Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
Guiding the undulating, polyrhythmic, genre-ambiguous flow of drummer Makaya McCraven's ever-evolving "organic beat music," is a strategy not far removed from the one employed by Teo Macero and Miles Davis on Bitches Brew and subsequent dates: Here, moments from continuous improvised performances are digitally looped, cut, spliced, and edited into entirely new compositions. McCraven has been developing the approach for some time, though it came to fruition on 2015's brilliant In the Moment, culled from nearly 48 hours of live improvised performance at a single venue over a year, then processed and remixed into 19 individual pieces. McCraven takes a leap further out on the double-length Universal Beings. The set was recorded in four cities (New York, Chicago, London, and Los Angeles) with four ensembles. The players on these include bassist and fellow Chicagoan Junius Paul, cellist and former Chicagoan Tomeka Reid, U.K.-based saxophonists Nubya Garcia and Shabaka Hutchings, L.A. violist/arranger Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, percussionist Carlos Nino, and Chicago ex-pat and current Angeleno guitarist Jeff Parker, to name a few.
As indicated by the drummer's genre term, the root of this utterly holistic music lies in wholly improvised sessions. All are different in feel. The New York session revolves around a gradually ratcheting spiritual dimension due in large part to Reid's canny interaction with transcendent harpist Brandee Younger. The rhythm section -- vibraphonist Joel Ross, bassist Dezron Douglas, and McCraven -- offer hypnotic hip-hop shuffles, riff-like feints, and drones in an incantatory pace across a suite of six pieces ranging in duration from 33 seconds to five-and-a-half minutes. The spirit and inspiration of Alice Coltrane permeates the music's flow in rhapsodic whole tones. The Chicago side commencing with "Pharaoh's Intro" stars Hutchings and Paul communicating in post-bop cadences carried by McCraven's frenetic drumming. It follows to "Atlantic Black" with fiery, Nigerian funk rhythms colored by cello and bassline pulses and saxophone loops over a spacy electric piano and a spiky Reid solo pushing the tune outward. It's brought back inside by the Afro-beat rhythms and dubwise basslines undergirding "Inner Flight." The London side skates between trippy, soulful, syncopated jazz-funk and modal jazz courtesy of Garcia's illustrious horn and Ashley Henry's Rhodes piano as the interplay between McCraven and bassist Daniel Casimir balances both ends of the spectrum; they create emphasis, tension, and release. The Los Angeles side contains virtually everything that previously transpired but goes somewhere new. Between frontline players -- guitarist Parker, alto saxophonist Josh Johnson, and Atwood-Ferguson -- harmonic ideas are introduced, exchanged, embellished, then repurposed to suit the polyrhythmic flow generated by McCraven, Nino, and bassist Anna Butterss. The seductive, groove-laden, post-midnight jazz in "Fifth Monk" is a stellar example. At the end of the recording, McCraven says "You guys got all that?" then laughs. Given all that's here, one wonders who he was speaking to, the engineers or the listeners? Universal Beings is unique from any other jazz recording in 2018: It marries virtuoso musicianship, technological savvy, a keen editor's ear for creative inspiration, and a plethora of almighty grooves.
