Raffy Bushman has been a key voice in the UK jazz underground for several years. From his early piano trio projects - rooted in exploring the symbiotic relationship between jazz and hip-hop - through to his innovate classical crossover explorations with his string quintet, NuShape Orchestra and Unit 31, heʼs an artist steeped in the jazz tradition of re-

contextualisation, innovation and exploration.

Fast forward to 2026, and Raffy has returned to where he started - back with his trusted piano trio, but this time with the weight of many more years of creative and lived experience behind him.

Releasing on Friday 5 June via Bridge The Gap, his debut album ‘New Lifeʼ was created in the context of a blossoming relationship, followed by the news of the imminent arrival of his and his partnerʼs first child. The album soundtracks this love, and the establishment of a new family unit. Raffy shares: “I had no shortage of inspiration for this album. I met my

girlfriend as I was starting the compositions, and we discovered that she was pregnant a few months later. Our daughter was born not long after finishing the project.ˮ

Drawing from his experiences in arranging for many different set ups and ensemble sizes, but now placing that knowledge back into a trio context alongside his trusted rhythm section of Matt Davies on drums and Alec Hewes on double bass, the album distills the signature Raffy Bushman sound into seven compositions that move between stirring, heartfelt balladry, bopping syncopated grooves and densely coloured piano flourishes.