Makaya McCraven

Although this album is “new," the truth it’s something that's been in process for a very long time, since shortly after he released his International Anthem debut In The Moment in 2015. Dedicated followers may note he’s had 6 other releases in the meantime (including 2018’s widely-popular Universal Beings and 2020’s We’re New Again, his rework of Gil Scott-Heron’s final album for XL Recordings); but none of which have been as definitive an expression of his artistic ethos as In These Times.

Universal Beings is pretty perfect, imo, so the bar for this is certainly high.

Shoulda checked email sooner: press release says Sept.23, and

Contributing musicians: Jeff Parker, Junius Paul, Brandee Younger, Lia Kohl, Macie Stewart, Zara Zaharieva, Marta Sofia Honer, Greg Ward, Irvin Pierce, Marquis Hill, Matt Gold, Greg Spero, Joel Ross, De’Sean Jones, and Rob Clearfield.

Feels like the new album is going to be really groovy, I love this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qsr7IYLhG1o

He's doing a free show in Central Park. Will have to check it out (hopefully won't be too long of a line to get in).

Yeah, I've also dug how he's a working link between Chicago and London jazz---and in 2020, this made several of my ballots---from blogged comments:

Gil Scott-Heron/Makaya McCraven, We're New Again: A Reimagining By Makaya McCraven---Still haven't heard the original album, or Jamie xx's reworking, but the unmistakable sound and sensibility of classic Gil come through: sharp, reflective glints in the dark, rough-edged and fluid, lyrical and realist, searching and on point, thematic and grooving---jazzwise, yet "blues is a feeling" the overall. Only thing is, some of the originals are really short, like down to 37 seconds: golden kernels of potential and realization---McCraven is def. not showboating, but I wish he extended these--maybe he was required to stick to the original track times? I'd like a bit more---Anyway, it's all good, though faves are mostly because they have longer to make an impression: "New York is Killing Me," "I'll Take Care of You," "Me and the Devil"--yes, Scott-Heron and Robert Johnson and Mr. D. riding the Greyhound, seems natural. Speaking voice is worn but clear, singing voice not that different from 1970s.

First listen to the new album: it's a warm & gentle breeze. So much so it'll take more listening to pick out details as the core sound of harp, strings, drums, and percussion (it veers into minimalist Reich/Eastman territory often) makes it airy and even trance-y (not the genre) at times. "So Ubuji" was a standout, but it flows from start to finish

I listened to it back to back with a Hubert Laws album, In the Beginning, and they were basically the same record: soft grooves, harp, strings, flute...it's very funny to me that early '70s silky soul-jazz a la CTI is the new hipness.

yeah I was trying to think of historic comparisons but I don't know that sub-genre of jazz at all, because it was always so denigrated! I also really liked the Resavoir album on IA and this is in a similar mode (also the recent Brandee Younger, but that's kind of obvs given her involvement). I do think the rhythmic elements are a point of departure though

yeah CTI filtered through the rhythmic possibilities of hip hop / electronic music (in the best way possible). Love this record.

My copy arrived today and I haven’t heard a note, but the CTI talk has me excited.

I'm kinda missing the energy of Universal Beings, but it's pretty wonderful nonetheless.

Just listened for first time on Bandcamp, and holy crap did CTI ever get this good?? Seems like this is more idiosyncratically expressive, more gentle than genteel, more coat-of-many-colors textured, w bass and drums and some other featured individual instruments, whether soloing or not, more assertive in the orchestrated starlight focus---also more varied, with the Afro-Reich takeback loop effect of "The Fours," bass and drums through canopy of strings and flute on "Seventh String," followed immediately by the so African-associated "So Ubuji," then galactic/Hendrixian blues guitar of "The Knew Untitled"(for example)---more like an extension of Attica Blues-worthy intensity and finesse(incl. use of speaking voice on opener) than any CTI I've heard, although admittedly I used to avoid it like the bourgie elevator plague, having gotten just a bare and maybe not entirely fair impression of that.
Despite the hype, bandcamp pitch seems fair:

As epic and expansive as it is impressively potent and concise, the 11 song suite was created over 7+ years, as McCraven strived to design a highly personal but broadly communicable fusion of odd-meter original compositions from his working songbook with orchestral, large ensemble arrangements and the edit-heavy “organic beat music” that he’s honed over a growing body of production-craft.

The pure fact that he was able to so eloquently condense and articulate the immense human scale of the work into 41 fleeting minutes of emotive and engaging sound is a monumental achievement.

You should dig into the CTI catalog. It's more adventurous than you think. Check out George Benson's Beyond the Blue Horizon and White Rabbit, Hubert Laws' In the Beginning and Afro-Classic and The Rite of Spring for records that seem to be right in this same zone, but there's lots of other good shit, too.

That one Joe Farrell album with John McLaughlin rules

Moon Germs by Joe Farrell is great (with Herbie). Milt Jackson's Sunflower. Love Crawl Space by Art Farmer.