© Thom Jurek /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From €13,50/month
Brandee Younger, FeaturedArtist - Joel Ross, FeaturedArtist - Dezron Douglas, FeaturedArtist - Makaya McCraven, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, MainArtist - Tomeka Reid, FeaturedArtist - International Anthem LLC, MusicPublisher
2018 International Anthem 2018 International Anthem LLC
Brandee Younger, FeaturedArtist - Joel Ross, FeaturedArtist - Dezron Douglas, FeaturedArtist - Makaya McCraven, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, MainArtist - Tomeka Reid, FeaturedArtist - International Anthem LLC, MusicPublisher
2018 International Anthem 2018 International Anthem LLC
Brandee Younger, FeaturedArtist - Joel Ross, FeaturedArtist - Dezron Douglas, FeaturedArtist - Makaya McCraven, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, MainArtist - Tomeka Reid, FeaturedArtist - International Anthem LLC, MusicPublisher
2018 International Anthem 2018 International Anthem LLC
Brandee Younger, FeaturedArtist - Joel Ross, FeaturedArtist - Dezron Douglas, FeaturedArtist - Makaya McCraven, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, MainArtist - Tomeka Reid, FeaturedArtist - International Anthem LLC, MusicPublisher
2018 International Anthem 2018 International Anthem LLC
Brandee Younger, FeaturedArtist - Joel Ross, FeaturedArtist - Dezron Douglas, FeaturedArtist - Makaya McCraven, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, MainArtist - Tomeka Reid, FeaturedArtist - International Anthem LLC, MusicPublisher
2018 International Anthem 2018 International Anthem LLC
Brandee Younger, FeaturedArtist - Joel Ross, FeaturedArtist - Dezron Douglas, FeaturedArtist - Makaya McCraven, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, MainArtist - Tomeka Reid, FeaturedArtist - International Anthem LLC, MusicPublisher
2018 International Anthem 2018 International Anthem LLC
Shabaka Hutchings, FeaturedArtist - Makaya McCraven, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, MainArtist - Junius Paul, FeaturedArtist - Tomeka Reid, FeaturedArtist - International Anthem LLC, MusicPublisher
2018 International Anthem 2018 International Anthem LLC
Shabaka Hutchings, FeaturedArtist - Makaya McCraven, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, MainArtist - Junius Paul, FeaturedArtist - Tomeka Reid, FeaturedArtist - International Anthem LLC, MusicPublisher
2018 International Anthem 2018 International Anthem LLC
Shabaka Hutchings, FeaturedArtist - Makaya McCraven, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, MainArtist - Junius Paul, FeaturedArtist - Tomeka Reid, FeaturedArtist - International Anthem LLC, MusicPublisher
2018 International Anthem 2018 International Anthem LLC
Shabaka Hutchings, FeaturedArtist - Makaya McCraven, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, MainArtist - Junius Paul, FeaturedArtist - Tomeka Reid, FeaturedArtist - International Anthem LLC, MusicPublisher
2018 International Anthem 2018 International Anthem LLC
Shabaka Hutchings, FeaturedArtist - Makaya McCraven, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, MainArtist - Junius Paul, FeaturedArtist - Tomeka Reid, FeaturedArtist - International Anthem LLC, MusicPublisher
2018 International Anthem 2018 International Anthem LLC
Daniel Casimir, FeaturedArtist - Makaya McCraven, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, MainArtist - International Anthem LLC, MusicPublisher - Nubya Garcia, FeaturedArtist - Ashley Henry, FeaturedArtist
2018 International Anthem 2018 International Anthem LLC
Daniel Casimir, FeaturedArtist - Makaya McCraven, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, MainArtist - International Anthem LLC, MusicPublisher - Nubya Garcia, FeaturedArtist - Ashley Henry, FeaturedArtist
2018 International Anthem 2018 International Anthem LLC
Daniel Casimir, FeaturedArtist - Makaya McCraven, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, MainArtist - International Anthem LLC, MusicPublisher - Nubya Garcia, FeaturedArtist - Ashley Henry, FeaturedArtist
2018 International Anthem 2018 International Anthem LLC
Daniel Casimir, FeaturedArtist - Makaya McCraven, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, MainArtist - International Anthem LLC, MusicPublisher - Nubya Garcia, FeaturedArtist - Ashley Henry, FeaturedArtist
2018 International Anthem 2018 International Anthem LLC
Daniel Casimir, FeaturedArtist - Makaya McCraven, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, MainArtist - International Anthem LLC, MusicPublisher - Nubya Garcia, FeaturedArtist - Ashley Henry, FeaturedArtist
2018 International Anthem 2018 International Anthem LLC
Jeff Parker, FeaturedArtist - Josh Johnson, FeaturedArtist - Carlos Nino, FeaturedArtist - Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, FeaturedArtist - Makaya McCraven, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, MainArtist - International Anthem LLC, MusicPublisher - Anna Butterss, FeaturedArtist
2018 International Anthem 2018 International Anthem LLC
Jeff Parker, FeaturedArtist - Josh Johnson, FeaturedArtist - Carlos Nino, FeaturedArtist - Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, FeaturedArtist - Makaya McCraven, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, MainArtist - International Anthem LLC, MusicPublisher - Anna Butterss, FeaturedArtist
