2021 Jazz FM ‘Breakthrough Act of the Year’, drummer/composer Jas Kayser (Kansas Smitty’s, Nubya Garcia, Jorja Smith) is joined by fellow Smitty’s alums Joe Webb, piano & Will Sach, bass playing music inspired by Duke Ellington’s 1962 album, ‘Money Jungle’. “…exceptionally talented” BeBop Spoken Here

"Jazz FM Award 2021 Breakthrough Act of the Year"

With a Masters degree from the prestigious Berklee College of Music (USA) and work with the likes of Ralph Peterson and Lenny Kravitz, 24-year-old UK drummer, composer and bandleader Jas Kayser has established herself as one of the leading lights of her generation. Already with an international reputation she includes work at the likes of the Newport Jazz Festival and Panama Jazz Festival on a diverse and impressive CV, and to top that off she won the 2021 Jazz FM Award for ‘Breakthough Act of the Year’. As the drummer on Kansas Smitty's most recent album, 'Plunderphonia', her profile on the London scene continues to grow, and with her own music she says she likes to “explore the common grounds between Jazz and Afro-beat”, releasing a new vinyl recording 'Jas 5ive' through Jazz Re:freshed's iconic 5ive series. For this 606 EFG London Jazz Festival performance Jas has taken as her inspiration pianist Duke Ellington’s 1962 post-bop album, ‘Money Jungle’ with fellow jazz legends, bassist Charles Mingus and drummer Max Roach. Though during its making the recording sessions were reported to be fractious, the finished result was acclaimed, receiving five stars from US jazz authority Downbeat Magazine, and the ‘Grand Prix’ Award from Jazz Magazine of France. It was thought by some to have pushed the three players out of their comfort zones, bringing out aspects of their musical personalities not often heard before. In this spirit of exploration Jas has chosen two superb collaborators, bassist Will Sach and pianist Joe Webb, also members of the Kansas Smitty’s crew and likewise up-and-coming stars of the UK jazz scene.

“Jas Kayser…exceptionally talented” BeBop Spoken Here; "Jas is a wonderful drummer, musician and assembler of fine musical ideas" Jamie Cullum