UK quintet, THE JAZZ DEFENDERS first came together in 2015 and consisted of leader and pianist George Cooper, Nicholas Dover (sax), Nick Malcolm (trumpet), Will Harris (bass) and Matt Brown (drums). The fivesome came together via their mutual love and respect for soul-jazz and classic hard bop – the music of the Golden Age of Blue Note if you would and that’s what their 2019 album, ‘Scheming’ delivered. That one was followed by ‘King Phoenix’ (on which the band expanded their palette to include a touch of hip-hop and some cinematic flavourings as too did this this April’s ‘Memory In Motion’. For that one the band’s line up had changed… Ian Matthews, replacing Matt Brown on the drum stool and Jake McMurchie taking the sax role from Nick Dover but the sound was essentially the same – jazzy with a soulful undertow.
The JDs have now released a fresh single that delivers just that. The tune is ‘Hold On To People’ and it features Brit soul diva HANNAH WILLIAMS (of the Affirmations) on vocals. The cut is big and powerful with a message that offers a glimmer of positivity and hope in a an increasingly tumultuous world
To celebrate this new collaborative single both bands (Jazz Defenders and the Affirmations) will be performing a homecoming live show in St George’s in Bristol on the 22nd November, alongside a world-class string section, hosted by rapper, actor, comedian Doc Brown.
Hold On To People Released 8th November 2024
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.