About Soweto Kinch

Born in London, England in 1978 to a Barbadian father and British-Jamaican mother, Soweto Kinch is one of the most exciting and versatile young musicians to hit the British jazz scene in recent years. After a childhood meeting with Wynton Marsalis, he discovered and became passionate about jazz, first concentrating on piano and later, in his teens, focusing on alto saxophone.

Soweto’s musical influences are as broad as they are diverse. He particularly admires Sonny Rollins for his innovative style and successful appropriation of West Indian music within the jazz canon. Most recently, Soweto has been influenced by baroque and early classical music due to an interest he has in the 17th and 18th century black population of Britain. He is keen to reconstruct the African and classical influences that this community would have had. As an alto player, Soweto is rapidly developing his own sound which is rich, energetic and dynamic and though he clearly has a strong respect for tradition, he is continually exploring his jazz inheritance.

In 2001 he established the Soweto Kinch Trio – with bassist Michael Olatuja and drummer Troy Miller, both exceptional young players – which supported Courtney Pine at the former Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, Birmingham, and performed at the Royal Festival Hall and Cheltenham International Jazz Festival. At the end of 2002, the trio was extended to quartet status with the addition of guitar (Femi Temowo). Working with Dune producer Jason Yarde (also a brilliant alto sax player, composer and arranger, and leader of J-Life), he created a stunning album which brings together his love of jazz and hip-hop. On Conversations With The Unseen (Dune Records) was released on Dune Records in April 2003 and launched Soweto on his career as a solo artist, winning a Mercury Music Prize for An Album Of The Year 2003, and earning him the MOBO Award for Best Jazz Act 2003.