NUBIYAN TWIST

The nine- to ten-strong group of Afro-jazz musicians led by Tom Excell are an integral part of the innovative UK scene. Formed in Leeds in 2011 and now based in London, they have played their way into the hearts of a dance-mad mob since their self-titled debut in 2015 with groove-oriented genres such as soul, funk, reggae, dub and, of course, jazz based on Afrobeat and highlife – and have supported legends such as De La Soul and Robert Glasper. Their critically acclaimed second album Jungle Run (2019) on the cult label Strut Records led seamlessly to their third full-length release Freedom Fables (2021), which made it onto BBC 6 Music’s heavy rotation. They’ve also had live sessions with luminaries of the scene such as Gilles Peterson and Jamie Cullum – and they made their TV debut on the legendary show “Later… with Jools Holland”. And of course, Nubiyan Twist are also firm favourites on the festival circuit. They have performed at Meltdown, Glastonbury and Edinburgh Jazz – and we are now delighted to finally welcome them to Elbjazz!