Shabaka Hutchings announces new flute-led solo album Perceive its Beauty, Acknowledge its Grace, to be released on Impulse!

Shabaka Hutchings, the artist best known for his work as the incendiary sax player and band leader of celebrated groups Sons of Kemet and The Comet Is Coming, will release his new solo album, Perceive its Beauty, Acknowledge its Grace, on 12 April via Impulse!

It’s a work that sees Shabaka primarily focus on flutes, with the lead single/video, ‘End of Innocence’ giving a flavour of his new sound with contributions from Jason Moran (piano), Nasheet Waits(drums), and Carlos Niño (percussion). The Phoebe Boswell-directed video (see below) features a languid Shabaka moving fluidly while enveloped in water as the sounds of the song similarly wash over the listener. Additionally, Shabaka has announced a headline show at The Barbican, London on Thursday 9 May.

Following his much publicised decision to stop playing saxophone, the UK jazz star is now devoting his studies and energies towards the flute, with Perceive its Beauty, Acknowledge its Grace his debut fully fledged recording with an exclusive focus on the instrument in its many forms. It also represents the spirit of exploration with which he’s now approaching his music – with early listens revealing the new sound is far subtler and multi-layered than the visceral approach of Sons of Kemet and Comet is Coming.

With contributions on the record from André 3000, Esperanza Spalding, Moses Sumney, Brandee Younger, Floating Points,Laraaji, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Saul Williams, Elucid, and more, Perceive its Beauty, Acknowledge its Grace will come as a refreshing and surprising listen to his many fans.

See the April issue of Jazzwise for an in-depth interview with Shabaka about the album – on-sale from 14 March – pre-order your copy here