JULY 2026 ISSUE
JULY 2026 ISSUE A sneaky peek of just some of what is in the July 2026 issue – OUT NOW! Click to buy this issue and read more… MAZE It’s March 22, 1982 and Maze featuring Frankie Beverly are having trouble believing they just sold out London’s Hammersmith Odeon. In the minutes prior to showtime, word has reached the band backstage that close on three-and-a-half thousand people have turned out to witness their UK debut. An excited Frankie peeps out from behind the curtain to check it isn’t a wind-up. ‘Are you sure these guys didn’t think they were buying tickets to see Frankie Goes To Hollywood?’ he’s heard to exclaim. Ninety minutes later the entire band knows the truth: the UK soul audience lovesMaze… … Click here to buy and read more… SOUL REVIVERS When the Soul Revivers’ debut album On The Grove was released in 2022, I wrote that it was “a reminder of an era defined by good musicianship, relatable songs and a more traditional approach to recording, as well as a distinct sense of place.” Four years later, and that description still holds. Their latest album, Holding It Down, is another impressive example of what can happen when two people who genuinely love music get together, assemble a varied line-up of gifted artists and musicians, and provide them with the best possible setting to shine. “When producing the On The Grove album, we were very much finding the Soul Revivers sound,” explains co-founder David Hill… Click here to buy and read more… BYWATER CALL Don’t know if it’s the rise of A.I. or perhaps just the widespread stream-availability of pop drivel with rain puddle depth, but of late I’ve found myself evermore attracted to music that wears its heart on its sleeve and emphasizes human vulnerability. And interestingly, a fair amount of it has been coming our way from Canada of late. We already told you about Miss Emily and Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar: now we happily introduce you to Bywater Call, another remarkable – and remarkably organic – outfit from Toronto… Click here to buy and read more… AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE & MARY HALVORSON To play, or not to play. That is not so much the question as the conversation a skilled musician might have with themselves and others. Doing nothing can sometimes charm the ear more than doing something. Well, although they haven’t made any knowing Shakespearean references on their enthralling new album Slo-Mo Neon Luminate,guitarist Mary Halvorson and trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire are possibly aware of the noble suffering and outrageous fortune that might befall the hardiest of travelers on the road to improvisation. Inaction and the absence of sound are not to be feared… Click here to buy and read more…
Black News 
JULY 2026 ISSUE
A sneaky peek of just some of what is in the July 2026 issue – OUT NOW!
MAZE
It’s March 22, 1982 and Maze featuring Frankie Beverly are having trouble believing they just sold out London’s Hammersmith Odeon. In the minutes prior to showtime, word has reached the band backstage that close on three-and-a-half thousand people have turned out to witness their UK debut. An excited Frankie peeps out from behind the curtain to check it isn’t a wind-up. ‘Are you sure these guys didn’t think they were buying tickets to see Frankie Goes To Hollywood?’ he’s heard to exclaim. Ninety minutes later the entire band knows the truth: the UK soul audience lovesMaze…
…
SOUL REVIVERS
When the Soul Revivers’ debut album On The Grove was released in 2022, I wrote that it was “a reminder of an era defined by good musicianship, relatable songs and a more traditional approach to recording, as well as a distinct sense of place.” Four years later, and that description still holds. Their latest album, Holding It Down, is another impressive example of what can happen when two people who genuinely love music get together, assemble a varied line-up of gifted artists and musicians, and provide them with the best possible setting to shine.
“When producing the On The Grove album, we were very much finding the Soul Revivers sound,” explains co-founder David Hill…
BYWATER CALL
Don’t know if it’s the rise of A.I. or perhaps just the widespread stream-availability of pop drivel with rain puddle depth, but of late I’ve found myself evermore attracted to music that wears its heart on its sleeve and emphasizes human vulnerability. And interestingly, a fair amount of it has been coming our way from Canada of late.
We already told you about Miss Emily and Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar: now we happily introduce you to Bywater Call, another remarkable – and remarkably organic – outfit from Toronto…
AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE & MARY HALVORSON
To play, or not to play. That is not so much the question as the conversation a skilled musician might have with themselves and others. Doing nothing can sometimes charm the ear more than doing something.
Well, although they haven’t made any knowing Shakespearean references on their enthralling new album Slo-Mo Neon Luminate,guitarist Mary Halvorson and trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire are possibly aware of the noble suffering and outrageous fortune that might befall the hardiest of travelers on the road to improvisation. Inaction and the absence of sound are not to be feared…
