On October 7th, the Montreal International Jazz Festival invited UK trailblazers The Comet Is Coming to perform at l’Astral as part of their Jazz All-Year Round line-up.Upon showing up at a quarter to eight, Montreal DJ and vinyl aficionado LEXIS had already begun the opening act, spinning jazzy old school instrumentals over modern beats with sparse samples. The use of … [Read more...]
The Comet Is Coming – ‘Trust in the Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery’ (Album Review)
In recent years, Shabaka Hutchings has arguably become the face of the London jazz scene. This status has not arrived without merit, as the tenor sax/bass clarinetist has recently led and been a part of a slew of quality albums, including Your Queen Is A Reptile (Sons of Kemet) and La Saboteuse (Yazz Ahmed) and Wisdom of Elder (Shabaka and the Ancestors). Trust in the Lifeforce … [Read more...]
Makaya McCraven – ‘Universal Beings’ (Album Review)
We've been here before, in awe of the drumming, bandleading, and exploration of Makaya McCraven. His last full-length album, In the Moment was a well-curated collection of sounds that emerged instantaneously from a multitude of configurations at the top of their game and the illustration of a Chicago scene that is building more and more love. Many of McCraven's releases are … [Read more...]
Shabaka And The Ancestors Releases ‘Wisdom of Elders’ (Stream)
Shabaka Hutchings isn’t a name that is overly familiar on this side of the pond, but the young British saxophonist had been garnering serious attention in his native London, receiving a slew of awards along the way. However, his latest endeavor under the moniker Shabaka and the Ancestors transports us thousands of miles away from Big Ben into the country of South Africa. … [Read more...]
Mark Guiliana, Chris Morrissey, & Shabaka Hutchings Live Session for BBC3 (Video)
Recently, while drummer Mark Guiliana and bassist Chris Morrissey were touring on Guiliana's new album with his jazz quartet, Family First, the pair stopped by the BBC3 studios to perform a session with saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings. Hutchings had never played with the pair before, which made for an interesting musical conversation that got pretty heavy as the three got more … [Read more...]