Featuring Casimir’s quintet of fellow British jazz luminaries, including Nubya Garcia, Moses Boyd, Al Macsween & James Copus, Boxed In astutely bridges traditional and contemporary jazz forms with enveloping strings, woodwind & brass arrangements, but under its intricate musical surface seeks to confront some necessary hard truths.

Reflecting on the institutional barriers black musicians and composers face in today’s music industry, Boxed In represents Casimir’s debut set of compositions written for orchestra, an opportunity never presented to him despite his many years studying at various leading music schools across the UK.

Alongside saxophonist Wayne Shorter and his hybrid orchestral jazz projects, Casimir’s Boxed In was part-inspired by a conversation with legendary composer/producer, Quincy Jones back in 2018 at the opening of Jones’s jazz club in Dubai. Outside of music, another significant influence on the album came from Derek Owusu’s groundbreaking 2019 collection of essays, reflecting on the Black British male experience, titled Safe.

I came across a radio interview with Owusu and he spoke about how he used to go on public transport, and often he would find he would be on a crowded tube and there would be an empty chair next to him. It was almost social distancing before social distancing was a thing.

Such was the impact on Casimir, Owusu’s Safe becomes the broad thematic skeleton of Boxed In, with its namesake being split into three parts across the album, the first of which opens proceedings in a purposeful up-tempo style, with stylistic touches of Roni Size-esque drum & bass (in part courtesy of drummer/producer polymath, Moses Boyd), seeping into the larger whole. The album title track follows, with saxophonist, Nubya Garcia’s soaring tenor taking lead, with the anthemic orchestral accompaniment at the end particularly rousing, this follows into New Waters (a sampled cut of previous track, Boxed In) and the introduction of vocalist Ria Moran, with Casimir’s weighty production treatment providing a moodier, contemplative alternative to the original.

Flute, woodwind and brass melodies envelop Casimir’s charming string arrangements on Your Side and Safe Pt.2 showing off Casimir’s command and ease in an orchestral setting, whilst the Moran-featuring Get Even & Rewind The Time confirm Casimir’s penchant for weaving brooding pop vocals with jazz composition, as evidenced on his socially/politically-charged joint full-length album with vocalist Tess Hirst in 2019. The fanfaric Into The Truth (literally) leads into The Truth, introduced by trumpeter James Copus before Al McSween’s voyaging piano solo enjoys centre stage until a triumphant close. We finish at the lively, Afrobeat-tipping Outro, and in fitting style, Casimir’s deft bass manoeuvrings and large ensemble arranging are on full show, signing off one of this year’s most expansive releases by one of UK’s most promising young composers and bandleaders. The wheels are in motion. Stop Casimir at your peril.

Live Show: London Jazz Festival

Venue: LONDON Southbank Centre / Purcell Room.

Date: 12th November 2021