New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Leyla McCalla's The Capitalist Blues is out now on PIAS/Jazz Village and has been met with raves and significant support from NPR and beyond. The former Carolina Chocolate Drop's third album embraces the sounds of New Orleans and her ancestral Haitian roots, and addresses issues like lead-poisoned water, financial instability, racism, and sexism. NPR
Music just hosted a First Listen and last week NPR's World Café premiered the music video for "Money Is King." She recently performed on WNYC Soundcheck, sat down for a Salon Q&A, and a World Café session will air soon. Leyla will also return to perform at Jazz Fest in New Orleans on May 3, will perform in Austin during SXSW, and is currently performing overseas before her U.S. dates begin February 5 in San Diego.
"Imaginatively maps her vision of the Afro-Caribbean diaspora and summons bodily, social and emotional wisdom through its dance music, gently taking Anglocentricism down a notch in the process" - NPR
"[The title track] lurches forward with greasy, half-lit swagger, like a Mardi Gras band at the end of a lively, drunken parade. Look deeper, though, and McCalla's politically pointed lyrics pack a stronger punch than a Sazerac" - Rolling Stone
"'Money Is King' sways with delicious musicality. On it, McCalla's voice sounds as strong as the message and social commentary of the song" - NPR's World Café
"McCalla's vocals bring a light, melodic touch, managing to sound both earnest and playful; even without her cello, she remains a complete one-off" - The Guardian
"A level-headed political push in a beautiful marriage of roots music to jazz. She manages to dole out social criticism while simultaneously sharing deeply personal stories, many of which tie into her Haitian heritage" - Paste Daily Dose
"McCalla sings wonderfully, is a talented songwriter…she addresses some of the world's ills with a graceful touch that never becomes dour" - Associated Press
"Throughout the poetic project, McCalla pairs insight with empathy to comment on the immorality of the world" - No Depression
Watch a short film on the album here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOjBhUIPF8g
Tour dates:
February 5 - San Diego, CA @ UC San
Diego - ArtPower
February 6 - Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon
February 7 -
Santa Cruz, CA @ Kuumbwa
February 8 - Palo Alto, CA @ Stanford LIVE
February 9 - San Francisco, CA @ SFJazz
February 10 - San Francisco, CA @ SFJazz
February 14 - Portland, OR @ The Old Church
February 15 - Seattle, WA @ Triple Door
March 13 - Austin, TX @ SXSW
March 14 - Austin, TX @ SXSW
March 15 - Austin, TX @ SXSW
March 16 - Austin, TX @ SXSW
April 4 - New York, NY @ Lincoln Center - Atrium
April 13 - Katonah, NY @ Caramoor
