I'm not quite sure what more I could say here about jazz in 2015. There may not have been some overarching narrative that guided how art was made and released. Some folks who have worked together for years finally released an album that said so. Some folks released large ensemble albums that made huge splashes, as sprawling debuts, par for the course, or as the muscular … [Read more...]
Kneebody & Daedelus – “Drum Battle” (Stream)
Ben Wendel and the rest of the guys from Kneebody have known Alfred "Daedelus" Darlington for a good long while. The dandy producer and the throttle-down jazz innovators have had glancing musical dalliances in the past, but thay hd yet to release a full blown album together… until now. Is it any surprise that it's taking the LA, Flying Lotus-headed label Brainfeeder to make t … [Read more...]
Kamasi Washington – “Re Run Home” (Stream)
This May 5th, LA saxophonist Kamasi Washington hopes to redefine the boundaries of jazz and music in general with his debut on Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder label, entitled The Epic. The album which runs 172-minute long will be released as a three-volume set performed by a 32-piece orchestra and a 20-person choir, with notably Thundercat on bass. Check out the first single from the … [Read more...]
Anthony Dean-Harris’ Favorite Non-Jazz Releases of 2014
I must admit, there's a lot of music this year,even music that I may be praising in this very list, that I may forget some time later. Next year, or two years from now. There's just so much to keep track of nowadays. But for now, in this moment at the end of the year, I would like to feel confident saying that I enjoyed these albums the most.Honorable Mention. D'Angelo and … [Read more...]
Nextbop/Art of Cool’s Favorite Everything Else Releases of 2014
Like any good lover of music, our tastes at Nextbop are wide. Some overlap, some shape others in regard to genre, but there's a lot of music released this year that we love and are taking the chance to point out to you that are great even if they don't necessarily swing or even fit out in the fringe of jazz. Here's our favorite releases of everything else from 2014. … [Read more...]