New York, NY (Top40 Charts) August Greene's self-titled debut Amazon Original album is out this Friday, and starting today it's streaming exclusively via NPR Music's First Listen series. The new supergroup is comprised of Golden Globe, GRAMMY, Academy Award winning activist, actor and artist Common, four-time GRAMMY Award winning pianist/producer Robert Glasper, and drummer/producer extraordinaire Karriem Riggins.
Recently, NPR
Music released August Greene's Tiny Desk Concert, featuring guest vocalists Brandy, Maimouna Youssef, and Andra Day. The session features performances of four tracks from August Greene, along with
Common and Andra Day's GRAMMY and Oscar-nominated song "Stand Up For Something."
August Greene's first single "Optimistic (ft. Brandy)" has been praised by NY Times, Pitchfork, XXL, Stereogum, and NPR Music, who said of the
Sounds of Blackness cover "[Brandy's] voice has aged like the finest of wines, layering harmonies all over Glasper's signature keys and Riggin's rapid drums... Common's bars serve as the proverbial cherry on top while a choir lends a hand to close the jam out."
The band recently released their video for "Optimistic," which was filmed in Jackson, Mississippi over
Martin Luther King Day weekend. Directed by B+, the video features the Jackson-area activists Hollis Watkins, Frankye Adams Johnson, Dr. Cindy Ayers Elliott, Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, and the Maddrama Performance Group.
The group's second single "Black Kennedy" has been praised by Vibe, Consequence of Sound, Billboard, Rolling Stone, and The FADER, who said "Riggins' drums feel like the human body as metronome, a sturdy backbone for Glasper's dreamscape piano and Common's sharp storytelling."
In 2017, Common, Glasper, and Riggins collectively won the Emmy for Outstanding Original
Music and Lyrics on the strength of their song "Letter To The Free," which was recorded for Ava DuVernay's documentary 13th. The longtime friends and musical collaborators felt the time was right to release music from August Greene, which has themes of optimism and black excellence. They have found a sound that does not solely fit into one genre, but is truly an invigorating hybrid of R&B, hip-hop, and jazz.
August Greene will be available to stream and for digital purchase on Amazon
Music starting March 9. Connect with August Greene on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Tracklisting:
1. Meditation
2.
Black Kennedy
3. Let Go (ft. Samora Pinderhughes)
4. Practice (ft. Samora Pinderhughes)
5. Fly Away
6. Aya
7. Piano Interlude
8. No Apologies
9. The Time
10. Optimistic (ft. Brandy)
11. Swisha Suite
Tour Dates:
3/14 - Austin, TX - SXSW (NPR
Music Showcase @ Stubb's)
3/29 - Washington, DC - Kennedy Center
