Do you like jazz? – Usually, I dread the response, because I already know the answer: no. Most people today will reply instantaneously, reluctantly, or even blatantly with a no. And this, even though there is an entire universe of rich, expansive, and soul-stirring jazz music waiting to be explored and loved. Jazz is a genre-defying realm of sonic exploration and boundless creativity that offers a glimpse into what music can sound like with little boundaries. The contemporary jazz scene today is incredibly versatile, genre-blending, and transcendent.
In this blog post, I want to highlight a few groundbreaking artists and trailblazing jazz collectives who are not only reviving the genre but also redefining it for future generations. Three creative forces: one solo artist and two collectives bring bold and fresh perspectives to the ever-evolving world of contemporary jazz music:
Yussef Dayes – the South London-raised music producer, composer, and virtuoso jazz drummer has been a vital force in the UK’s contemporary jazz scene for the past decade. Known for his collaborations with artists like Kamaal Williams, Tom Misch, Charlie Stacey, and Rocco Palladino, among many others, Dayes has carved out a distinctive space in contemporary jazz music. Rolling Stone has hailed him as “one of British jazz’s most exhilarating, ambitious voices.” Yussef’s music blends influences ranging from 70s funk and Senegalese percussion to UK grime and afrobeat, creating a unique sonic palette that transcends genres. His highly acclaimed debut solo album, Black Classical Music – a collaborative jazz fusion record released in September 2023 via Brownswood Recordings and Nonesuch Records – features an impressive lineup of artists, including Leon Thomas, Chronixx, Rocco Palladino, Jamilah Barry, Elijah Fox, and even Dayes’ own child, Bahia.
The album title “Black Classical Music” carries deep significance, as Dayes seeks to reclaim jazz and trace it back to its African roots. He notes, “Miles Davis called jazz Black people’s classical music. Rahsaan Roland Kirk called his music Black classical music. Nina Simone was calling her music Black classical music.” This lineage inspired Dayes to use the title as a statement thereby highlighting the timelessness and freedom of Black music beyond the confines of genre.
“My debut album and an art piece that has been in the works since the beginning. Feelings of love, healing, grief, inspiration, more life, unity, groove, spirit and travels…This album is the embodiment of my life to this point. For everyone that has supported my art or is discovering my music now, I am grateful to be able to share this with you” – Yussef Dayes
Album recommendation: Black Classical Music (2023)
Release Date: 8. September 2023
Record Label: Brownswood Recordings / Nonesuch Records
Most interesting collaboration: “Lotus” by Little Simz, Michael Kiwanuka, and Yussef Dayes (2025)
Next Up: Ezra Collective – a British jazz fusion quintet that cuts straight to the soul, aren’t confined to just jazz. Their sound weaves in elements of Afrobeat, funk, reggae, Latin, hip hop, and soul. Yet, at their core, they remain grounded in jazz’s fundamental ethos: creating music that lives fully in the present. This is why they thrive as a live jazz band. Notably, they became the first jazz act to win the Mercury Music Prize award, which they did joyously in 2023, marking a hopeful moment for jazz fusion bands.
Their third studio album “Dance, No One’s Watching”, released in 2024 by Partisan Records and recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London, is a joyful celebration of how dance brings people together. As the band puts it, the record was “written for the dance floor.” It features a stellar lineup of collaborators, including Yasmine Lacey, Olivia Dean, M.anifest, and Moonchild Sanelly.
In their own words, this album is “a statement of freedom. We live in a world which has become a big performance. Whether it’s your phone, or society in general, we have lost the ability to just be ourselves. There’s a constant desire for approval from other people.”
Through their music, the jazz quintet encourages us to focus on being authentically ourselves and caring less about what others think because ultimately, that will lead us to freedom.
Album Recommendation: Dance, No One’s Watching (2024)
Release Date: 27. September 2024
Record Label: Partisan Records
Most interesting collaboration: “No One’s Watching Me” by Ezra Collective feat. Olivia Dean (2024)
Last but not least: KOKOROKO – a London based afrojazz collective formed out of a desire to connect young people from the African diaspora through a fusion of Afrobeat and Highlife, which marked the band’s genesis. Their name comes from the Urhobo language, spoken by a Nigerian ethnic group, and translates to “be strong.”
Living up to that name sonically, KOKOROKO are an all-star ensemble made up of leading voices from the London jazz scene. The band includes trumpeter and vocalist Sheila Maurice Grey, percussionist Onome Edgeworth, trombonist and vocalist Noushy Nanguy, guitarist and vocalist Tobi Adenaike, keyboardist, synthesist and vocalist Yohan Kebede, bassist, keyboardist and vocalist Duane Atherley, and drummer and vocalist Ayo Salawu. Together, they are on a mission to shape new musical languages through the medium of Afrobeat.
Their breakout track, “Abusey Junction,” is a seven-minute instrumental that is both soul stirring and soothing. It’s a heartfelt ballad that drifts with ease, managing to make seven minutes feel simply too short.
In 2022, they released their debut album “Could We Be More” via Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Recordings, produced by Miles James. The album blends Afrobeat, jazz, Highlife, funk, and soul, propelling the band onto international stages and cementing their place at the forefront of the global jazz conversation.
Speaking on the album’s influences, Tobi Adenaike notes, “The influences we’ve absorbed growing up are still there, but the way we put it into our music has grown: we’ve gotten better at it. We’re starting to explore different ways to include ‘70s Ghanaian rock with traditional Afrobeat, ‘80s psychedelic and other forces.” The band sums up their purpose with clarity and conviction:
“If we don’t play this music, then a piece of our culture is lost.”
Their latest album, Tuff Times Never Last, released on July 11, 2025 via Brownswood Recordings, fuses nu-jazz and afrobeat/highlife with gentle neo-soul.
Album Recommendation: Tuff Times Never Last (2025)
Release Date: 11. July 2025
Record Label: Brownswood Recordings
Most interesting collaboration: Three Piece Suit feat. Azekel (2024)
All this to say, contemporary jazz music is alive and kicking. From Yussef Dayes’ bold reclamation of “Black Classical Music” to Ezra Collective’s joyful encouragement to authenticity, to KOKOROKO’s cultural reconnection through Afrobeat, these artists prove that jazz is not a relic of the past but a living and breathing art form. Their music carries history while pushing boundaries, reminding us that jazz has always been about freedom, innovation, and community.
So, the next time someone asks you, “Do you like jazz?” — how will you answer?
Written by Jazzapproved
