After decades in the shadow of its American parent, British jazz is finally coming of age. A community of young, London-based musicians is forging a rebooted style which reflects both the Caribbean and African musical heritages of the majority of its vanguard players and also locally created musics such as grime and garage. Jazz was created by black musicians. The new London scene is by no means racially exclusive, but there is no doubt it is black musicians who are once more leading the way. And there is more to celebrate—many of the most prominent musicians are women. Nothing like this has happened before in British jazz. The closest comparison would be with the jazz-dance movement of the 1980s. But that was on a far smaller scale.

2018 saw a stream of five-and-going-on-five-star ex-London releases. Too many to list here, but including