Karen Goodwin

American saxophonist Alfred ‘Pee Wee’ Ellis, erstwhile bandleader for soul legend James Brown, is bringing a new show to Brighton Dome this February. Joined by singer China Moses, FUNK: A Music Revolution tells funk’s story through a legacy of disco, Afrobeat and hip hop. Rapper Lady Sanity, and saxophonist Camilla George are among the youngest performers on the lineup. Pee Wee, born in 1941, started out as a young jazz musician across the water. Attending Manhattan School of Music, he had the

It must be every band’s dream to have been championed by John Peel, broadcast god of new music. When Pete Wylie played a live session with his band Wah! Peel introduced them on air as ‘the mighty Wah!’ they became superheroes overnight. And the name stuck. Wah!, Wah! Heat and The Mighty Wah! names have changed over the years, but Pete Wylie has been at the heart of all incarnations. He describes himself as “Part-time rock star, full-time legend”. If you trace the Liverpool family tree for the a

Andy Cabic, songwriter and familiar voice of indie-folk band Vetiver, is sipping coffee on his couch. Time-zones apart on a dark November evening when I call, what kind of day is he waking up to? “It’s a crisp, bright morning in San Francisco” he reports “and my cat-like dog is searching for squirrel activity out of the window,” he’s in the East Bay Area opposite the bridge. “Wait” he says, stepping outside to check he’s not giving me false information, “it’s sunny through the clouds” he pipes h

Natty Wylah is a rare find. Until very recently if you searched for the 26-year-old rapper online you would glean scant detail. A little gold here and there sifted from the internet’s gloom. All that changed two weeks ago with the release of his fiery debut single WHOAMI on Spotify. Describing his track as “heavy and venomous” it’s a disquieting sound. Lashing out at the cultural displacement he felt as a kid, growing up in North London of Chinese heritage, with a ‘homeland’ he felt no connecti

I have to wait to talk to Rozi Plain as she has just bumped into friends when I call, she says: “how would this be in 20 minutes?” This is a clue to Rozi’s artistic process, there is an improvised playfulness, a ‘let’s pose that question again and see if we get a different result.’ She is between shows when we catch up, getting ready to tour her fifth solo album What a Boost, due to be released on Fri 5 April. The album takes its title from the magic of catching a street lamp turn on. “What a b