Sons of Kemet @ Leith Theatre, Edinburgh, 14 Aug

Two months ago, Sons of Kemet announced that they would part ways after their remaining run of summer shows. After more than a decade together, the group, led by bandleader and saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings, have paved the way for a renaissance of UK jazz in recent years, gaining a 2018 Mercury Prize nomination in the process. Approaching Leith Theatre as part of its EIF programme on what would be Sons of Kemet’s last performance in Scotland for the foreseeable future, would the band dwindle into obscurity or go out on a memorable high? The latter is most certainly the case.

A beautifully diverse crowd of various ages and races welcome the quartet onto the stage with raucous applause and warm smiles. Everyone is raring for a party from the get-go. Hutchings’ golden, reverby tenor saxophone tones light the spark, reverberating around the Georgian theatre exquisitely. Theon Cross brings the grooves on tuba and the dynamic drumming duo of Edward Wakili-Hick and Tom Skinner add the infectious rhythms that get the crowd moving.

The level of energy exerted on stage is unfathomable at times. Opening with a lively rendition of My Queen Is Ada Eastman, one of the group’s most popular tracks – My Queen Is Albertina Sisulu – quickly follows, prompting the crowd to go berserk. Tracks from the group’s latest album Black to the Future come next before a special moment from Hutchings arrives in the form of a meditative five-minute solo on shakuhachi, a Japanese bamboo flute. It brings the entire theatre to a standstill – not a word is uttered, not a muscle moves, it is genuinely beautiful. These contrasting dynamics are at the heart of the show, making every cacophonous shriek and intimate breath feel all the more palpable.



Image: Sons of Kemet live at Leith Theatre for Edinburgh International Festival, 14 Aug by Jess Shurte

The atmosphere in the theatre continues moving up a gear with every track. There are no stop-start introductions between songs and the free-flowing nature of the performance allows for what it is a deeply immersive experience. Every ferociously danceable number is met with jubilation by the sweaty audience and it’s these moments – where the effort put into every note, breath and drum hit is starkly visible – that the crowd feed off the most. The passion is awe-inspiring.

Analysing individual performances, it's difficult to take our eyes off Hutchings. His staccato-style solo runs, virtuosity and exceptional sense of control without a word being spoken is remarkable. The chemistry exuded between himself and Cross is highly impressive and he matches the image of the perfect bandleader painted by Jack Kerouac in On the Road: a cool cat who doesn’t worry, he just blows and blows.

A muted conclusion and one final upbeat encore send the crowd home in an ecstatic mood. No lyrics feature in the live performance – but they’re not needed whatsoever. This is a transcendental performance from a quartet that show Leith Theatre that anything is possible through the medium of music. There's a sense of shared experience here; a fleeting live music community that’s wholeheartedly indebted to connecting with the music on stage and defying any sense of boundary between audience and performer.

If this is to be Sons of Kemet’s final hurrah, they will be sorely missed. But those at Leith Theatre tonight witnessed something special.

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Edinburgh International Festival runs at various venues untl 28 Aug; book tickets at eif.co.uk