Jazz Re:freshed Weekly presents: Marcus Joseph

Musician and spoken word artist Marcus Joseph aspires to be an instrument of change. Whether playing a proud role in his local Leicester community, lending his talents to perform for George Cole – the city’s first black mayor – or paying homage to his Afro-Caribbean roots through songs charged with the righteousness energy of reggae music, the spirited lyricist and Alto Saxophonist possesses the gift to uplift.

His debut album ‘Beyond the Dome’ (Jazz re:freshed) effortlessly blends jazz, reggae and hip hop with contemporary music and has won favour with the likes of Gilles Peterson (6 Music), Tom Robinson (6Music), Tony Minvielle (Jazz FM), DJ Lanni (Worldwide FM), opening the door to play at landmark events such as Love Supreme, Manchester Jazz Festival and We Out Here.

A seasoned live performer, Marcus has been known to bring the noise as part of hip hop/rock/punk influenced jazz quartet Major Ruse; has supported the likes of Oscar Jerome, Blue Lab Beats and The Blackbyrds; as well as playing alongside luminaries such as Dennis Rollins, Tony Kofi, Arun Ghosh, Dave O’Higgins, Abram Wilson, Gary Crosby and Eska.

Marcus’ relentless work ethic and commitment to creativity has even seen him venture into the VR space, where he is developing the Jazz Paradigm – an immersive experience that weaves together graphic novel aesthetics and interactive video game narratives to explore themes of freedom, oppression and creativity through storytelling, music and spoken word.