I think I was sleepy when I listened this morning, it's still very groovy but it hits harder than I thought

George Benson's White Rabbit is so good. One advantage of the CTI albums is they are relatively cheap on vinyl.

The Makaya McCraven is pretty great. tylerw's reference that it is CTI filtered through hip-hop/electronic music is otm.

Getting a bit of a 'Four Tet circa Rounds' vibe from this new McCraven album (not a huge surprise given Hebden's magpie tendencies and his obvious love for the CTI sound - 'CTI filtered through hip-hop/electronic music' could be a Hebden tagline tbh).

Doesn't sound all that hip-hop/electronics to me, but if that take lures more people into listening, hey great.
Thanx for tips/reassurances re CTI yall---especially

hat one Joe Farrell album with John McLaughlin rules

This one, right?!
wiki:

Joe Farrell Quartet is a jazz album by Joe Farrell that was released by CTI Records. It was recorded at the Van Gelder Studio on July 1 and 2, 1970.[1] Guitarist John McLaughlin plays on two tracks, and there are two duo tracks, one with Dave Holland and one with Chick Corea. The album was re-released twice in the mid 1970s (with different cover art in each instance) as Super Session and Song of the Wind.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRFg_WUKrwY

Doesn't sound all that hip-hop/electronics to me

maybe listen to The Fours again

I figured that was being referred to, but seemed like the loop effect could have been played live in the studio (maybe with a discreet little "beat science" tweak to enhance the effect, but not nec.)

love this album. favourites tracks are probably “So Ubuji” and “Lullaby”. “Lullaby” reminds me (someone who knows very little of jazz) of some beautiful Turkish stuff I used to listen to a lot.

Album is great, Ubuji is a top ten of the year methinks

Speaking of jazz w hip-hop and electronics, also check the latest by the late great Jaimie Branch's other group, Anteloper:
https://intlanthem.bandcamp.com/album/pink-dolphins
Turns out that they're avowed Live-Evil fanz too.

New (last) album from The Comet Is Coming fits that bill too

breastcrawl, i'm glad you also picked up on "lullaby" as a standout. truly gorgeous.

the closing three tracks are also quite the trip, and in three different styles. "so ubuji" is danceable in a way that a lot of songs on here aren't, it's probably that emphasis on the upbeat. "the knew untitled" has this dreamy debussy-esque feeling until the guitar comes in and wails. "the title" wears its hip-hop influences proudly on its sleeves, while the strings and harp provide a kind of reverie that doesn't usually accompany this style of percussion.

It's vibey for sure, there's not a lot of jazz-like leading blowing, but there's a lot of serious beat science going on (especially in the early tracks, he's using a bunch of different devices to get that drunken Dilla feel), and lots of great drumming. I love it.

"Lullaby" is beautiful, yeah. I don't know Hungarian folk music at all, but I assume that's the "eastern" influence there? (given his family background & interest in it). Very cool how differently people are hearing this

ridiculously good album

Really is. Such a nice progression from Universal Beings and the songs have a feel razor sharp feel to the editing and composition, yet sound soft as a feather.

Yeah, this is pretty incredible. I can see how someone looking for Universal Beings II might find this too mellow, but this really is gorgeous. "Dream Another" and "Lullaby" is where I really started to fall for this record, by "Seventh String" and "So Ubuji" I was convinced that this is a damn near masterpiece.

I've been listening to it almost every day.

was too burned out from a show on Wednesday to go see him last night, love the new album

Dream Another is superb. I'm going to be spending a lot more time with this record.

yes this is fantastic. also, enjoyed his version of I'm New Here far more than the Jamie XX

and it seemed to get totally ignored/not talked about last year?

"This Place That Place" is a song I have come back to again and again this year. I appreciate how well constructed his songs and albums are, but I wouldn't hate to hear a bit more of his drumming let loose.

live show I caught this past fall was amazing, and McCraven definitely was less reined in than on the record — band was Jeff Parker, Junius Paul and D'Sean Jones, just nonstop grooves.

his live drumming really is phenomenal. I wouldn't mind the next album being looser, though he's not set a wrong foot yet

...enjoyed his version of I'm New Here far more than the Jamie XX

― Hmmmmm (jamiesummerz), Saturday, October 22, 2022 2:41 AM (two months ago) bookmarkflaglink

and it seemed to get totally ignored/not talked about last year?

― Hmmmmm (jamiesummerz), Saturday, October 22, 2022

I mentioned it upthread and on ballots:

... in 2020, this made several of my ballots---from blogged comments:

Gil Scott-Heron/Makaya McCraven, We're New Again: A Reimagining By Makaya McCraven---Still haven't heard the original album, or Jamie xx's reworking, but the unmistakable sound and sensibility of classic Gil come through: sharp, reflective glints in the dark, rough-edged and fluid, lyrical and realist, searching and on point, thematic and grooving---jazzwise, yet "blues is a feeling" the overall. Only thing is, some of the originals are really short, like down to 37 seconds: golden kernels of potential and realization---McCraven is def. not showboating, but I wish he extended these--maybe he was required to stick to the original track times? I'd like a bit more---Anyway, it's all good, though faves are mostly because they have longer to make an impression: "New York is Killing Me," "I'll Take Care of You," "Me and the Devil"--yes, Scott-Heron and Robert Johnson and Mr. D. riding the Greyhound, seems natural. Speaking voice is worn but clear, singing voice not that different from 1970s.

