New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Chicago-based percussionist, composer and producer Makaya McCraven releases his new album In These Times, on
September 23, 2022 via International Anthem / Nonesuch / XL Recordings. The first offering from the new album is a song tiled "Seventh String," which encapsulates the various musical dimensions present on McCraven's new album, a career-defining body of work that is a remarkable new peak for the already-soaring McCraven.
In These Times is a collection of polytemporal compositions inspired as much by broader cultural struggles as McCraven's personal experience as a product of a multinational, working class musician community. It's the recording that he's been trying to create for 7+ years, as it's been consistently in process in the background while he's put forth a prolific run of releases including: In The Moment (2015), Highly Rare (2017), Where We Come From (2018), Universal Beings (2018), We're New Again (2020), Universal Beings E&F Sides (2020), and Deciphering the Message (2021). With contributions from over a dozen musicians and creative partners from his tight-knit circle of collaborators - including Jeff Parker, Junius Paul, Brandee Younger, Joel Ross, and Marquis Hill - the music was recorded in five different studios and four live performance spaces while McCraven engaged in extensive post-production work at home. Featuring orchestral, large ensemble arrangements interwoven with the signature "organic beat music" sound that's become his signature, the album is an evolution and a milestone for McCraven, the producer. But moreover, it's the strongest and clearest statement we've yet to hear from McCraven, the composer.
Profiled in the New York Times, Vice, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, the Guardian, and NPR, among other publications, Makaya and the music he makes today is what
Passion of Weiss explains, "is part of a necessary conversation about the next evolution of the
Black improvised music known colloquially as 'jazz.' He's found the threads connecting the past with the present, and is either wrapping them with new colors and textures, or he's plucking them gleefully like the strings of a grand instrument."
McCraven, who has been aptly called a "cultural synthesizer" and "beat scientist," has a unique gift for collapsing space, destroying borders and blending past, present, and future into poly-textural arrangements of post-genre, jazz-rooted 21st century folk music. In These Times encompasses his artistic ethos, his experiences, identity and lineage, while pushing his music to new heights.
MAKAYA MCCRAVEN ON TOUR:
Jun 30-Jul 2 Festival International de Jazz de Montréal Montréal, QC
Jul 30 Newport Jazz Festival Newport, RI
Jul 31 Central Park SummerStage New York, NY
Aug 2 The Salt Shed Chicago, IL
Oct 15 Chan Centre for the Performing Arts Vancouver, BC
Oct 17 Bluebird Theater Denver, CO
Oct 19 Fox Theatre Boulder, CO
Oct 21 Revolution Hall Portland, OR
Oct 23 The Independent San Francisco, CA
Oct 25 Earshot Jazz at Nectar Lounge Seattle, WA
Oct 27 Kuumbwa Jazz Center Santa Cruz, CA
Oct 29 Musical Instrument Museum Phoenix, AZ
Oct 30 Jazz Is Dead at The Lodge Room Los Angeles, CA
