The Brand New Heavies review – acid jazzers are as slick and funky as ever
So they seem to have a point to prove as they arrive at a sold out Royal Albert Hall, rounding out a tour that's marked 30 years since the release of their most commercially successful album, 1994's Brother Sister. Backed by the colossal London Concert Orchestra, original members guitarist Simon Bartholomew (adorned in a feather boa) and bassist Andrew Levy (sporting tight sequined trousers) and new vocalist Angela Ricci launch into a lively two-hour set.
The rhythm section thumps for most of the show and keeps the audience on its feet, with Levy and drummer Luke Harris drowning out the string section on the disco-funk of Sister Sledge pastiche Back to Love and locking in tight for the mid-tempo groove of Stay This Way. While interest drops on slower numbers such as Brother Sister's title track and the woozy lovers rock track People Giving Love, the room bounces when the band go back to punchy tempos. Dream on Dreamer shows off the group's knack for uplifting, earworming melody and a sprightly, strings-led version of Never Stop highlights Ricci's indefatigable vocals. A special appearance from their acid jazz contemporaries – James Taylor on Hammond organ, and Incognito vocalist Tony Momrelle – highlights the genre's urban-sophisticate appeal, charging through Incognito and Jocelyn Brown's classy 1991 classic Always There.
Closing out in similarly joyous fashion on the vamping melodies of Forever, the 2025 iteration of the Brand New Heavies demonstrates that there is plenty more party-starting life left in these three-decade-old songs.
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Edinburgh Reporter
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- Edinburgh Reporter
Free music festival at St James Quarter this August
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- Scotsman
Free music festival in the heart of Edinburgh returns
The Brand New Heavies, Bemz, Tamzene, and Cortney Dixon lead the line-up for St James Quarter Sessions Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... St James Quarter Sessions is back for its third year (15th to 24th August '25) with a packed line up of heavy hitters and up and coming talent taking over the East End of the city. Happening during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe at the city's leading retail and lifestyle destination, St James Quarter, this year's festival programme sees over 60 acts performing across the impressive, canopied development, including the Level 6 rooftop, with panoramic views of Scotland's capital and castle – providing one of the most unique festival stages in the UK. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Hot on the heels of the band's well-received 30th anniversary tour, 90s icons The Brand New Heavies, will be bringing iconic acid-jazz hits such as 'You Are The Universe' and 'Midnight At The Oasis' to Edinburgh. Fans can expect a stacked set of classic tunes, heavy bass lines and hypnotic rhythms from one of the band's that helped to establish acid-jazz in popular culture in the 90s. The Brand New Heavies, Bemz, Tamzene, and Cortney Dixon lead the line-up for St James Quarter Sessions. Coming off the back of rave reviews from this year's UK festival scene, Winner of the Scottish Music Awards' 'Sound of Scotland' award and previously BBC Introducing's 'Scottish Act of the Year', Glasgow rapper Bemz will be kicking off this year's main event with a banging Friday night performance on the Level 6 Castle View stage. Having toured with the likes of The Snuts, Bemz has been building a reputation as a leading light in Scotland's hip-hop scene. Fresh from making her Glastonbury debut this year, Cortney Dixon is poised to set the rooftop on fire with a riotous set of indie-pop anthems. Expect fuzz laden guitars and a raucous performance from the North East's latest hot property on the music scene. Grassroots music champions Wide Days will be taking over the Castle View stage with their 'New From Scotland' series, showcasing Scotland's hottest new talent. Festival-goers can enjoy the industry's top picks of future Scottish stars on Friday 22nd before they reach the masses. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Slated for the Level 3 Yellow Stage and hailing from the small Scottish town of Cromarty, critically acclaimed Highlands singer songwriter, Tamzene will be bringing her unique sound to Sessions. Riding the waves of a career that's pacing towards stardom, Tamzene will deliver an intimate set of R&B‑tinged pop ballads set to mesmerise festival goers with candid lyricism and haunting melodies that draw on a nuanced mix of Irish, Jamaican and Highland roots. Running throughout August, musicians can apply for a paid performance slot with applications via Nigerian-born and Edinburgh-raised, James Emmanuel will also be bringing his soulful sounds to the Yellow Stage on Level 3 of the Galleria. Raised as the son of a preacher, he first found his voice in gospel choirs, a grounding that shaped his soulful sound from the beginning. Now backed by BBC Introducing, James draws inspiration from legends like Marvin Gaye and Bobby "Blue" Bland, James brings a timeless quality to stories that feel deeply personal and human. On the back of their very first headline tour after releasing their debut album in 2024, Scottish duo The Laurettes will be bringing their unique take on Celtic-folk to the Sessions stage, supported by their all-female band. Elsewhere on the bill will be Dara Dubh, Beth Miller, Ant Thomaz, Indoor Foxes, Dictator, Justine Beverley and more home‑grown talent taking over stages throughout St James Quarter. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Festival-goers can sign up for free tickets, set times and stage information by downloading the St James Quarter App, which allows everyone to stay updated with events happening throughout the destination for Sessions and beyond. St James Quarter Sessions is back for its third year (15th to 24th August '25). Susan Hewlett, Festival Creator at St James Quarter, said: 'At a time when festival ticket prices have never been higher and independent venues are closing across the country, we're not only putting on this incredible line-up for free, but also giving existing and emerging artists the platform to continue being heard and discovered. We've even got clean toilets, no mud, and food and drink venues on tap – what more could you ask from a free music festival in one of the best cities in the UK.' The warm-up to this year's St James Quarter Sessions will champion Edinburgh's rich grassroots music scene by offering the next generation of Scottish stars a series of pop-up busking performances appearing throughout the destination. Running throughout August, musicians can apply for a paid performance slot with applications via
BBC News
18-06-2025
- BBC News
Jazz star Tommy Smith sacked from Conservatoire role
Leading Scottish jazz musician Tommy Smith has been dismissed from his senior role at the Royal Conservatoire of follows reports in the Mail on Sunday that the 58-year-old saxophonist had started a relationship with a studentSmith had held the Head of Jazz position at the prestigious Glasgow music school for the last 16 Conservatoire confirmed that he had been dismissed "following a disciplinary investigation and hearing". A spokesperson added: "RCS has robust policies in place to ensure the safety and wellbeing of students and staff."Smith has had a prolific and successful music career and in 2009 was appointed as the inaugural head of the first-ever full-time jazz course at the has been approached for comment. Who is Tommy Smith? Tommy Smith has been a star of the jazz world since his was born and brought up in the Wester Hailes housing scheme in Edinburgh and began playing while a pupil at the local secondary. He recorded his first album - Giant Strides - when he was just won a scholarship to study in the United States and was signed to the Blue Note jazz label at went on to found the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra and has worked with many jazz greats including Johnny Dankworth, Cleo Laine and Miles Davis.A noted composer and arranger as well as a performer, Tommy Smith was awarded the OBE in 2019 and holds honorary doctorates from Heriot Watt University and the University of Edinburgh.
