Brian Jackson
Composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist, Brian Jackson laid the foundations of conscious soul alongside Gil Scott-Heron. His flute and Fender Rhodes lines, featured across nine of the singer-poet’s albums, became the unmistakable signature of a time and place: 1970s New York. His visionary work would later prove a major source of inspiration for hip-hop, sampled by Tupac, Kanye West and Kendrick Lamar, and covered by Jamiroquai and The Roots. He first entered the studio at just 18, working alongside Ron Carter and Bernard Purdie, before going on to play with Marcus Miller, Roy Ayers and Omar Hakim. This summer, Brian Jackson performed with Ludivine Issambourg at the Montreux Jazz Festival and released the album Now More Than Ever, a reimagining of his repertoire in collaboration with Masters at Work.