Soweto Kinch burst on to the jazz scene with a vengeance when he released Conversations With The Unseen in 2003. With a scaldingly vital alto saxophone sound and, as later proved on the single ‘Jazz Planet’, a sense of word play in his raps and a conscious grasp of urban reality in Tales Of The Tower Block, it was clear that Kinch was setting a radical agenda in jazz. He returns this month with The New Emancipation. Exclusive Interview: Kevin Le Gendre

2007 was a year of remembrance. It was the bicentennial anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade. While some members of the great British public may have registered as much by taking up the mainstream option of Amazing Grace at their local Odeon, others may well have wandered to the fringes such as LSO St.Luke’s where Julian Joseph brought the story of Bridgetower to operatic life.

Amid the reflection on an episode in the nation’s history which is far from glorious, given that liberal estimates place Britain’s consignments of African slaves in the 18th century at close to 2.5 million, there was an essential question that every one of the Queen’s subjects, be they loyal or disloyal, enfranchised or disenfranchised, was invited to ask. What could freedom mean now and who enjoys it in earnest? Has yesterday’s slave been superseded by today’s wage slave? Soweto Kinch had ample motivation to put his thinking cap on.

This is an extract from Jazzwise Issue #145 – to read the full article click here to subscribe and receive a FREE CD...