MAY 2026 ISSUE
MAY 2026 ISSUE A sneaky peek of just some of what is in the May 2026 issue – OUT NOW! Click to buy this issue and read more… BROOKLYN FUNK ESSENTIALS Lati Kronlund, for more than 30 years the guiding hand behind Brooklyn Funk Essentials, is a lucky man. Not only did his daughter ask for a vinyl copy of Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On as a recent Christmas present, his son, Valentin, just sang backgrounds on BFE’s new album. What’s that about apples falling not far from the tree? Mind, Lati’s used to playing the benevolent father’s role when it comes to making music: in a not dissimilar position to that of Bluey Maunick at Incognito, his overseeing founder’s status with BFE has during three decades produced eight albums for a band that – again like Incognito – has undergone numerous changes of personnel and direction Click here to buy and read more… SHAGGY Okay, how many of you guessed it was Shaggy in that Space Bunny outfit, singing Lionel Richie’s All Night Long on The Masked Singer? And did you also know that Shaggy was the inspiration behind Artemis Slay, the pirate captain at the heart of Rodney Barnes’ graphic novel The Port, a ghostly, Caribbean themed adventure story resulting from Barnes’ alliance with Shaggy and manager Martin Kierszenbaum? Mr Boombastic always did have a tremendous work ethic, and while we don’t have space to list all of his many achievements, here’s a brief rundown. Click here to buy and read more… JARROD LAWSON Did we mention it was our 50th anniversary as a magazine this year? Y’know, I think we may have squeezed in that information somewhere along the line. Coincidentally, it’ll also be the 50thanniversary of Jarrod Lawson’s arrival on this planet, come September. That’s in addition to the now Nashville resident musician/songwriter and his wife Evalee becoming first-time parents some six months ago – they now have a baby daughter – whilst Jarrod was putting the finishing touches to his brand-new album, Just Let It. So, it might seem somewhat merciless of me to open our conversation by asking why it’s taken him close on six years to follow up on his wonderful second album, Be The Change Click here to buy and read more… BILLY CHILDS Storytelling is key in the art of improvisation. The musicians have to do more than play to the highest possible standard. What they are expressing, emotionally and intellectually, shapes choices. Thoughts and feelings are in a dance with technique. Pianist Billy Childs is forthright when it comes to any discussion of his vast output over the past five decades. All his work has a clearly defined premise, a raison d’etre, whether he is working with violins, brass and woodwinds, or just drums and bass. Click here to buy and read more…
Black News 
MAY 2026 ISSUE
A sneaky peek of just some of what is in the May 2026 issue – OUT NOW!
BROOKLYN FUNK ESSENTIALS
Lati Kronlund, for more than 30 years the guiding hand behind Brooklyn Funk Essentials, is a lucky man. Not only did his daughter ask for a vinyl copy of Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On as a recent Christmas present, his son, Valentin, just sang backgrounds on BFE’s new album. What’s that about apples falling not far from the tree?
Mind, Lati’s used to playing the benevolent father’s role when it comes to making music: in a not dissimilar position to that of Bluey Maunick at Incognito, his overseeing founder’s status with BFE has during three decades produced eight albums for a band that – again like Incognito – has undergone numerous changes of personnel and direction
SHAGGY
Okay, how many of you guessed it was Shaggy in that Space Bunny outfit, singing Lionel Richie’s All Night Long on The Masked Singer? And did you also know that Shaggy was the inspiration behind Artemis Slay, the pirate captain at the heart of Rodney Barnes’ graphic novel The Port, a ghostly, Caribbean themed adventure story resulting from Barnes’ alliance with Shaggy and manager Martin Kierszenbaum?
Mr Boombastic always did have a tremendous work ethic, and while we don’t have space to list all of his many achievements, here’s a brief rundown.
JARROD LAWSON
Did we mention it was our 50th anniversary as a magazine this year? Y’know, I think we may have squeezed in that information somewhere along the line. Coincidentally, it’ll also be the 50thanniversary of Jarrod Lawson’s arrival on this planet, come September. That’s in addition to the now Nashville resident musician/songwriter and his wife Evalee becoming first-time parents some six months ago – they now have a baby daughter – whilst Jarrod was putting the finishing touches to his brand-new album, Just Let It.
So, it might seem somewhat merciless of me to open our conversation by asking why it’s taken him close on six years to follow up on his wonderful second album, Be The Change
BILLY CHILDS
Storytelling is key in the art of improvisation. The musicians have to do more than play to the highest possible standard. What they are expressing, emotionally and intellectually, shapes choices. Thoughts and feelings are in a dance with technique.
Pianist Billy Childs is forthright when it comes to any discussion of his vast output over the past five decades. All his work has a clearly defined premise, a raison d’etre, whether he is working with violins, brass and woodwinds, or just drums and bass.