2018 International Anthem 2018 International Anthem LLC
Jeff Parker, FeaturedArtist - Josh Johnson, FeaturedArtist - Carlos Nino, FeaturedArtist - Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, FeaturedArtist - Makaya McCraven, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, MainArtist - International Anthem LLC, MusicPublisher - Anna Butterss, FeaturedArtist
2018 International Anthem 2018 International Anthem LLC
Jeff Parker, FeaturedArtist - Josh Johnson, FeaturedArtist - Carlos Nino, FeaturedArtist - Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, FeaturedArtist - Makaya McCraven, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, MainArtist - International Anthem LLC, MusicPublisher - Anna Butterss, FeaturedArtist
2018 International Anthem 2018 International Anthem LLC
Jeff Parker, FeaturedArtist - Josh Johnson, FeaturedArtist - Carlos Nino, FeaturedArtist - Makaya McCraven, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, MainArtist - International Anthem LLC, MusicPublisher - Anna Butterss, FeaturedArtist - Miguel Atwood, FeaturedArtist
2018 International Anthem 2018 International Anthem LLC
Jeff Parker, FeaturedArtist - Josh Johnson, FeaturedArtist - Carlos Nino, FeaturedArtist - Makaya McCraven, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, MainArtist - International Anthem LLC, MusicPublisher - Anna Butterss, FeaturedArtist - Miguel Atwood-Fergus, FeaturedArtist
2018 International Anthem 2018 International Anthem LLC
Album review
Guiding the undulating, polyrhythmic, genre-ambiguous flow of drummer Makaya McCraven's ever-evolving "organic beat music," is a strategy not far removed from the one employed by Teo Macero and Miles Davis on Bitches Brew and subsequent dates: Here, moments from continuous improvised performances are digitally looped, cut, spliced, and edited into entirely new compositions. McCraven has been developing the approach for some time, though it came to fruition on 2015's brilliant In the Moment, culled from nearly 48 hours of live improvised performance at a single venue over a year, then processed and remixed into 19 individual pieces. McCraven takes a leap further out on the double-length Universal Beings. The set was recorded in four cities (New York, Chicago, London, and Los Angeles) with four ensembles. The players on these include bassist and fellow Chicagoan Junius Paul, cellist and former Chicagoan Tomeka Reid, U.K.-based saxophonists Nubya Garcia and Shabaka Hutchings, L.A. violist/arranger Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, percussionist Carlos Nino, and Chicago ex-pat and current Angeleno guitarist Jeff Parker, to name a few.
As indicated by the drummer's genre term, the root of this utterly holistic music lies in wholly improvised sessions. All are different in feel. The New York session revolves around a gradually ratcheting spiritual dimension due in large part to Reid's canny interaction with transcendent harpist Brandee Younger. The rhythm section -- vibraphonist Joel Ross, bassist Dezron Douglas, and McCraven -- offer hypnotic hip-hop shuffles, riff-like feints, and drones in an incantatory pace across a suite of six pieces ranging in duration from 33 seconds to five-and-a-half minutes. The spirit and inspiration of Alice Coltrane permeates the music's flow in rhapsodic whole tones. The Chicago side commencing with "Pharaoh's Intro" stars Hutchings and Paul communicating in post-bop cadences carried by McCraven's frenetic drumming. It follows to "Atlantic Black" with fiery, Nigerian funk rhythms colored by cello and bassline pulses and saxophone loops over a spacy electric piano and a spiky Reid solo pushing the tune outward. It's brought back inside by the Afro-beat rhythms and dubwise basslines undergirding "Inner Flight." The London side skates between trippy, soulful, syncopated jazz-funk and modal jazz courtesy of Garcia's illustrious horn and Ashley Henry's Rhodes piano as the interplay between McCraven and bassist Daniel Casimir balances both ends of the spectrum; they create emphasis, tension, and release. The Los Angeles side contains virtually everything that previously transpired but goes somewhere new. Between frontline players -- guitarist Parker, alto saxophonist Josh Johnson, and Atwood-Ferguson -- harmonic ideas are introduced, exchanged, embellished, then repurposed to suit the polyrhythmic flow generated by McCraven, Nino, and bassist Anna Butterss. The seductive, groove-laden, post-midnight jazz in "Fifth Monk" is a stellar example. At the end of the recording, McCraven says "You guys got all that?" then laughs. Given all that's here, one wonders who he was speaking to, the engineers or the listeners? Universal Beings is unique from any other jazz recording in 2018: It marries virtuoso musicianship, technological savvy, a keen editor's ear for creative inspiration, and a plethora of almighty grooves.
© Thom Jurek /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 22 track(s)
- Total length: 01:29:38
- Main artists: Makaya McCraven
- Composer: Makaya McCraven
- Label: International Anthem
- Genre: Jazz
2018 International Anthem 2018 International Anthem
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.