Yazz’s debut album, Finding My Way Home, featuring bass virtuoso, Janek Gwizdala and clarinetist, Shabaka Hutchings, was released this summer on Suntara Records. The CD is a collection of compositions and improvisations exploring her Arabic heritage and contrasting these with the classic British jazz from the 1950s which was the sound track to her teenage years and her gateway into improvised music.
Yazz’s Granddad, Terry Brown, was a successful jazz trumpet player and record producer who worked with some of the best British jazz musicians of all time, including Tubby Hayes, Ronnie Scott and the original John Dankworth Seven. She picked up the trumpet inspired by the music and the stories that Terry shared with her.
As well as running her own quintet, quartet and trio, Yazz has played alongside a number of internationally acclaimed jazz musicians, including Toshiko Akiyoshi, Rufus Reid, Laurence Cottle, Henry Lowther, Mark Nightingale and Sir John Dankworth.
Away from her own projects, Yazz has recorded and performed with, Max Romeo, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Jack Penate, the Manic Street Preachers, Tomorrows Warriors, the Urban Soul Orchestra, the London Jazz Orchestra and Jazz Jamaica.
Yazz plays flugelhorn on Radiohead’s album The King of Limbs and earlier this year was featured in the filming of The King Of Limbs, Live From The Basement, which has been screened worldwide during July 2011.
Musicians featured on Finding My Way Home:
Yazz Ahmed - trumpet & flugelhorn
Janek Gwizdala - bass guitar
Shabaka Hutchings - bass clarinet & clarinet
Alam Nathoo - tenor sax
Chris Fish - cello
John Bailey - piano
Simon Hale - fender rhodes
Jay Darwish - bass
Laurence Cottle - bass guitar
George Hart - drums
Corrina Silvester - drum kit, darbuka, rigg &sagat
CD Baby
