Jackson Mathod is a British jazz musician I discovered last summer. Dumb People is the third track of his we’ve featured, and is a team up with musicians David Mrakpor & Harry Pope.

By Graeme Smith

The title refers to the particular brand of stupidity that has come to the fore since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic but, in spite of the inspiration, the track is bright and uplifting. A looping horn refrain forms the hook while easy percussion and keys bounce along. Dumb People feels more like catharsis than despair.

Jackson certainly brings a freshness to jazz, a genre often thought of as stuffy and old-fashioned. If you’re not usually a jazz fan, I encourage you to give his music a go. You can hear Dumb People below and, if you like it, check out some of his other tracks we’ve featured.