Collection: Brownswood Recordings

Founded by legendary DJ and broadcaster Gilles Peterson in 2006, Brownswood Recordings became the defining label of the UK jazz renaissance. What began as a platform for unsigned artists sending demos to Peterson's BBC Radio 1 show evolved into the most influential independent jazz label of the 2010s and 2020s, championing a new generation of London-based musicians who reshaped what jazz could sound like.

The breakthrough came with Yussef Kamaal's "Black Focus" in 2016, an album that fused 1970s jazz-funk with grime, broken beats and soundsystem culture. Two years later, the "We Out Here" compilation, curated by saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings, captured the explosive moment when UK jazz went overground. Featuring Kokoroko, Ezra Collective, Moses Boyd, Nubya Garcia and Joe Armon-Jones, the album introduced a generation of players who grew up on Coltrane and Mingus but also grime, Afrobeat and jungle.

Brownswood's roster reads like a who's who of contemporary jazz innovation. Shabaka Hutchings leads multiple acclaimed projects including Sons of Kemet and Shabaka and the Ancestors. Yussef Dayes' 2023 solo album "Black Classical Music" won an Ivor Novello Award and earned a BRIT nomination. Kokoroko's track "Abusey Junction" from the "We Out Here" compilation became a streaming phenomenon, introducing countless listeners to the new sound.

The label's ongoing "Brownswood Bubblers" and "Future Bubblers" series continue to spotlight emerging talent, while special projects documenting musical scenes in Havana, Johannesburg and beyond reflect Peterson's global perspective. Whether you're after the cosmic keys of Kamaal Williams, the thunderous drums of Moses Boyd, or the spiritual intensity of Shabaka's projects, Brownswood represents contemporary jazz at its most vibrant and genre-defying.