Event 1.0 Season 3.0
Jonathan Enser, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and brass contributor for UK afro-jazz group Nubiyan Twist, describes his new project, MATTERS UNKNOWN, as “celestial blues wrapped in contemporary global grooves.”
Raised in rural England, Enser’s love for music began early, with a passion for the trumpet guiding him to a lifelong exploration of brass. By his teens, he was performing live, and he later studied jazz with Neil Yates, graduating with honors in Jazz Performance in 2013. His journey as a session musician, mentor, and performer has taken him from New Orleans to Cuba and led to collaborations with legends like Mulatu Astatke, Pat Thomas, and Tony Allen.
With MATTERS UNKNOWN, Enser weaves soulful, spiritual influences with grooves that range from blues roots to West Coast trap, infused with African diasporic sounds. This spacious, grounded music balances urgency with calm.
To bring this vision to life, Enser has assembled some of the UK’s most innovative musicians from Nerija, Nala Sinephro, Emma-Jean Thackray’s band, Nubiyan Twist, Noya Rao, and Golden Mean. Following acclaimed singles A Beginningand BlindSpot in 2021, MATTERS UNKNOWN released Hewester, a tribute to bassist Alec Hewes, on the New Soil label, celebrating friendship, emotional connection, and rootedness.
This journey culminates with the debut album, We Aren’t Just, releasing in November 2024. The album invites listeners into a world both familiar and unexplored, with each musician’s voice adding dimension to a sound that opens space for reflection and discovery.
Gig Reviews
Pic Credits – Jonny Mo
