Jazz Articles about Beans

Beans: Only

by David A. Cobb
May 23, 2006

Arguably the best thing about jazz is its lack of definition. Like punk rock, almost anything can be considered jazz--as long as there is an element of “the real" throughout the music. Antipop Consortium member/rapper Beans uses this to his advantage on Only, again experimenting with pushing the boundaries of modern jazz and hip-hop. He fuses both with electronica and in the process creates an underground record that works best when listened to in a single sitting, rather than as ...

Beans: Only

by James Taylor
May 22, 2006

A recent AAJ article, bitterly titled What the F*** Happened To Black Popular Music," made issue with the state of black music today, specifically calling out rappers and DJs for, in the author's mind, their degenerative attempts at artistry. The response was extraordinary, inspiring over fifty pages of debate on the AAJ Bulletin Board.

My advice to all these talking heads is to shut up and listen to this new record by Beans. Featuring legendary bass and drum duo William ...

Beans: Only

by Mark Corroto
March 30, 2006

Thirsty Ear has been the most successful label at bringing the worlds of hip-hop, jazz, and electronic music into one room... if they indeed belong in the same room.

Does one dilute the other? What does the word on the street reveal? There is no doubt that jazz has always had the ability to absorb and utilize other musical forms, from classical to samba to rock. The turbulence occurs as others are informed by jazz, smoothing it out ...