Maybe the crowning achievement of drummer Makaya McCraven so far – a double-length set that stands as a huge testimony to all the many waves he's been making in jazz for the past few years! The album features four slices of live performance – recorded in New York, Chicago, LA, and London – and as with every one of his different projects, Makaya seems to bring a different voice to each live track here – recording with Brandee Younger on harp and Joel Ross on vibes in New York, Shabaka Hutchings on tenor in Chicago; Nubya Garcia on tenor and Ashley Henry on Rhodes in London; and Josh Johnson on alto, Jeff Parker on guitar, Carlos Nino on percussion, and Miguel Atwood-Ferguson on violin in LA! The rhythms are as amazing as the contributions from the different soloists – and the sound of the record is maybe something we'd call post-spiritual – moving past that Coltrane-inspired mode that's been revived so well in the 21st Century, while still holding onto its best sense of energy. The whole thing is fantastic – and titles include "The Count Off", "Brighter Days Beginning", "Universal Beings", "Mantra", "Young Genius", "Holy Lands", "Wise Man Wiser Woman", "Prosperity's Fear", "Atlantic Black", "Flipped Out", "Voila", and "Suite Hans". CD

A really great idea for a record – and one that echoes the same "E & F" mode that Makaya McCraven brought to his previous album! The approach here is as unique as the drummer himself – in that McCraven went back to the sessions for the core album, and pulled out material that's recast into a completely different record altogether – not a remix project, or a batch of alternate takes – but new music from the ground up, as Makaya continues his groundbreaking style of using live jazz performance as the basis for a record that's eventually cut-up and reassembled! Performances were recorded in Chicago, Cali, Brooklyn, and London – with players who include Brandee Younger on harp, Joel Ross on vibes, Dezron Douglas on bass, Ashley Henry on Fender Rhodes, Nubya Garcia on tenor, Jeff Parker on guitar, Miguel Atwood Ferguson on violin, Carlos Nino on percussion, Junius Paul on bass, Tomeka Reid on cello, and Shabaka Hutchings on tenor – an amazing lineup that gets plenty of space to shine in the hands of Makaya. Titles include "Everybody Coo", "Mak Attack", "The Hunt", "Beat Science", "Kings & Queens", "Traveling Space", "Butterss Fly", "Universal Beings Part 2", "Her Name", "Half Steppin", and "The Way Home". CD