Tom Skinner : Kaleidoscopic Visions
UK readers (and possibly very online North Americans) might recoil in horror upon reading Tom Skinner’s name. “Oh god, he’s literally everywhere,” you’d be forgiven for thinking. Fear not, weary reader. This Tom Skinner is not the right-wing gobshite (British slang for a dumb person that talks too much) who has rapidly risen from unlikable TV show contestant to omnipresent media personality who’s now friends with J.D. Vance. No, we’re talking about the stellar new solo record by London jazz drummer Tom Skinner; founder of Sons Of Kemet and member of Radiohead offshoot The Smile. It’s OK, you’re on the nice part of the internet now.
Since his emergence in the early 2010s (not coincidentally the same time that the UK nu jazz scene started to become the force we know today), Skinner has built himself up a hell of a CV. From various collaborative projects with Shabaka Hutchings to contributing to soundtracks by his Smile bandmates to appearances on albums by Floating Points, Beth Orton and David Byrne, he’s established himself as one of contemporary jazz’s most admired and in-demand drummers. His popularity is telling of the eclectic state of modern jazz. As evidenced by his new solo record Kaleidoscopic Visions, Skinner barely resembles a traditional jazz stickman. He’s an Afrobeat drummer, a spiritual jazz percussionist, a hip-hop beatmaker and more, sometimes all of the above simultaneously.
Perhaps the most striking quality of these 10 new tracks is their accessibility. This is a thoughtful, calm album, coursing with vibrancy and energy but never feeling dense or oppressive. Ideas flow like water, coming and going across tracks that progress with delicate patience (“The Maxim”), spiritual chill (“MHA”) and groovy momentum (“Margaret Anne”). Skinner’s drums rarely actually take center stage, with his signature tight Afrobeat-inspired rhythms only making an appearance on lead single “Margaret Anne.” This feels like a deliberate and impressively realized attempt to push the boundaries of his skills. Nine-minute album centerpiece “The Maxim” (featuring Meshell Ndegeocello) is the ultimate example; a mellow but transcendent mini epic that seems to breathes as though it’s alive, eschewing linear progression and utilizing all sorts of loose, gentle drumming that blurs the line between beats and improvisation.
The cast of additional players also deserve a mention. Beyond the contribution from the acclaimed Ndegeocello, Yaffra contributes some fun jazz poetry to funky closer “See How They Run” (“earth, sky, same lost fortune in the mind’s eye”), US vocalist Contour adds heartfelt lyrics to “Logue,” while Skinner’s band members such as bassist Kareem Dayes (brother of Yuseef Dayes) help imbue Kaleidoscopic Visions with the subtle intricacy that these nuanced tracks demand. It adds up to a low-key triumph; laid-back contemporary jazz at its most open-minded, as well as music that’s so rich, textured and thoughtful you can practically hear its heart beating.
Label: International Anthem/Brownswood
Year: 2025
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Tom Skinner : Kaleidoscopic Visions
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