Dayes additionally blessed the screens of national television this past weekend with an electric performance on Later… With Jools Holland, performing title track “Black Classical Music”.
The album has received key support from the likes of The Guardian, Rolling Stone UK, Wonderland, Clash, Dazed and The Face, alongside significant worldwide radio support, including a Maida Vale Session with Mary Anne Hobbs, 6Music playlist inclusion, an Album Mode feature with Benji B. ‘Black Classical Music’ has graced the airwaves with over 2200 plays across 30 countries plays across the following stations - BBC Radio 1, BBC 1XTRA, BBC 6 Music, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio London, BBC Radio 3, NTS, Jazz FM, Worldwide FM, Radio Nova, Radio Primavera, KCRW, KEXP, Double J, Triple J, J-WAVE and many more. The project was recently included in Rough Trade’s ‘Albums Of The Year’, with vinyl being exclusively sold at the store to celebrate.
Dayes has been eloquently translating the album into a live setting, with sold-out shows all over the UK, including the legendary Royal Albert Hall, which The Guardian deemed “... a display of technical mastery” across the evening’s runtime. The tour will be going transatlantic on the 16th of November, with a slew of US tour dates closing out 2023.
“Black Classical Music” is Dayes’ 19 track debut opus. At every turn, Dayes distinctive drum licks and Rocco Palladino’s bass are the sturdy anchors; aided by Charlie Stacey (keys/synths), Venna (saxophone), Alexander Bourt (percussion), and a whole host of honourable features including: Chronixx, Masego, Jamilah Barry, Tom Misch, Elijah Fox, Shabaka Hutchings, Miles James, Sheila Maurice Grey, Nathaniel Cross, Theon Cross and the Chineke! Orchestra, the first professional orchestra in Europe to be made up of majority Black and ethnically diverse musicians.
The first single and title track “Black Classical Music” ft. Venna and Charlie Stacey was an incredible opening statement and entry point to this new chapter, accompanied by a video directed by longtime collaborator Barka, who also designed the album artwork. The next piece of the puzzle to be shared was “Rust” featuring long-time friend and collaborator Tom Misch, a welcomed meeting of minds between the two musical stalwarts. “Marching Band” and“Tioga Pass” followed, the former featuring vocal and instrumental contributions from esteemed Jamaican-American singer Masego and the later featuring Bass-virtuoso Rocco Palladino. The penultimate single to be shared from the album was the evocative and heartfelt track “The Light'' featuring voice notes from Yussef’s infant daughter Bahia Dayes. The final single, shared yesterday was “Pon Di Plaza” featuring Grammy nominated Jamaican singer and prolific collaborator Chronixx, famed for his works alongside Joey Badass, Major Lazer and more.
