Makaya McCraven

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.