Album Title: As The Spirit Leads

Release Date: 2 October 2026

Label: Banger Factory Records

“Hugely talented…. beautiful music… I’ve seen him live and I was blown away”  (One Jazz: The Wedderburns)

London-based trombonist, composer and bandleader Christ-Stéphane Boizi makes a striking debut with As The Spirit Leads, released on Banger Factory Records. An album of deep spirituality and fearless musicality, it showcases Boizi’s distinctive compositional voice. His arrival is championed by label boss and leading UK jazz figure Mark Kavuma, whose Banger Factory Records has become a trusted home for exceptional new talent.

As The Spirit Leads is a collection of original compositions rooted in Boizi’s gospel upbringing and the bedrock of his faith. Drawing further inspiration from his family, his community of young players and deep love and respect for the jazz tradition, it captures his boundless creative curiosity and sense of musical adventure.

“When I was thinking about what I use as inspiration for everything I write, nothing really spoke more to me than my faith” says Christ-Stéphane, “I wanted to show everyone in their best light – the band, my mentors, my influences, everything that came together to make this music shine.”

Released on 2 October, the album is preceded by the first single release, The Sustainer of My Faith on 31 July. As a Tomorrow’s Warriors alumnus, Boizi also tours the UK  from 15 October to 13 November as part of their touring initiative, Warriors Rise.

On As The Spirit Leads, music simply leaps from the grooves with energy, commitment and passion. Featuring an exceptional ensemble of emerging and established talents, it showcases Boizi’s ability to unite musicians around a shared sense of purpose, trust and creativity.  Saxophonists Lauren Breen and Jacob Wilson join Kezia Abuoma on piano and the bass and drum team of Tom Sheen and Sacha Harlan. Established young maestros Jonny Mansfield on vibes and Ruben Fox on tenor sax complete the line-up bringing Christ-Stéphane’s strikingly assured compositions to life, blending the classic acoustic jazz tradition with the cutting edge of New York innovation and the power and simplicity of church music.

The Sustainer Of My Faith (single release, 31 July) is the album’s joyous closing track, with all players joining together to lift their voices in a Gospel-inflected celebration. Titled, as Boizi says “because I believe God sees everything—the good, the bad, my struggles and my victories. Through my journey, even the most difficult moments, I feel God’s presence and He sees me through. It’s one of the fulfilling ways He works in my life”. Inspired by his childhood church memories, the track captures the joy, connection, and release found in collective worship and the shared power of song, enriched by Mansfield’s elegant, imaginative vibraphone and Fox’s warm, expressive tenor saxophone, lending richness to the performance.

Elsewhere on the album listeners can discover the solemn rubato of Lamentations with horns over thunderous backing and the hard swinging Raymond featuring thrilling sax solos alongside Christ Stéphane’s own full-voiced trombone. Grant Us Peace Our Father with its solemn, hymnal feeling features some harmonically imaginative vibes, while the leader’s trombone is front and centre beside some sparkling piano in the title track. The loping swing of Golgotha shadowing from darkness to light is in contrast to Seeds Of Gratitude, a heartfelt declaration of thanks and an emotional high point of to the album.

As The Spirit Leads marks the arrival of a remarkable new talent. Rooted in community and guided by faith, Christ-Stéphane Boizi puts deep listening, spontaneity and collective expression at the heart of his music. Already establishing himself as one of the most compelling new voices in British jazz, Christ-Stéphane is at the beginning of what promises to be a significant career.