Makaya McCraven : Off The Record

For me, jazz drummer/composer/bandleader Makaya McCraven is one of the most exciting jazz artists(or any genre for that matter) making music today. Starting with his breakthrough record In The Moment from 2015, McCraven pushed jazz forward by recording improvisational live shows, then taking those recordings and cutting/pasting them into studio works. Essentially taking the raw beginnings of ideas and turning them into compositions. It’s something Miles Davis and Teo Macero did with some of Miles’ most prolific releases(Bitches Brew, Big Fun, On The Corner).

Since then McCraven has released stellar record after stellar record, and creates with some of the most accomplished and creative artists working in the jazz/experimental musical worlds. His last album, however, was a much more personal work, 2023s In These Times. That album was composed and arranged over the course of a few years and had a weight to it. A personal work, much like Coltrane’s A Love Supreme or Andrew Hill’s Point of Departure. In my opinion, an absolute masterpiece.

Makaya McCraven has returned, this time with four EPs with varying moods and vibes. Techno Logic, The People’s Mixtape, Hidden Out!, and PopUp Shop cover lots of ground; from sly funky jams to rhythmic adventures to the adventurous boom bap of hip hop, all of them going through Makaya McCraven’s unique and singular creative production and off the cuff twists and turns. All the EPs have been compiled into the double LP Off The Record and is one of the best albums of the year.

Starting with Techno Logic, we’re greeted at the door by “Gnu Blue” a loud and cataclysmic sound blast. Accompanied by Theon Cross and Ben LaMar Gay, this is a noisy, fast-paced groove monster that sounds as much like The Knife as it does a late night jazz session. “Boom Bapped” is all smokey jazz club grooves and hip hop attitude carrying some serious Black Moon and Digable Planets vibes.

The People’s Mixtape opens on a tribal rhythm with “Choo Choo”, a busy drum part guides us through electronic blips and bleeps with a funky, Headhunters vibe. “Lake Shore Drive Five” paints a slow motion cruise along Chicago’s most famous lake view as the light dims and the city wakes up.

Hidden Out! might be my favorite section as it gets some help from guitarist Jeff Parker, saxophonist Josh Johnson, and bassist Junius Paul. Parker brings his brilliant playing to the low key groove of “Battleships”, as well as the down and dirty “Dark Parks”. And Josh Johnson adds some eclectic brilliance to the great “Awaze”. “News Feed” is a percussionist smorgasbord with some elegant upright bass.

Finally we have PopUp Shop, a coming together of all McCraven’s strengths as a musician, composer, and bandleader. Tracks like “Venice” and “Imafan” waver in hazy rhythms and vibes, while closer “Sweet Stuff” is dreamlike with its echoing vibraphones, understated guitar, and McCraven’s head bopping beat.

Makaya McCraven proves yet again that he’s a musical force to be reckoned with. A powerhouse across the board, the EP set Off The Record is stunning from start to finish.