yussef dayes x alfa mist: love is the message / blacked out
Francisco Espregueira
Yussef Dayes on drums and Alfa Mist on keys have been working together for a few months. The public doesn’t know yet what is the full outcome of such awesome collaboration between two of the most accomplished musicians coming from the vibrant London jazz scene. Since first meeting at a Yamaha Session in 2017, Yussef Dayes (formerly of jazz-funk duo Yussef Kamaal) and Alfa Mist stepped out with the “Love Is The Message” single, and last weekend they've shared the sequel, titled "Blacked Out," a hyper-focused effort in hip hop-influenced UK jazz.
Yussef Dayes first came to notoriety alongside his brothers Ahmad & Kareem in the Afrobeat-influenced jazz group United Vibrations. As one half of Yussef Kamaal, Yussef’s rhythmic work was put on full display and the Black Focus album ended up becoming one of the most heralded jazz records to emerge from the new London scene.
Originally from Newham, East London, Alfa Mist began his trip through music as a grime and hip hop producer. His debut album, the magnificent Antiphon, arrived last year and is also a defining record of the London movement. On the video below they’re accompanied by Mansur Brown on guitar and Rocco Palladino on bass, two musicians of the same level. The result is a harmonious display of virtuosity.