Gil Scott-Heron by Brian Jackson & Yasiin Bey Tickets

About Gil Scott-Heron by Brian Jackson & Yasiin Bey

Brian Jackson is the keyboardist, flautist and composer who, alongside the late Gil Scott-Heron, shaped one of the most influential partnerships in modern Black music. Beginning with Pieces of a Man (1971) and running through albums such as Winter in America and From South Africa to South Carolina, the pair blended jazz, blues, soul, spoken word and poetry into songs that captured the social and political mood of their era. Tracks like "The Bottle", "Johannesburg" and "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" became touchstones, later sampled and celebrated by artists including Kanye West, Common and Kendrick Lamar.

Jackson now revisits that remarkable catalogue live, bringing its warmth and bite to the stage in a heartfelt celebration of his old friend and collaborator. He is joined by Yasiin Bey, the Brooklyn rapper, singer and actor once known as Mos Def, who emerged in the late 1990s as a leading voice in conscious hip-hop with the acclaimed Black on Both Sides (1999). Admired for his sharp lyricism and his screen roles in films such as The Italian Job and Cadillac Records, Bey brings a fresh dimension to an evening of jazz, soul and poetry honouring Gil Scott-Heron's enduring legacy.