Seeing him tonight and am awfully excited to finally get to watch him play live. Major bonus that Meshell Ndegeocello, Greg Ward, and Brandee Younger are part of the ensemble.

Meshell! Is it the In These Times large group, or something less?

I must have posted on it on another thread, but I got to see the large group at a theater a few months ago and it was very special. It was pretty much the exact group on the record except for Jeff Parker.

Not sure but you can see the performers at the bottom here: https://cso.org/performances/23-24/scp-jazz/makaya-mccraven/

I know Hill, Paul, and Younger all played on the album.

I'd be interested to know how much of a feedback loop there is between his live performances and recordings. Some of his most striking albums come from live recordings that have been heavily edited and manipulated. I'm wondering if he then tries to reproduce the sound of those albums in his live shows.

He definitely did for the ITT show. It sounded almost exactly like the record, but I think that was unusual because of the effort and expense that goes into getting such a large ensemble together (there was also a string quartet). And that record felt a lot more planned out than some of the more stitched-together ones. I've also seen him with a trio that involved a lot more stretching out, they were playing his tunes but I didn't really recognize much.

I've seen him twice (both before ITT came out) and neither time did he try to reproduce the albums.

Reporting back. Magical show. One of the best I've seen in a long long time. Jeff Parker played, too! Meshell came out for the second half of the set, and they did her version of "Waterfalls," Makaya's reimagining of Gil Scott-Heron's "I'll Take Care of You," and Brandee Younger's version of Dorothy Ashby's "Dust." It was one of those sets where you just feel blessed to be in the presence of such talent. Will look for every opportunity to see McCraven again.

Somehow I found an extremely cheap minty copy of in the moment on vinyl a few days ago, it's pretty outstanding. Would love to catch him live sometime.

Amazed at how active and dynamic McCraven's drumming is, yet never anything close to overpowering or showy. If anything I was hoping to see him let loose -- don't believe he took a solo all night.

Saw McCraven last night at big Strathmore Hall in a Washington DC suburb. Band included Brandee Younger on harp, Deshawn Jones, Graham Ward, Marquis Hill, Julius Paul, a cellist whose name I didn't get and 3 women violinists whose names I sadly also missed. Mostly In these times songs, but also an encore -the title track from his Gil Scott-Heron album, with some sampled Scott-Heron vocals, then the bassist took over on vocals. Lots of harp and subtle McCraven drumming on that.

A guy I know who had seen McCraven at Big Ears, said this show seemed more sedate than that one. This was my first time seeing McCraven. One cut got noisy , and McCraven was hiphop meets James Brown funky on others, but some cuts were sublime and kinda Curtis Mayfield meets old school Miles Davis ethereal with the violins, flute, and harp taking prominence and I liked that (more than my buddy). Giovanni Russonello, NY Times jazz critic who's working on a book about Scott-Heron, did a powerpoint with video presentation about McCraven in a smaller room there beforehand. Gio posted quotes from an interview he had done with McCraven the day before, added in video clips of Ahmad Jamal, Pete Rock, mentions of J Dilla, and quotes from musicologists and others I didn't know. Was reiterating the message about how McCraven likes to re-do projects live and not keep things static, and how he likes to include human error.

That sounds like a great show! Quick tip for anybody: his "Highly Rare" and "Where We Come From" LPs are half-priced ($12) on Bandcamp through this weekend.

FYI the cellist in McCraven's group is Lia Kohl--a fantastic composer in her own right who is based in Chicago. I reissued her first album on my label last year:

https://florabelle.bandcamp.com/album/too-small-to-be-a-plain

Oh thanks

FUCK, I never pay enough attention to the Strathmore calendar.

Quick tip for anybody: his "Highly Rare" and "Where We Come From" LPs are half-priced ($12) on Bandcamp through this weekend.

― daily growing, Saturday, February 24, 2024 1:54 PM (two days ago) bookmarkflaglink

Wow thanks for the heads up! I have not heard either. What are they like?

Highly Rare is a chopped-up beat tape made from a four-track live recording of McCraven with Nick Mazzarella on alto sax, Ben Lamar Gay on cornet and diddley-bow, and Junius Paul on electric bass. It's good, and/but very raw — deliberately so.

Where We Come From is also live, and a little less primitively recorded; it's from London and features Soweto Kinch and Nubya Garcia on saxes, Theon Cross on tuba, Joe Armon-Jones on Fender Rhodes and Kamaal Williams on keyboards. Then some other people overdubbed additional instruments later. It's really good, one of my favorite of his albums in fact.

Thank you!

Those two might be my favorite Makaya records. Highly recommend both.