"Canopy of Trees” : a SINGLE from low woodwind master Brian Landrus’ upcoming albumRed List: Music Dedicated to the Preservation of Our Endangered Species, via Palmetto Records
Landrus’ impassioned manifesto dedicated to bringing awareness to the world’s most endangered species, Red List features Landrus with his all-star band: Ryan Keberle, Geoffrey Keezer, Nir Felder, Rudy Royston, Ron Blake, Jaleel Shaw, Lonnie Plaxico, John Hadfield, Steve Roach and Corey King.
Hoping that Red List will help to facilitate “critical yet uncomfortable conversations about changing our global habit of destroying nature for our own gain,” Landrus is collaborating with the organization Save The Elephants and will donate 20% of all proceeds and 100% of profits to the organization, which has been helping to ensure a future for African Elephants for nearly 30 years.
Together he and his ace band create entrancing grooves, lush harmonies, evocative interludes and epic crescendos, all in the service of Landrus’ thoughtful compositions that bring attention to the plight of 13 endangered species on the planet. The Red List was compiled by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global extinction risk of animal, fungus and plant species.
Emotional integrity is the keynote address when Farnell Newton plays his trumpet with heartfelt and hopeful expressiveness entreating us to “Feel the Love.” As this 2021 album covers a wide range of moods and genres, Newton's trumpet playing remains steadily focused on portraying the subtle and tasteful elements of his style. He pushes melodicism to the forefront while also demonstrating his formidable command of the instrument. The whole album is truly a labor of love. To make this happen, Newton traveled east from Portland Oregon to New York City, to work with Posi-Tone and their capable rhythm section of pianist Art Hirahara, bassist Boris Kozlov, and drummers Rudy Royston and Joe Strasser.
The album also features wonderful guest appearances from several of Farnell's favorite saxophonists, including Jaleel Shaw, Braxton Cook, Brandon Wright, and Patrick Cornelius. With an amazing combination of diverse talents, several brilliant performances, and an evocative program of musical compositions, Farnell Newton keeps everything moving steadily straight forward, and continues to announce he is an important and emerging voice on today's jazz scene.
1. Feel The Love 04:43
2. Affectionately Roy 04:16
3. I'll Catch You 04:50
4. A Child Not Yet Born 05:13
5. The Bluest Eyes 06:34
6. Litoral 06:52
7. Pale 06:06
8. The Force Of Gravity 04:34
9. Laws Of Motion 04:37
10. Lawn Darts 05:19
11. Our Chosen Family 05:44
Farnell Newton - trumpet
Art Hirahara - piano
Boris Kozlov - bass
Rudy Royston - drums & percussion on all but 4, 6, 9
Braxton Cook - alto saxophone on 2, 10
Jaleel Shaw - alto saxophone on 3, 5, 7
Joe Strasser - drums on 4, 6, 9
Brandon Wright - tenor saxophone on 4
Patrick Cornelius - alto saxophone on 6, 9
Michael Dease - trombone on 7
Marc Free - producer
Nick O’Toole - engineer
recorded June 21, 2018 & September 17, 2019 (4, 6, 9) at Acoustic Recording, Brooklyn, NY
mixed & mastered at Woodland Studio, Lake Oswego, OR
Kinfolk 2: See the Birds is the highly anticipated follow up to the 2017 Grammy-nominated album Kinfolk: Postcards From Everywhere. Featuring the diverse and all-star talents of Brittany Howard, Amma Whatt, Joel Ross, Kokayi, Michael Mayo, Regina Carter, Stokley and Vernon Reid, Kinfolk 2: See the Birds is the inspired and emphatic album that exemplifies Nate’s artistry as one of the most exciting, dynamic and innovative drummer-composers of his generation, adept across multi-genres and styles. Taking inspiration from his teenage years spent absorbing the diverse and eclectic riches of Prince, Michael Jackson and Living Colour. Kinfolk 2: See the Birds is a multi-faceted jewel and is set to be one of the most significant albums of 2021.
Four years after drummer, composer, and bandleader Nate Smith released his Grammy-nominated debut, he’s releasing its thematic follow-up, Kinfolk 2: See The Birds. In the interim, he’s released two other projects: 2020’s R&B-laden EP, Light and Shadow, and 2018’s breakbeat solo drums LP, Pocket Change.
Smith sees Kinfolk as a trilogy that charts his evolution as musician. The first record touched upon his childhood in Chesapeake, Virginia, and the music that he absorbed in his home. Kinfolk 2 continues that narrative, offering an impressionistic portrait of his teenage years when he made the decision to become a musician. During this time, he was checking out a lot of music associated with the Black Rock Coalition such as Living Colour, Fishbone, and 24-7 Spyz, in addition to other pioneering acts such as Bad Brains, King’s X, Prince, and Sting. Smith was also listening to a lot of hip-hop as well as the emerging neo-soul that flowered in the 1990s.
