Yussef Dayes

jazzjazz fusion

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About

Jazz percussionist and one half of celebrated jazz-funk duo Yussef Kamaal. Present at the embryonic stage of the 2010s South London jazz scene, Yussef Dayes is a talented drummer whose expressive and characterful style was first heard by many as part of United Vibrations. Formed with his brothers Kareem and Ahmad, alongside their friend Wayne Francis II, the act fused Afro-beat stylings with forward-looking jazz and rock elements, gaining acclaim for their second LP, 2016's The Myth of the Golden Ratio. That same year brought the release of Black Focus, a collaboration with Kamaal Williams, under the name Yussef Kamaal, that saw them named Best Breakthrough Act at 2017's Jazz FM awards. In 2018, he released "Love Is the Message," his first solo single, before What Kinda Music, a collaborative Blue Note LP with local singer/songwriter Tom Misch, reached the Top Five of the U.K. album charts in May 2020. Born in South East London, Dayes was given his first drum kit at age four by his bass-playing Jamaican father. While his mother played country music and '60s pop around the house, his father listened to reggae and jazz vinyl. This eclectic mix of genres wove into his rhythmic sensibility, but it was the opportunity to study, at ten years old, under the tutelage of fusion icon Billy Cobham that secured his interest in chasing professional musicianship. The grime and hip-hop loved by his friends at school, as well as the jungle produced by his elder brother Ahmad, additionally went on to inspire his playing style. Even prior to Dayes reaching his teenage years, United Vibrations played gigs in areas of South London — such as Peckham and Camberwell — that would later become synonymous with the burgeoning jazz scene swooped upon by the U.K. press and beyond.

Source: Last.fm