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Emma-Jean Thackray

Emma-Jean Thackray is an award winning composer, producer, arranger, instrumentalist, singer and as a recent RBMA alumni, has been described by RBMA as "one of the UK's most exciting new jazz artists", as “somewhere between Madlib and Ornette Coleman” by Djam La Revue, “one to watch” by the London Evening Standard and as “supremely talented... the sound of South London” by Sounds Of The Universe. Having trained at top UK conservatories in both jazz and composition she is pretty fucking good at loads of stuff, with acclaimed work as a producer, as a composer for large ensembles, as an arranger, a musical director, an educator, a solo performer and as a band leader with her quartet WALRUS.

Emma-Jean Thackray: It's Okay

by Ludovico Granvassu
September 19, 2025

Enjoy one of the--many--highlights from British trumpeter and singer Emma-Jean Thackray's Weirdo (Brownswood Recordings), a remarkable album that is not only musically engaging but also a testament to the cathartic power of music--its ability to transform grief and pain into creative inspiration. Listening to the captivating melodies and grooves of this release it may come as a surprise that this record evolved from the unexpected loss of the singer's partner. Jazz and funk offering the constitutive elements for ...

Album Review

Emma-Jean Thackray: Yellow

by Jim Trageser
October 17, 2021

Many of the most prominent exponents of melding jazz with soul, funk and hip-hop have been trumpeters. Even in the late 1970s, Chuck Mangione was already taking soul-jazz and moving it further into an R&B orbit (and taking heat from jazz purists for supposedly “selling out"), and in so doing exposing lots of pop fans to jazz for the first time. Herb Alpert, no stranger to bringing jazz influences to pop music, transitioned from his jazz-influenced easy listening ...

Album Review

Emma-Jean Thackray: Um Yang

by Chris May
July 25, 2020

Right now, in summer 2020, using new and recent releases as the yardstick, the two most exciting musicians on London's alternative jazz scene are trumpeters. One is Laura Jurd, whose recent To The Earth (Edition) is a high-water mark for her electro-acoustic band, Dinosaur. The other is Emma-Jean Thackray, whose EP Um Yang is also remarkable. Jurd is the longer established musician, having released three albums with Dinosaur since 2016. Thackray's first release came two years later, and she has ...

Catching Up With

Emma-Jean Thackray: assolutamente unica

by Emmanuel Di Tommaso
February 17, 2020

Compositrice, polistrumentista, cantante, produttrice, band-leader, solista e DJ, Emma-Jean Thackray è una delle giovani musiciste più talentuose e versatili della scena internazionale. Dopo due EP di grande successo (Ley Lines e Walrus), la Thackray ha iniziato una collaborazione con Makaya McCraven e altri membri della scena jazz di Chicago. Il suo singolo “Too Shy" è stato inserito sia in Where We Come From (CHICAGOxLONDON Mixtape) di McCraven che nel suo debutto con la sempre più influente etichetta discografica International Anthem, ...

Catching Up With

Emma-Jean Thackray: Utterly Unique

by Emmanuel Di Tommaso
February 12, 2020

Composer, multi-instrumentalist, singer, producer, band-leader, solo performer and DJ Emma-Jean Thackray is, simply put, one of the most talented and versatile young musicians around. After two acclaimed EPs (Ley Lines and Walrus), she started a collaboration with Makaya McCraven and other members of the Chicago jazz scene. Her single “Too Shy" was featured in both McCraven's Where We Come From (CHICAGOxLONDON Mixtape) and then on her own debut on the increasingly influential label International Anthem, a 12" vinyl which features ...

Live Review

Emma-Jean Thackray al Bronson Club di Ravenna

by Emmanuel Di Tommaso
January 28, 2020

Emma-Jean Thackray Bronson Club Ravenna 24.1.2020 Introspettiva e underground l'atmosfera al Bronson Club di Ravenna per il primo concerto in Italia della britannica Emma-Jean Thackray, compositrice, produttrice, poli-strumentista, cantante, bandleader nonché DJ fra le più talentuose e poliedriche dell'attuale panorama musicale. La platea dei presenti non è numerosa ma selezionata e trepidante nell'attesa di ascoltare un'artista emergente che si è fatta notare per un percorso insolito e variegato (la Thackray ha suonato con ottimi risultati ...

Award / Grant

My take on the best jazz recordings of 2021

Source: Ken Franckling's Jazz Notes
December 21, 2021

‘Tis the season for the outpouring of Top 10 lists, and their many variations, for jazz, world events, etc. The jazz lists tend to have a lot of variation depending on the individual reviewer's personal tastes, as well as what he or she listened to during the year.* Bottom line, all are extremely subjective. These choices below (aside from top 10 new songs of the year) were submitted to the Jazz Journalists Association and Jazz Critics Poll 2021 compilations The ...
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