CD review: Makaya McCraven – Live At Newport 2021: Video, CD cover

Makaya McCraven is an American jazz drummer and bandleader.

In 2007 McCraven moved to Chicago, where he performed in the bands of Bobby Broom, de:Corey Wilkes, Willie Pickens, with the Occidental Brothers, de:Marquis Hill, and Jeff Parker,[3] and also worked as a studio musician for Apollo Sunshine and Kris Delmhorst. In 2012 he released his debut album, Split Decision (Chicago Sessions), leading a trio.[4] In the following years he appeared weekly with other musicians, to develop concepts for his 2015 album, In the Moment.[

He also performed with Kamasi Washington. In 2016 he toured mostly in Europe. After several mix tapes, in 2018 he released the double album Universal Beings, on which he was joined by musicians from New York City, London, and San Francisco, and which was nominated for the Jazz Journalists Association Awards in 2019.[citation needed] In DownBeat’s 2020 Critics Poll he was the winner in the “Rising Star” categories of best producer and best drummer of the year.

Makaya McCraven is a beat scientist. The bleeding edge drummer, producer, and sonic collagist is one of Chicago’s savviest cultural players and a multi-talented force whose inventive process & intuitive, cinematic style defy categorization. “You are listening to one incredible musician. His style and sound is unique, a heady, skillful, sophisticated and boldly uncompromising mix of jazz and hip hop…”

1. Intro 0:39
2. In These Times 12:18
3. Three-Fifths a Man 11:36
4. She Knew 10:31
5. I’m New Here [Gil Scott-Heron] 7:31
6. This Place, That Place 8:14
7. There Comes a Time [Tony Williams] 7:33
8. The Bounce 6:22

Newport Jazz Festival. Ft Adams State Park, Newport, RI; July 30, 2021.

Makaya McCraven – drums
Marquis Hill – trumpet
Junius Paul – electric and acoustic basses, percussion, vocals
Matt Gold – guitar