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The band grew from South London's jam scene, blending Afrobeat, highlife guitar, and modern jazz phrasing.

London roots, West African pulse

Trumpeter Sheila Maurice-Grey and saxophonist Cassie Kinoshi shape bright melodies over grounded bass and earthy percussion. They broke out via Abusey Junction on the We Out Here compilation, then stretched into the sunlit palette of Could We Be More. A likely set moves in patient arcs, touching Baba Ayoola, Ti-de, and Uman, with Abusey Junction saved for a late calm. You see quiet focus up front, dancers near the subs, and clusters of friends catching up during the transitions but listening hard once a solo starts. Two notes for nerds: their name traces to the Urhobo phrase for 'be strong', and Abusey Junction was drafted during a Gambia trip before being captured almost live in studio. These set picks and production touches are reasoned projections from recent gigs, and the actual show could unfold another way.

The Scene: Quiet Focus, Open Dance

The room fills with patterned shirts, worn trainers, and tote bags from record shops.

Warm crowd habits, small rituals

People hum the horn line of Abusey Junction as the band tunes, and you hear soft shakers or handclaps land on the off-beats. When a trumpet solo peaks, a short cheer rises, then the space resets so the next player can speak.

Diaspora threads, jazz heads

Merch trends lean to vinyl of Could We Be More and simple tees with the logo. Between songs, you catch friends trading notes about the percussion setups or the horn mics rather than shouting over the groove. A few fans bring small drums to echo patterns outside after the show, keeping the pulse going as people spill onto the street. It feels communal without pressure, and the focus stays on listening, moving, and letting the band decide the pace.

The Engine: Groove, Melody, and Patience

Live, vocals float in sparingly, used more like another instrument than a lead.

Groove first, ego last

Guitar carries highlife lines with a soft attack, while bass locks in simple, circular figures that leave space for the horns to sing. The horns often state a theme in tight unison, then split into harmony and short replies, which keeps the hook alive during solos.

Small changes, big lift

Drums and percussion set a rolling pocket rather than a hard backbeat, so tempos feel elastic but never loose. On some nights they reshape Baba Ayoola by dropping to a whisper for a minute, building back from a bell pattern before the full kit returns. The band rarely rushes an ending, preferring long codas where trumpet tone darkens and alto sax answers in short cries. Lighting tends to stay warm and amber with gentle haze, serving the music rather than stealing focus.

Kindred Spirits on the Road

Fans of Ezra Collective tend to click here because both lean on drum-led joy and London jazz roots.

Shared grooves, shared rooms

Nubya Garcia also overlaps, with warm tenor lines and long forms that favor mood over flash. Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 brings the classic Afrobeat engine, and people who value layered percussion and political edge will find a familiar pulse. Ibibio Sound Machine shares West African rhythms but veers into synth and disco textures, so crossover listeners enjoy both bills. If your taste leans to horn-led call-and-response and bass parts you feel in your ribs, these artists sit in the same lane. They differ in tone and staging, yet the crowd overlap is real because groove-forward music travels well across scenes.