Playlist: 25 UK jazz pianists you need to really know

Our playlist includes established icons and new names breaking through in the last few years Kit Downes Django Bates Robert Mitchell Zoe Rahman Alexander Hawkins David Mrakpor Andrew McCormack Matthew Bourne Pat Thomas Gwilym Simcock …

Published: 7 Jan 2022. Updated: 2 years.

Our playlist includes established icons and new names breaking through in the last few years

Kit Downes

Django Bates

Robert Mitchell

Zoe Rahman

Alexander Hawkins

David Mrakpor

Andrew McCormack

Matthew Bourne

Pat Thomas

Gwilym Simcock

Julian Joseph

Jason Rebello

Liam Noble

Joe Armon-Jones

Deschanel Gordon

Brian Kellock

Ivo Neame

Sarah Tandy

Chris Illingworth of GoGo Penguin

James Pearson

Huw Warren

Nikki Iles

Neil Cowley

Fergus McCreadie

Alfa Mist

Kit Downes trio album Vermillion is released in February. Photo: Paula Rae Gibson

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Immanuel Wilkins, 'Don't Break,' Blue Note ***

Latest from The Seventh Hand and an exercise on one level in concision on 'Don't Break' that has altoist Immanuel Wilkins, above, with the Farafina Kan percussion ensemble operating as main foil on top of Wilkins' core jazz rhythm section. Already …

Published: 7 Jan 2022. Updated: 2 years.

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Latest from The Seventh Hand and an exercise on one level in concision on 'Don't Break' that has altoist Immanuel Wilkins, above, with the Farafina Kan percussion ensemble operating as main foil on top of Wilkins' core jazz rhythm section. Already from the album but by complete contrast the bustling nigh-on 7-and-a-half-minutes pretty uptempo 'Emanation' has introduced this new album which is out on the 28th.

The percussion ''army'' are like an engine to the piece that essentially has a mellow, softly appealing melody and involves pianist Micah Thomas underpinning the sax-led theme discreetly behind Wilkins.

This is much less pressure cooker. Instead the emphasis is more on West African cross rhythms and the relatively static nature of the percussion ensemble that bears down on the other active ingredients of the sound and is given even more space towards the end of the track.

There is a lot packed in to three and a half minutes. The harmonies in the arrangement built around the sax are beautifully put together and actually more of this would be very welcome as would a little less of the percussion ensemble's solo passage at the end.