A British jazz music is not something you’d be able to pinpoint in the abstract music collection inside your head. The music genre really has its origin on the American continent, as most jazz does, and transcended over the Atlantic onto the British isles during the 1930s; there, it was highly influenced by American bebop, even though there were artists like George Webb and Humphrey Lyttelton, celebrating the New Orleans jazz as well as traditional jazz. Funny thing is, British jazz is often more recognized outside of the UK, while it’s retained a subtle interest domestically.

Zara McFarlane was born to Jamaican parents in Dagenham, just between Essex and London thirty years ago. Her Caribbean parents were true reggae aficionados; the groovy, enthusiastic and love-of-life music was always being played at parties and other social events throughout Zara’s childhood. It was being inculcated into the young Zara McFarlane’s mind, body and soul.

In 2011, McFarlane’s debut album Until Tomorrow was released with critical acclaim, and earned her a MOBO (Music of Black Origin) nomination. The album is a strong jazz display, with characteristics and influences from World Music, yet never losing its drum-and-piano heavy jazziness. McFarlane has herself confirmed that her debut was always intended to be linear and consistent, ensuring a cohesive sound.

This year, the album If You Knew Her is being released and has a stronger focus on the songwriting, making the music more eclectic and sprawling – in the most terrific sense – than on the debut. See what she’ll make of these completely different, yet very similar, displays of British jazz music at one of the few places in Stockholm where jazz is should be viewed: Fasching on Kungsgatan.

Zara McFarlane is at Fasching on April 26.