Since the release of their critically acclaimed 2019 debut A State of Flow, Ishmael Ensemble has become a platform for band leader & saxophonist Pete Cunningham to subvert the conventional notions of producer/artist relationships, unsettling genre tags, and transcending the familiar landscape of UK jazz itself. The debut album named The Guardian’s ‘Contemporary Album Of The Month’ and MOJO’s ‘Jazz Album of The Month’, saw the group perform Maida Vale sessions for both Gilles Peterson and Tom Ravenscroft, as well as features on comps for Brownswood Recordings and Soul Jazz. Their highly anticipated follow up Visions Of Light (2021) received instant praise from journalists & broadcasters alike with glowing reviews from The Observer, Future Music, Uncut & Dummy as well as huge support from BBC Radio 6 Music playlists, Huey Morgan's “Album Of The Year” as well as regular appearances on NPR, BBC Radio 1’s Chillest Show & Jazz FM. The record’s success culminated in appearances on Glastonbury’s West Holts stage, Forwards Festival and We Out Here amongst others alongside. The band also featured prominently on the recent Jazz UK: Spitting Fire documentary that aired on the BBC on June ‘22.