Coming.