Archived: Equal Spirits ‘Wise and Waiting’ Album Launch

Equal Spirits features a collaboration between South African and UK artists, and this performance launches their debut album Wise and Waiting, released on Ubuntu music.

Led by composer/arranger/multi-instrumentalist Raph Clarkson, the band brings together a genre-defying mix of South African spiritual jazz, ambient improvised introspection, bursts of old-school hip-hop and electronica, soaring melodies, synths, samples and gospel-infused grooves, woven together with sung and spoken languages from Zulu to English.

Wise and Waiting is ultimately a celebration of the profound and beautiful contribution made by South African musicians to British Jazz and Improvised music, and the live sharing of this music will feature: Durban born baritone vocalist Xolani Mbatha; Raph Clarkson on vocals and trombone; Chris Batchelor on trumpet; Phil Merriman on keys; Bristol’s own Riaan Vosloo on bass; and drummer Yuval Wetzler.