London Brew

London Brew unites an ensemble of premier British musicians and bandleaders drawn from the thriving, eclectic South London scene. Producer and guitarist Martin Terefe joined executive producer Bruce Lampcov to convene the group in the first months of 2020. Their purpose centered on marking the half-century point of Miles Davis' Bitches Brew and its far-reaching impact through scheduled performances throughout England and prominent European centers.

The engagements were scrapped amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Five days after London's second lockdown lifted, Terefe and Lampcov reconvened the players on December 20 at Church Studios in North London. The roster comprised saxophonists Shabaka Hutchings and Nubya Garcia, tubist Theon Cross, drummer Tom Skinner, bassist Tom Herbert, turntablist/rapper Benji B, violinist Raven Bush, guitarist Dave Okumu, and seven additional musicians.

Rather than replicate the original Bitches Brew material, Okumu and Terefe supplied audio sketches inspired by the landmark album. The musicians then developed and reshaped these foundations to evoke its historical weight and enduring creative spark. Across three days they captured numerous concepts and distilled them into eight finished improvisations. Concord Jazz issued the resulting full-length London Brew in March 2023.