But what is not often remarked on is how utterly un-American these British musicians sound: listen to their music and you’ll hardly hear any swing or bossa nova rhythms, the usual pulse of American jazz.

American jazz still thinks that blending hip-hop with jazz is something quite radical. In London, that’s taken as read Emma-Jean Thackray

The city’s young jazz community has flourished by drawing on everything from hip-hop to calypso and highlife, creating a unique cosmopolitan sound