Courtney Pine

It’s more than two decades since Courtney Pine journeyed to the urge within and released a shock-and-awe debut album that put contemporary jazz in the British Top 40 album charts for the first time. Pine’s debut was a feverish statement of intent, and to anyone around at the time it’s still profoundly redolent of the excitement surrounding British jazz’s revitalisation.

Nothing, since, has distracted Courtney from a very personal journey that has provided the soundscape to a tour of his influences and life experiences. It’s a combination that’s come to characterise the Courtney Pine sound – an inclusive vision of a living and breathing contemporary UK jazz.

And now with his latest, 14th album to date, he takes another step forward whilst celebrating the past to create a set that pays respect to his Caribbean musical heritage. As eclectic in its musical range as it is consistent in joyous danceability, Courtney is sounding as much an inspiration as ever.