Prolific drummer, producer, and composer Makaya McCraven believes that the word “jazz” is “insufficient, at best, to describe the phenomenon we’re dealing with.”
His newest album, In These Times, is the triumphant finale of a project more than seven years in the making. It’s a preeminent addition to his acclaimed and extensive discography, and it’s the album he’s been trying to make since he started recording. In These Times is a collection of polytemporal compositions inspired as much by broader cultural struggles as it is by McCraven’s personal experience as a product of a multinational, working-class musician community.
McCraven, who has been aptly called a “cultural synthesizer,” has a unique gift for collapsing space, destroying borders, and blending past, present, and future into post-genre, jazz-rooted, 21st century folk music. According to The New York Times, “McCraven has quietly become one of the best arguments for jazz’s vitality.” To experience In These Times live is to experience the evolution of the modern jazz tradition in real time.
Makaya McCraven – drums
Junius Paul – bass
Matt Gold – guitar
Brandee Younger – harp
Joel Ross – vibraphone
Marquis Hill – trumpet
De’Sean Jones – tenor saxophone, flute & ewi
Gregory Ward – alto saxophone
Macie Stewart – string quartet
Marta Sofia – string quartet
Jasmine James – string quartet
Zara Zaharieva – string quartet
PRE-CONCERT EVENT
Makaya McCraven's "Organic Beat Music" with Giovani Russonello
Before the Makaya McCraven performance, join us for a pre-show listening session and discussion. Free with your concert ticket, but space is not guaranteed for non-registrants.
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This event is part of Strathmore’s Windows series of performances and accompanying programs. Learn more