UK drummer with a knack for jazz to perform in KL on Friday

KUALA LUMPUR: An innovative young drummer from the UK is headed to Kuala Lumpur this Friday (November 25), promising the audience an electrifying night to remember.

Say hello to singer-songwriter Yussef Dayes, a drummer extraordinaire with a knack for jazz. He is best known for his work with his brothers in United Vibrations, and also as one half of electrifying duo Yussef Kamaal.

Yussef’s showcase will be staged at REXKL, and is the first in series of cultural events by Collective Minds Asia and RK Live Asia.

“We are thrilled to present to you Yussef Dayes’ debut performance in KL. He is one of the breakout players of the South London jazz scene and together with his band, has taken the world by storm not just with his talent and artistry, but his visual prowess,” said Zaran Vachha of Collective Minds Asia and Rahul Kukreja of RK Live Asia.

“It will be an assault on all senses and one should not miss the opportunity to witness him and his band live in action,” they added.

Since the age of four, Yussef has been developing his sound when his father bought him his first drum kit.

“My parents were strict — if I was gonna do this, I had to take it seriously,” recalled Yussef, who was born and raised in South East London. His father was a bass player in New York in the 1970s, and brought home an education’s worth of jazz vinyl that the Dayes brothers all grew-up on — Yussef and his bassist brother Kareem would play along to their dad’s records for hours at a time.

This was the closest he got to formal jazz lessons until, when he was 10, he studied under Billy Cobham (Miles Davis’ drummer). Yussef considers this to have been the most impactful thing for his progression.

In 2015, the duo Yussef Kamaal was born with fellow Londoner Kamaal Williams. Their 2016 album Black Focus, with its dancefloor sensibilities and funk-infused breakbeats, would become one of the most heralded jazz records of recent times, melding UK sounds with those of the US scene.

Certified silver, the album won the duo the 2017 Jazz FM award for Best Breakthrough Act. With their rapturous shows, both groups have helped hone Yussef’s thrilling, rapid-fire live presence (he refers to it as an alter-ego, “the beast” that takes over when he’s playing).

In 2018, Yussef’s transcendental first solo track, Love Is The Message was self-released followed by For My Ladies and Othello in 2019.

In 2020, Yussef and fellow South East London musician Tom Misch released their joint album entitled What Kinda Music. The same year, Yussef also released his solo live album Welcome to the Hills.

“Drumming is a way of communicating and expressing yourself, and with a new album in the pipeline, I am excited to show Kuala Lumpur what I am about,” said the stylish musician. Tickets can be purchased via the link https://bit.ly/CMYussefKL