An evening that brings the soul of the ‘70s to the present day, embodying politics, embracing jazz, and paving the way for hip-hop, with – from both sides of the Atlantic – the ever flamboyant Cymande and the heritage of Gil Scott-Heron, reinterpreted by Brian Jackson and Yasiin Bey.

Novelist, poet, and musician Gil Scott-Heron (1949-2011) left his mark on the history of twentieth-century popular music with a discography overflowing with classics in pure harmony with their time – starting with Pieces of a Man in 1972, his second album which included the hit “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”. Supple soul and spoken word with politics and poetry work wonders on this record, for which more than half the tracks were composed with producer, keyboardist and flautist Brian Jackson. The collaboration between the two men blossomed throughout the ‘70s, resulting in a good ten albums boasting a unique blend of jazz, soul, and blues, which ultimately set the scene for the birth of hip-hop. And on that note, it just happens to be with rap legend Yasiin Bey that Brian Jackson is collabing today to look back over Gil Scott-Heron’s exceptional repertoire, and in so doing highlighting the obvious shared ground between two artists who built up a jazz culture and political and social movement in an ever-shifting, incisive, and free body of work.