It’s remarkable to think that over the course of a 30-plus year career, Omar has never recorded a live album. Neither has QCBA, the organ-tastic jazz quartet co-led by trumpeter Quentin Collins and saxophonist Brandon Allen, with whom the British nu-soul legend has worked since 2010. This eight-track album, commissioned by Ubuntu label boss Martin Hummel and recorded at the Jazz Café in London in May 2021, deftly captures the essence of both acts – the falsetto-to-baritone range of Omar’s voice, QCBA’s 1960s and 70s-era Blue Note influences – along with all the excitement of a live gig straight out of lockdown.

Songs plucked from Omar’s catalogue include opener 'Essensual', its catchy hooks a reminder that Omar, a classically-trained multi-instrumentalist, is no slouch in the composition stakes, his honeyed vocal nuances highlighting his phenomenal soul voice. But with favourites including 'Syleste', 'The Man' and 'Stop War Make Love' revamped by jazz arrangements – think soaring solos, vibing horn battles and power drumming with light and shade – this is very much a collaborative effort. Allen switches to flute on two tracks, his melodies agile and swinging, while Collins brings flugelhorn to 'There’s Nothing Like This', a signature tune remoulded – like all the songs in the set – in ways smart, sassy and fresh.