Jan 20 2019
Best of 2018 #5: Makaya McCraven – “Universal Beings”
I’m not sure how much more I can say about this recording. I originally included Makaya McCraven‘s Universal Beings in my Best Jazz on Bandcamp column, in which I explained how “Four concerts in four different cities [and] four casts of collaborators lead to four different perspectives on the expressionistic range of modern jazz.” Later, for the Best Bandcamp Jazz in 2018 column, I added that his “cohesive vision of the strength and diversity of today’s talent pool… is a statement, and that statement is: This is jazz today.” And then, finally, for its inclusion on The Best Albums of 2018, which included music for all genres, I summed up that “Universal Beings reveals the wealth of riches right there in front of us. You don’t need to hold onto 1959; Makaya McCraven can give you today.” McCraven captures four different takes on the modern jazz sound with four different ensembles performing in four different cities, further cementing the fact that this music is everywhere and that its potential for expression is limited only by the space on the planet and how that affects the space within artists heads and hearts and souls.
Released on International Anthem.
Music from Chicago, IL.
I wrote about this album for The Bandcamp Daily.
Jul 11 2019
Now up: June’s Best Jazz on Bandcamp recommendations
And here we go. Brace yourselves, music listeners, because my latest Best Jazz on Bandcamp recommendations just posted on The Bandcamp Daily. The newest monthly installment covers albums for June 2019. There’s ten primary recommendations in total, plus some bonus recommendations, to boot. There’s been no let-up on the deluge of new music in 2019, so if you were thinking about maybe settling into a prior month’s purchases, forget about it… you’ve got more excellent new music to discover. On that note, let’s begin.
Follow this LINK to read those recommendations and listen to music from each album.
And check out past recommendations by running through the archives.
Have fun going through the list!
Cheers.
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By davesumner • Announcement - Music, Jazz Recommendations - 2019 • 0 • Tags: Abdullah Ibrahim, Anat Cohen, Anzic Records, Bandcamp articles, Best Jazz on Bandcamp recommendations, Biophilia Records, Brandee Younger, Ebi Soda, Eric Revis, Fabrian Almazan, Gearbox Records, Greg Ward, greyfade, Hubro Music, Jason Stein, Jim Black, Jonah Parzen-Johnson, Joseph Branciforte, Malboro Bled, Mats Eilertsen, Nature Work, Orenda Records, R.Scott, Self-Produced, Sola Terra Records, Sunnyside Records, Theo Bleckmann, We Jazz Records