Jazz Articles about Makaya McCraven

About Makaya McCraven

Album Review

Makaya McCraven: In the Moment

Read "In the Moment" reviewed by Luca Muchetti

by Luca Muchetti
November 2, 2015

Esplorazione e improvvisazione, ecco le due coordinate lungo cui si muove questo bel disco firmato dal batterista e produttore Makaya McCraven, un album che somiglia a un progetto che somiglia alla fotografia, in parte a fuoco e in parte no, di lunghe serate passate a improvvisare sul palco del Bedford di Chicago, un locale ispirato agli spazi d'acciaio di un caveau e nel quale McCraven è stato assoldato come ospite fisso nel 2013. Una sorta di resident ...

Album Review

Makaya McCraven: In The Moment

Read "In The Moment" reviewed by Mark Corroto

by Mark Corroto
June 15, 2015

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 ...

Album Review

Makaya McCraven: In the Moment

Read "In the Moment" reviewed by Jakob Baekgaard

by Jakob Baekgaard
February 3, 2015

One venue, 28 shows and 48 hours of live, improvised music. These are the ingredients for Chicago-based drummer Makaya McCraven's album In the Moment. However, McCraven, as the producer he also is, has not just thrown some random sounds together. Instead, he has carefully culled, cut and remixed the music into a coherent whole and 19 complex and catchy compositions emerge from his hands. The meeting between completely fresh improvisations from some of Chicago's finest musicians and ...

Album Review

Makaya McCraven: Split Decision

Read "Split Decision" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky
October 31, 2012

Drummer Makaya McCraven supposedly “thinks about rhythm last" when composing, yet his music is all about rhythmic perspicacity. McCraven, who was born in Paris, spent his formative years in Massachusetts and eventually uprooted himself to move to Chicago, uses rhythm as a thickening agent, call to arms, catalyst and continual game changer, throughout this engaging debut. McCraven put together a piano trio for his first leader date, but he doesn't make the same old piano trio music. ...