Jazz Articles about Makaya McCraven
About Makaya McCraven
Instrument: Drums
Article Coverage | Calendar | Albums | Photos | Similar ArtistsMakaya McCraven: Cross Border Traffic

by Chris May
Like his near contemporaries Shabaka Hutchings, Kamasi Washington, Nubya Garcia and Robert Glasper, the Chicago-based drummer, bandleader, producer and self-declared beat scientist Makaya McCraven is routinely described by the more breathless commentators writing about modern music as a saviour" of jazz. Certainly, McCraven and his peers are enriching jazz by their embrace of other styles, be they hip hop, dub reggae, grime, cumbia or Afrobeat. Yet as McCraven, Hutchings, Washington, Garcia and Glasper are ready to point out, ...
read moreMakaya McCraven: Universal Beings E&F Sides

by Chris May
Universal Beings E&F Sides is an addendum to drummer and producer Makaya McCraven's paradigm-shifting underground hit Universal Beings (International Anthem, 2018). That album was a double (four sides: A, B, C and D). The new album is a single (two sides: E and F). Geddit? Most, but not all, of the tracks on E&F Sides were recorded at the same sessions as the first album, in London, Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. Featured musicians include young ...
read more2020 Winter JazzFest: New Projects and Out-of-Towners - Part I

by Ludovico Granvassu
The 2020 edition of the Winter JazzFest has just begun. This week we feature music by some of the most interesting bands from out of town who will be at the JazzFest, and new or unreleased material that will be on display on the stages of the JazzFest. Of special interest yet-unreleased material by Ted Poor, Kevin Eubanks & Orrin Evans and a unique reimagining of the work of Gil Scott Heron by Makaya McCraven. Happy listening! ...
read moreAntoine Berjeaut, Jeff Parker, Rita Marcotulli and More New Releases

by Ludovico Granvassu
Mondo Jazz's final stash of new releases of 2019 is the perfect way to end a year that has been generous and full of surprises. During this first hour we'll sample the music of many 'bands without borders' as well as tributes to Mose Allison, Dewey Redman and Bernard Herrmann. Happy listening! Ben Allison Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Daniel Erdmann's Velvet Revolution La Tigresse" Won't Put No Flag Out ...
read moreMakaya McCraven: Where We Come From (Chicago X London)

by Chris May
A summit meeting starring luminaries from two of the planet's bleeding-edge jazz scenes--London and Chicago--Where We Come From was recorded at London's Total Refreshment Centre in late 2017 and was first released as a mixtape and a download. It pitches Chicago drummer Makaya McCraven alongside four leading faces on the young London scene--tuba player Theon Cross, tenor saxophonist Nubya Garcia and keyboardists Joe Armon-Jones and Kamaal Williams--and the (slightly) longer-established alto saxophonist Soweto Kinch. Remixes are by Ben Lamar Gay, ...
read moreMakaya McCraven's Universe

by Jennifer DeMeritt
Drummer Makaya McCraven's new double album Universal Beings mixes the artistry and experimentation of jazz with the irresistible dance beats of hip-hop. It also brings together a dream team of collaborators from London, New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, including Shabaka Hutchings, Nubya Garcia, Brandee Younger and Jeff Parker. This episode of Mondo Jazz celebrates Makaya McCraven's musical universe and its brilliant stars from around the world. Happy listening! Playlist Ben Allison Mondo Jazz Theme ...
read moreMakaya McCraven: In The Moment

by Mark Corroto
Somewhere in heaven Miles smiles, Miles Davis that is. Beside him, listening to In The Moment by drummer, mixmaster, and organizer Makaya McCraven is Teo Macero. Both men would have given the nod to this project that culled 73 minutes of music from 48 hours of live performance, recorded over a year of performance with an array of guests. Miles and Teo (circa 1969) loved long-form improvised jazz. However, like McCraven, they might not call this music (and ...
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