Jazz Articles about LabRats

LabRats: Groove Experiments and the Mwandishi Connection

by Steven Roby
September 2, 2025

LabRats didn't aim to fit neatly on a shelf. The Sacramento-based collective, led by drummer and bandleader Jacob Swedlow, moves wherever the groove takes them--through jazz fusion, hip-hop, and live improvisation--while maintaining a tight, communal vibe both on stage and in the studio. “LabRats was an idea I had about two years before I found the right people to help me recreate the sound in my head," drummer and bandleader Jacob Swedlow says. “It was formed right in ...