yussef dayes summer dayes

South Facing 2024 Review: Yussef Dayes orchestrates summer sun dance 

Generational drummer Yussef Dayes illuminates Crystal Palace Bowl with epoch-making headline set

by Tom Curtis-Horsfall |

Many music greats have illuminated Crystal Palace Bowl throughout its long and enviable history of hosting concerts. Bob Marley, Pink Floyd, Elton John, Yes, Vera Lynn, the Beach Boys, you name it. An eclectic list of generational talent. In bringing Black Classical Music to “the ends”, South London’s very own son in Yussef Dayes can chalk his name up next to the aforementioned as a generational talent himself. 

Billed as ‘Yussef Dayes presents: Summer Dayes’, the virtuoso drummer headlining his own one-day event for the South Facing Festival series wasn’t deemed a risky venture whatsoever, given how ingrained jazz music has become in London’s musical consciousness over the past decade or so. Harking back to the great bandleading jazz drummers of yesteryear like Billy Cobham or Max Roach – both of which Dayes cites as integral influences on his musical style and technical discipline – Yussef solidified his status as a London jazz lynchpin with an epoch-making concert.

Orchestrating a summer sun dance, on a Sunday no less, Dayes cherry-picked the support lineup which brought a breadth of jazz talent to the natural amphitheatre. The diverse, multi-generational audience were well catered to, from Masego’s self-styled ‘Trap-House-Jazz’ to Greentea Peng’s hazy dub to Charlotte Day Wilson’s soul-searching R&B. 

The latter’s afternoon set was a major hit early on. With the main stage visible from every angle, the sun beat down on Crystal Palace as Day Wilson casually sauntered on stage, a stark contrast to her previous London festival performance at All Points East where her performance was cut short due to an electrical storm. No danger of a similar outcome, with Charlotte’s sublime rendition of ‘What You Need’ – her collaboration with KAYTRANADA – summoning clear blue skies.

Greentea Peng’s wavy vibe encouraged skanking throughout the arena, whilst Masego followed up with a D’Angelo-sexiness and big smiles as the sun crept behind the skyline. They, along with comedic compere Munya Chawawa, set the scene for the Yussef Dayes Experience to hypnotise the 20,000-strong sun-kissed crowd. 

With little to no introduction, Dayes and his band meandered a melange of dreamy, harmonic keyboards, star-gazing saxophone and drum groove, their simpatico evident from the off. The evening was evidently a spiritual affair for Yussef – whose dad Dave Dayes hosted a yoga session for 350 attendees early in the day – who delivered each crack of the snare rim and rattling drum roll with a level of emotion that matches his mind-boggling technical prowess. 

Naturally, every chance to exhibit his talent on the skins was magnified by the birds-eye view of Dayes caressing his kit beamed from the screens either side of the stage. Though, Dayes was keen to shout out his compadres, offering up thanks to bassist Rocco Palladino before they wind into ‘Tioga Pass’ and ‘Afro Cubanism’ from the drummer’s most recent album, Black Classical Music. His mum got a shout out too: “This one’s dedicated to my mother, she’s a Lewisham legend,” Yussef declared in one of his few moments on the mic. 

For the most part, the set was an engrossing gong bath of cascading keys, harp, and melodious drum beats. Until Yasiin Bey (fka Mos Def) showed up at the tail end, by which point everyone was suitably mesmerised.

Though the original Crystal Palace Bowl fell into disrepair some years ago, its musical legacy will remain intact. Thanks to South Facing Festival, Yussef Dayes’ singular talent is now weaved into its tapestry. 

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