Jake Ferguson

Jake is co-founder and bassist with The Heliocentrics alongside drummer, Malcolm Catto. Their 2007 debut album ‘Out There’, described as “a funk-jazz continuum letting imaginations turn a dark corner”, laid the foundations for their 2009 magnum opus ‘Inspiration Information’ alongside Ethiopian musical legend Mulatu Astatke. Held in the highest esteem, ‘Inspiration’ was Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide Album of the Year, and was later recommended by Jamie Cullum as one of ‘Five Essential Jazz Albums’ to wrap your ears around.

Jake also has a solo project called The Brkn Record and released a black consciousness album, The Architecture of Oppression, on Mr Bongo records in 2021. He has also recorded as Nesta on Stark Reality records back in 2000.

With Malcolm Catto, he co-wrote the musical score for the ‘The Sunshine Makers’ on the 2015 British documentary of the same name, directed by Cosmo Feilding-Mellen.

The Heliocentrics have played with a huge number of influential and diverse artists, from Marshall Allen and the Arkestra, Archie Shepp and The Gaslamp Killer, to Pharoahe Monch, Cut Chemist, Kareem Riggins and afrobeat originator, Orlando Julius.

Jake has recorded with DJ Shadow on his 2006 ‘The Outsider’ LP, and has been sampled by Nas and Kanye West on the track ‘Everything’, featured on 2018’s ‘Nasir’ album.