Naim Records

Born in the U.K to Ugandan parents, Daudi Matsiko became hooked on guitar at a young age. Despite a wide-range of influences, including Radiohead, Slint, Mogwai to John Coltrane and Miles Davis, Daudi Matisko chosen to favour the sparse with quieter arrangements, which would create the fabric of Daudi Matsiko’s double 8-track EP as well as much-anticipated debut album ‘The King of Misery’, set for 2022.

With the likes of BBC Radio 1 already supporting Daudi Matsiko’s 2021 follow-up single ‘I Am Grateful for My Friends’ ahead of the much-anticipated ‘The King of Misery’ debut album set for release in 2022, if you’re not familiar with your future favourite folk-artist being Daudi Matisko just yet, you will be soon.

Bahraini-British trumpet- flugelhornist and composer Yazz Ahmed has been a central figurehead in the current crop in the new-wave of UK jazz.

Having previously performed and recorded with the likes of Lee Scratch Perry, These New Puritans and Radiohead (playing the Flugelhorn on Radiohead’s ‘King of Limbs’.) Yazz Ahmed released ‘La Saboteuse’ (2017) on Naim Records and received plaudits from the likes of The Wire (Jazz Album of the Year); along with the likes of Stereogum, The Vinyl Factory and Bandcamp also naming the stunning LP in their end of the year lists.

The psychedelic-jazz sensation would also later join the BBC Orchestra, for a stunning live set at London Jazz Festival and continues to be a prominent name in the contemporary jazz-scene, where Yazz Ahmed demonstrates both Western and Arabic influences, with the end result always nothing short of wondrous.

Located across two continents, Australian pianist Sean Foran (also of Naim Records alumni Trichtonomy) and Manchester, UK guitarist Stuart McCallum collaborated on the aptly titled ‘Counterpart’ in 2019. Coming together in Manchester for a few days, with song ideas, the duo then let the album unfold during the recording process – allowing for an organic approach.

Ranging from lush cinematic textures to delicate piano and guitar improvisations, the album traverses sounds from modern classical, to new jazz, and ambient music. Deeply melodic, with rich textural interaction, the improvisations are nothing short og captivating, Foran plays grand piano and synthesisers, while McCallum conjures a vast array of sounds from his acoustic and electric guitars. Sonic similarities to the jazz stylings of Pat Metheny and modern classical sounds of Nils Frahm and Hauschka can be found throughout, with catchy melodies tracing a line through each song.

A legend within the world of music in the truest sense of the word, the late-great multiple Grammy-award winner and Grammy lifetime achievement award-winner Charlie Haden (1937 – 2014) was an instrumental part of Naim Records across the years.

The immensely prolific legendary figure worked with a who’s-who of fellow musical royalty, from working with Yoko Ono, Ringo Starr, Pat Methany, Beck, Dizzy Gillespie all the way to Iron Man himself, Robert Downey Jr. Ultimately Charlie Haden’s legacy is that of a pioneer of jazz.

With a number of Naim Records releases, Charlie Haden’s first album release via Naim Records was in 1994 with CD005 ‘The Private Collection’ and CD006 ‘The Private Collection Volume No.2’, that would see both eventually becoming part of a double album in 2007.

Front person of Fun Lovin’ Criminals and BBC Music presenter Huey Morgan is without a doubt a truly legendary figure within the music industry and really needs no introduction. Released in 2012, Huey Morgan would join the Naim Records family in 2012 with his long-awaited debut album with ‘Say It To My Face’ under Huey and The Yorkers.

The basis of Huey and The Yorkers pre-dates the days of ‘Fun Lovin’ Criminals’, when Huey Morgan and his veteran New York Blues scene pals would jam and record their favourite tunes.  

For Huey Morgan’s first album under his own name, he would turn to his life-long musician friends for instrumentation with the Tangiers Blues Band: Chris Scianni (guitar), King (bass), while Frank Benbini (Fun Lovin’ Criminals) chipped in with drums. Pete Levin, from Grammy winning Blind Boys of Alabama (keyboards), Naim Cortazzi (ukulele) - also a member of the group New Yorkers along with Frank Benbini, along with harmonica from Grammy-award winning photographer Danny Clinch (taker of the famed Tupac Shakur 'Thug Life' shot, now the man behind Huey's new art-work).