Makaya McCraven is an acclaimed Paris-born Chicago-based jazz percussionist, beatmaker and producer, who has released a remarkable run of critically applauded, genre-defying and re-defining albums that includes 2015’s The Moment, 2017’s Highly Rare, 2018’s Universal Beings, 2020’s We’re New Again and Universal Beings E&F Sides, and last year’s Deciphering the Message.
McCraven’s newest album, In These Times is slated for a September 23, 2022 release through International Anthem/Nonesuch/XL Recordings. The album is a collection of polytemporal compositions inspired as much by broader cultural struggles as it is by McCraven’s personal experience as the product of a multinational, working class musician community. In These Times‘ material was seven years in the making, and was consistently in process in the background while McCraven was in the middle of his critically applauded run of albums.
Featuring contributions from a talented cast of collaborators including Jeff Parker, Junius Paul, Brandee Younger, Joel Ross, Marquis Hill, Lia Kohl, Macie Stewart, Zara Zaharieva, Marta Sofia Honer, Greg Ward, Irvin Pierce, Matt Gold, Greg Spero, De’Sean Jones, and Rob Clearfield, the new album was recorded in five different studios and four live performance spaces while McCraven engaged in extensive post-production work at home. Sonically, the album sees McCraven and his collaborators weaving orchestral, large ensemble arrangements with the “organic beat music” sound that’s become his signature sound. The end result is an album that’s reportedly a bold and decided evolution for McCraven as a composer and as a producer.
So far I’ve written about two tracks off In These Times:
- “Seventh String,” a dazzling and dizzying composition featuring rolling bursts of polyrhythmic drumming and beats, glistening, finger plucked guitar, gorgeous orchestral strings, twinkling bursts of harp and soulful flute lines. While the composition smudges then blurs the lines between J. Dilla-like beatmaking and jazz, it sees the musicians carefully walking a tightrope between chaos and order, free-flowing improvisation and structured composition in a way that’s thoughtful, mischievous, and forceful yet breathtaking.
- “Dream Another” features Brandee Younger (harp), Junius Paul (bass), Matt Gold (guitar, sitar) and De’Sean Jones (flute) on a gorgeous and expansive composition that simultaneously nods at 70s soul jazz and jazz fusion and psychedelia in a way that reminds me a bit of synthesis of Return to Forever, Mahavisnu Orchestra and J. Dilla.
In These Times‘ third and latest single “The Fours” is centered around a gorgeous yet mind-bending arrangement featuring Younger’s twinkling and explosive bursts of harp, shuffling layers of polyrhythmic beats, looping horn lines. Sonically, “The Fours” is a synthesis of bop-era jazz and DJ Premier-like boom bap.
Directed by Ryosuke Tanzawa, the gorgeously cinematic accompanying video features a dreamy mixture of the natural and the man-made here in New York City.
Next Monday, McCraven will perform music from In These Times at Public Records with an All-Star cast that will include Junius Paul, Brandee Younger, De’Sean Jones and the string quartet from the album — Marta Sofia Honer, Macie Stewart, Zara Zaharieva and Lia Kohl.
After the Public Records show, McCraven will be embarking on a lengthy international tour. Ticket information for the Public Records show and tour dates are below.
Tour Dates:
September 19 – Public Records – Brooklyn, NY (Tickets)
October 15 – Chan Center for the Arts – Vancouver, BC
October 17 – Bluebird Theater – Denver, CO
October 18 – Lulu’s Downstairs – Manitou Springs, CO
October 19 – Fox Theater – Boulder, CO
October 21 – Revolution Hall – Portland, OR
October 23 – The Independent – San Francisco, CA
October 25 – Earshot Jazz Festival at Nectar Lounge – Seattle, WA
October 27 – Kuumbwa Jazz Center – Santa Cruz, CA
October 28 – The Outpost – Albuquerque, NM
October 29 – Musical Instrument Museum – Phoenix, AZ
October 30 – Jazz Is Dead @ The Lodge Room – Los Angeles, CA
November 4 – JazzOnze+ Festival – Lausanne, CH
November 5 – C2C Festival – Torino, IT
November 7 – CBE – Cologne, DE
November 8 – Domicil – Dortmund, DE
November 9 – J.A.W. – Berlin, DE
November 11 – Überjazz festival – Hamburg, DE
November 10 – Enjoy Jazz – Mannheim, DE
November 12 – Moods – Zurich, CH
November 13 – LaFabrika – Prague, CZ
November 14 – Müpa – Budapest, HU
November 16 – Trabendo – Paris, FR
November 17 – PAARD – The Hague, NL
November 18 – Islington Assembly Hall – London, UK
November 19 – SuperSonic Jazz at Paradiso – Amsterdam, NL
November 20 – Teatro Pavon – Madrid, ES
