W.S. Walcott Medicine Show

Shabaka at Central Park’s Summer Stage (2026-07-01)

Shabaka Hutchings has been at the forefront of the British Jazz scene which blew up in London in the mid twenty teens.  His past collaborations began in the early twenty teens with Sons Of Kemet, an amalgam of free jazz, Afro-Caribbean rhythms and a smattering of hip hop all steeped in a political landscape.  Sons have continued on with a rotation of members surrounding Hutchings over the years but Shabaka has maintained a steady diet of other projects over the years, including The Comet Is Coming as well as Shabaka and The Ancestors.

In 2022 he released his first solo work, Afrikan Culture followed by 2024’s Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace and just this year’s Of The Earth.   Each of these solo efforts has exemplified a change in direction to the ethereal soundscapes which elicit ambient dreamscapes which takes one to a meditative otherworld.

Shabaka brought his musical offerings to the Summerstage at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park on Wednesday evening and despite the sweltering and stifling heat he had much of the crowd swaying and dancing throughout the sweat soaked night.  Utilizing his talents with electronics as well as the multitude of rare and unusual

instruments which he commands such as the Japanese shakuhachi, Mayan Teotihuacan drone flutes, Brazilian pifanos, Slavic svirels, South American quenas, and other Native American flutes.  All of these in addition to the saxophone, clarinet and traditional flute.  The sounds which he and his drummer/percussionist emitted from the stage at Rumsey filled the air as if we were experiencing a full orchestra.  It was certainly a wild and exuberant evening of woodwind mastery accentuated by electronic wizardry that created a sense of meditative bliss for most of us in the captivated crowd.

Prior to taking the stage we were treated to Kokoroko, another mainstay in the London scene which is fronted by Sheila Maurice-Grey and Anoushka Nanguy  on vocals as well as saxophone and trombone respectively.  Their set was a joyous amalgamation of funky jazz with African poly-rhythms. 

Opening up the evening’s festivities was yet another British artist, Omar.  A singer/songwriter/producer, Omar’s set offered up a smashing mix of hip-hop, jazz funk, rock and Latin/Caribbean dance.  

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