Ubuntu Music label founder Martin Hummel dies age 69
Mike Flynn
Monday, January 13, 2025
The much loved and dynamic label boss had an immense impact on the UK and international jazz scene since starting his vibrant independent imprint ten years ago
The family of Martin Hummel have confirmed that after a brave battle with cancer, Martin passed away in the early hours of Friday, 10 January.
In a brief statement, his wife Leslie said “He experienced a rapid unexpected decline in his health over the last week and left this world peacefully surrounded by his family.”
Martin was a great friend and passionate colleague and was frequently at the heart of the London jazz scene, he had an ear for a rising star and established greats but also championed older musicians still at the top of their game such as Darius Brubeck, Art Themen and Elaine Delmar.
Martin supported Jazzwise as much as we supported his releases, and appropriately it was an Ubuntu Music catalogue compilation that accompanied our milestone 25th Anniversary issue in April 2022. Featuring 15 tracks from the rich array of artists on the label, the album was introduced with a typically enthusiastic liner note which summed up the label’s philosophy and in turn reflected Martin’s own inclusive outlook on music and the wider world:
“Ubuntu is an ancient African word which means: “I am because we are”. Essentially, we are all connected in this world and what one person does in life will, in some way, affect us all. A prominent South African business partner and friend introduced the Ubuntu concept to Martin Hummel, who was so profoundly moved by its meaning and implications that he decided he would one day name his company Ubuntu. That time arrived when Hummel founded Ubuntu Music.
Born in 2015, Ubuntu Music is a recorded music label that is committed to bringing quality, accessible jazz and related music genres to increasingly wider audiences. Its approach includes collaborative efforts with an array of performing artists who have a passion for their music and who possess unique and diversified talents. Put simply, Ubuntu Music connects artists with audiences through beautiful jazz music, thus helping to make the world a brighter place.
The label achieved worldwide recognition in 2017 with a series of releases from trumpet legend Chet Baker, entitled Live in London, which were recorded in the 1980s. And the rest is now history, with subsequent releases that include Camilla George, Leo Richardson, Laurence Hobgood, Mark Kavuma, Eric Alexander, Harold Mabern, Seamus Blake, Darius Brubeck, Yoko Miwa, Dave O’Higgins, Jay Phelps, Paul Booth, Shez Raja, Allison Neal + Peter Bernstein, Omar + QCBA, Andrew McCormack and many others.
Today, Ubuntu Music is a highly successful and rapidly expanding record label. Its artist roster represents a broad cross-section of talent: male and female; young, old and those with us in spirit; and beautifully diverse in terms of race, creed, ethnicity, colour, nationality and geography. The consistent DNA that runs through the blood of each of these exceptionally talented individuals is the obsessive commitment to the quality of their music and the strength of their character as dedicated musicians.”
From all of us at Jazzwise, we will miss you immensely Martin, you were a warm and friendly guy who absolutely loved jazz!
A fuller tribute will be posted in the coming days.
Martin Hummel - Born Montclair NJ, 2 February 1955. Died London 10 January 2025.
