Biography

Shabaka Hutchings (b. 1984) is a visionary clarinetist, saxophonist, composer, and musical thinker making history in the U.K. jazz scene. Growing up primarily in Barbados, his music is steeped in the rich musical traditions of the Caribbean. He graduated from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London, where he majored in classical clarinet and absorbed the music of American jazz pioneers like Charlie Parker. He records and performs with three groundbreaking groups: Shabaka and the Ancestors, The Comet is Coming, and Sons of Kemet. Hutchings is a relentlessly creative spirit who blends countless genres into his own unique and vital sound.