Ahead of the launch of our magazine 'Jazz Revelations: Issue 1 - Leeds' on Wednesday 3rd May at Wharf Chambers, we will be sharing snippets from the different articles in the magazine.
Today, we take a peak at what's inside the article Yusuf Yellow & August Charles:
Before releasing their track together ‘Head Over Heart’ featuring The Energy Collective, Ben chatted with two of Leeds’ most prolific artists about their music and journey into the city’s music scene
The collaboration between Yusuf Yellow and August Charles started before either had moved to Leeds.
“Yusuf was in Sheffield and I am from Doncaster so during lockdown, I was trying to find musicians in Yorkshire when I came back from Staffordshire University,” August remembers. “The only person I could find was a jazz guitarist Tom Woodhouse who plays with me now, and he was Sheffield-based and had done something on one of Yusuf’s projects.”
“In my CHISSU project, I was looking for a rapper or a poet to really hit hard on the ‘White Walls / IDGAF’ track, and Tom suggested Yusuf. He is probably one of the best lyricists beyond the UK that I've ever encountered, so of course, I wanted to be around him.”
CHISSU’s 2022 EP ‘Dark Times Come & Go’ is a stunning piece of experimental, genre-less music. The ‘White Walls / IDGAF’ track particularly stands out with it’s eerie opening section where you feel the power in Yusuf’s conscious style of rapping. The way August intensifies his vocals to build tension towards the end of the song before the band rips into a swirling, dramatic ending is incredible.
Whilst Yusuf is known for his poetry and hip-hop, and August for soul music, they both share an impressive ability to communicate a narrative with clarity and express themselves with an inspiring passion.
This attribute seems even more unique live when you see them both perform, particularly when Yusuf performs his own track ‘Don’t Question Where I’m From’ and August plays his ‘Take Me Away’. It is completely cathartic for both the audience and the artists.
Read more in the 'Jazz Revelations: Issue 1 - Leeds' magazine
The magazine features artists in Leeds producing jazz, R&B, neo-soul, hip hop and electronica music, including:
Phenicia, Vipertime, Yusuf Yellow & August Charles, Jasmine Myra, Sunkissed Child, NikNak, Olivia Cuttill, TC & The Groove Family, Jake Mehew, Plantfood + many more.
We are hosting a launch gig on Wednesday 3rd May at Wharf Chambers to celebrate, with performances from the Olivia Cuttill Quartet, Jake Mehew, and Phenicia headlining.
Proceeds from the launch and magazine sales will go to MAP Charity, a pioneering alternative provider in creative education based in Leeds. They offer music and arts qualifications to young people at risk of exclusion from the mainstream school system. Find more about them here.
Wharf Chambers Co-Operative Club is a members’ club, and you need to be a member, or a guest of a member, in order to attend. To join, please visit wharfchambers.org. Membership costs £2 and requires a minimum of 48 hours to take effect.
In the magazine, you can expect to find in-depth interviews and crate digging with artists, release roundups, an extended feature of our radio piece 'On Rotation', looking ahead to the future talent in the city, a little history on the city's scene, plus a mix to accompany your reading.
The magazine is audio-described as well for those with different accessibility needs.
A big thanks goes to Emma Jones (@emmajonesillustration) for her design work in the magazine, and to Hugh Roberts (@misc.etc_) for the cover design on the magazine and the gig poster.
Thanks to Yasmina Nahas for her contribution to the magazine, and Ally J Steel for his support throughout the project.
And a special thanks to Ben Lee, editor-in-chief of the magazine, for producing the whole project.
We hope to see many of you down at Wharf on 3rd May to support the Leeds scene.
Keep following the Jazz Revelations website, or our Instagram and Facebook pages for sneak previews of the magazine leading up to its release.
Ticket & Bundle Prices:
£5.50 - Magazine only
£7.50 - Launch advance ticket only
£9.50 - Launch OTD ticket only
£12 - Magazine + Launch advance ticket bundle
£14 - Magazine + Launch OTD ticket bundle
Timings:
1930 - Doors open
2015 - Olivia Cuttill Quartet
2115 - Jake Mehew
2215 - Phenicia
Please consider making a donation to The Runnymede Trust and/or the Race Equality Foundation to help further equality within the UK.
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