You can put as many words to it as you want, but jazz is freedom. If you try to dissect its parts as opposed to accepting it as a personal introspection, things get confusing.

“It made me think, ‘should I try and meld some new genre — a hybrid of the two?’ And I came to the idea that what I need to do is follow what I hear, rather than try to please the critic or pre-empt what they would appreciate.”

Take the highly acclaimed rising star Soweto Kinch and his thirst for telling things from the heart. Does he make jazz-rap, rap-jazz, or just music from that comes from the soul? Now with the imminent release of his grandest, bravest work to date — a dual release, two twinned narrative albums written under the heading of A Life in the Day of B19 — it is clear that Soweto is just a young man that follows his heart and that the artistry on show can tangle you up if you’re not careful.

This is a ten minute sketch of Soweto Kinch. Witness the colours.

What was it like to get so much praise so quickly from the mainstream media for your debut album Conversations with the Unseen?
It was great. It was kind of legitimising and rubber-stamping the ideas that I had previously. It gave way to the confidence that I needed in order to try more unconventional ideas in the future.

Has their commentary affected or influenced your work since then?
In some ways, yes. However I think a lot of them felt bound to comment on the melting or lack of distinction between jazz and hip hop and that lead me to think, ‘should I attempt to incorporate or fuse the two elements more?’. It made me think, ‘should I try and meld some new genre — a hybrid of the two?’ And I came to the idea that what I need to do is follow what I hear, rather than try to please the critic or pre-empt what they would appreciate. So in some ways, it was kind of reacting to it, but then realising that the good stuff of (hopefully) innovative material was coming from what I could hear inside.

How would you describe the new material?
Stylistically, I tried to get beyond the idea of genre boundaries. It really is a framework for me to explore moods, social themes, emotions, and in the ark of a normal day, the idea is that everybody has range of emotions, whether this is being happy, sad, reflective, pensive, angry confrontational or passive and it was the idea that I should try and reflect that. And also explore the stories that are abandoned — the forgotten people.

Previously critics have seemed to try and divide you up neatly and say that you’re more jazz than rap and brushing the free-styling off as an additional component to your style. What are your thoughts on that?
It’s really hard to quantify in terms of percentages what I am or which foot is in which camp. I love hip hop and I feel linked to that culture; I freestyle every day and stay on top of those skills. I’m also a jazz musician and I’m on the quest to understand the heritage of both art forms equally. The degree to which each genre figures on the album is really dependant on the storyline, what I’m trying to tell or what mood I’m trying to set, rather than trying to gain credibility in either camp. What is also a problem is that what is credible and what passes as authentic in the hip hop community has changed so much over the past ten years that I’ve resolved to stick to my own guns and do what I feel is right.

What are you listening to at the moment?
A lot of things… Jay Dee’s latest album, ‘The Shining’ and actually my guitarist [Femi Temowo] has got an amazing album out now called Quiet Storm, so that’s quite inspiring as people in my own band are sharpening me up. And in jazz terms, I’m still plumbing the depths of the history. Still listening to Trane, Sonny Rollins… etc.

If you could jam with any artist from any era, who would it be and why?
That’s another very good question… They’d be a variety of them, but I’d have to say Miles [Davis] if possible, because it’s near on impossible to escape the fact that every side man that had played with him was left with some kind of mark or badge of greatness after the encounter.

“…as long as people are aware that some of the most innovative and ground-breaking stuff was done as a result of people looking at their immediate surroundings, as opposed to trying to contrive innovation. I just think jazz music will continue to be relevant.”

Is there anything you wish people would stop asking you?
[laughs] Are you a jazz musician that tries to rap, or you a rap musician that tries to play jazz and keeping the discussion at an infantile level. A lot of people need to ask that question, but I’m keen to talk about what I’m saying rather than how I’m saying it.

So pretty much the question I previously asked you…
Yeeah. Without being rude about it. One of the most annoying questions that ever… [laughs] No, but go ahead!

Have you any feelings on the urgency and pressure the jazz scene tends to put on emerging artists?
I think that the weight of tradition is what some people find oppressive. For me, the inheritance or debt that we pay to people like Charlie Parker or Sonny Rollins or Miles Davis is a liberating thing. In a time when everyone seems to be more market-led and find their consumer base, to listen to musicians for whom integrity or lofty social ideals were their goals. For anyone or any jazz musician who follows that same path will set them apart as they are on an artistic quest. The pressure in terms of labels and audience orientation can be oppressive at very different times. I’ve been very fortunate I think with Dune as they’ve afforded me to start a degree of creative license to make whatever music the way I want to make it.

For you, what is the future of jazz music?
The future of jazz music is whatever way the jazz musicians decide to take it; there is no other way. We’re an assemblage of different ethnic cultural backgrounds now; a lot of people that are steeped into the tradition and yet are looking forward. I don’t think that these two things are a contradiction; as long as people are aware that some of the most innovative and ground-breaking stuff was done as a result of people looking at their immediate surroundings, as opposed to trying to contrive innovation. I just think jazz music will continue to be relevant.

And for propaganda purposes, is there anything you want Fly readers to be aware of?
A life in the day of B19; buy it from all major retailers [laughs]… You can hit me up on sowetokinch.com and I’d be happy to get back in touch and answer any questions you may have. And also I’m doing a show in London on the 19th November. There’s a full UK tour listing on the site… Cool.

Photo of Soweto Kinch by Damian Rafferty

Links:
Win an exclusive, signed copy of his latest album from Fly
See photos of Soweto in action at Cargo
sowetokinch.com