Live Review: Nubia Garcia at Koko, Camden, London

For years now, Nubya Garcia has been one of the leading lights of the UK jazz resurgence. With 2024’s startling album Odyssey, she significantly expanded her compositional approach.  At Koko she puts in a captivating performance as she explores the rich and diverse pieces that make up the album

The show is particularly special as Garcia and her band are joined by a string quartet from Chineke! Europe’s first majority Black and minority ethnicity orchestra. This is a real treat for the London crowd as it’s the first time they’ve joined the band live – creating renditions that are as close as possible to the record.

Swells of strings mark the start of the gig, with the band diving into opener ‘Dawn’ as Garcia sashays onto the stage exuding an easy confidence. Her sax lines on the piece are languid, rich and deeply emotive. The track also gives Lyle Barton a chance to shine on the keys with a stunning solo.

Elsewhere in the set, Garcia’s old friend, collaborator and tonight’s support act Richie lends her soulful and impassioned vocals to ‘Set It Free’, adding more versatility to a highly varied set. Tomorrow’s Warrior’s, the youth jazz development programme where the pair met also gets a much-deserved shout out. Garcia, like her contemporaries Ezra Collective never misses an opportunity to highlight her roots and the important role such organisations play for the music.

The interplay between Garcia and her band is a fine thing to witness. Bassist Max Luthert has the capacity crowd enthralled by a dextrous solo, while drummer Sam Jones captivates throughout with his varied and propulsive playing.

At the centre of the sonic storm is of course Garcia. The personality and emotion that pours out of her instrument is extraordinary. From a highly nuanced totally unaccompanied piece of sax work through to her commanding lead lines on tracks such as ‘The Seer’, she has the audience eating out of the palm of her hand.

With only ‘La Cumbia’, a highlight from her 2020 debut Source being drawn from anywhere but the current album – the performance is a celebration of where Nubya Garcia is right now as an artist.

Album closer ‘Triumphance’ rounds out the night with Garcia’s empowerment focused spoken word vocals adorning the uplifting track. It’s a fitting end to a set that showcases an artist at the height of her powers, visibly loving every minute that she plays her compositions. It’s a classy performance that leaves the audience with a warm glow as they file out into the chilly March night.