Kinfolk 2 is no throwback album, however. Smith reconciles his influences from his teen years with the modern jazz sensibilities that he’s demonstrated with not just his solo material but as a sideman with a roster of jazz titans that includes guitarist Pat Metheny, bassist Dave Holland, and saxophonists Ravi Coltrane and Chris Potter.
In fact, Smith cites his long tenure with Potter’s Underground band for being an incubator for him to develop his distinguishable drumming approach, which often combines crisp, funky, head-nodding grooves with flinty modern jazz interactive improvisation.
1. Altitude ft. Joel Ross & Michael Mayo
2. Square Wheel ft. Kokayi & Michael Mayo
3. Band Room Freestyle ft. Kokayi
4. Street Lamp
5. Don't Let Me Get Away ft. Stokley
6. Collision ft. Regina Carter
7. Meditation: Prelude
8. Rambo: The Vigilante ft. Vernon Reid
9. I Burn For You ft. Amma Whatt
10. See The Birds ft. Joel Ross & Michael Mayo
11. Fly (For Mike) ft. Brittany Howard
Brad Allen Williams - guitar
Fima Ephron - bass
Jaleel Shaw - saxophone
Jon Cowherd - piano, rhodes, hammond B-3 organ
Nate Smith - drums, keyboards, percussion
Featuring:
Amma Whatt - vocals on “I Burn For You”
Brittany Howard - vocals on “Fly (for Mike)”
Joel Ross - vibraphone on “Altitude” and “See The Birds”
Kokayi - vocals on “Square Wheel” and “Band Room Freestyle”
Michael Mayo - vocals on “Square Wheel”, “Altitude” and “See The Birds”
Regina Carter - violin on “Collision”
Stokley - vocals on “Don’t Let Me Get Away”
Vernon Reid - guitar on “Rambo: The Vigilante”
Strings on “Don’t Let Me Get Away” arranged by Nate Smith and played by:
Juliette Jones - violin
Monique Brooks-Roberts - violin
Jarvis Benson - viola
Malcolm Parson - cello
Rootstock Republic, LLC - contractor
All songs composed by Nate Smith (Penelope’s Boudoir ASCAP) except:
“Square Wheel” written by Nate Smith, C. Walker, Michael Mayo (Penelope’s Boudoir ASCAP/Pho13 Myuzik SESAC/Michael Mayo Music ASCAP)
“Band Room Freestyle” written by Nate Smith and C. Walker (Penelope’s Boudoir ASCAP/Pho13 Myuzik SESAC)
“Don’t Let Me Get Away” written by Nate Smith and Amma Whatt Agyapon (Penelope’s Boudoir ASCAP/Amma King’s Daughter Music BMI)
“I Burn For You” written by Sting
“See The Birds” written by Nate Smith and Michael Mayo (Penelope’s Boudoir ASCAP/Michael Mayo Music ASCAP)
“Fly (for Mike)” written by Nate Smith and Brittany Howard
Produced by Nate Smith
Executive producer Dave Stapleton
Mixed by Adrian Olsen at Montrose Recording, Richmond, VA
Mastered by Alex De Turk at Bunker Studios, BK
Recorded by Chris Allen at Sear Sound, NYC and Aaron Nevezie and Todd Carder at Bunker Studios, Brooklyn. Additional recording by Dan Davis at Brown Owl Studios, Nashville and Adrian Olsen at Montrose Recording, Richmond, VA. Additional overdubs and editing by Nate Smith at The Crib, Nashville.
Cover and Insert photography by Laura Hanifin. Album artwork by Oli Bentley, Split
Nate Smith plays Ludwig drums, Zildjian cymbals, Evans drum heads and Vic Firth sticks.
Michael Mayo appears courtesy of Mack Avenue/Artistry Records. Joel Ross appears courtesy of Blue Note Records
A first-call accompanist, producer, composer and bandleader, New York bassist Massimo Biolcati is known as a founding member of Gilfema, the acclaimed collective trio with Hungarian drummer Ferenc Nemeth and West African guitarist and vocalist Lionel Loueke.
1. Dario Immaginario 06:07
2. Adaptation 07:16
3. Emma's Dilemma 06:41
4. Love Is Stronger Than Pride 05:00
5. Along Came Betty 07:25
6. Estate 05:14
7. Momenta 05:34
8. Gumbo Blues 05:40
9. In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning 04:13
Massimo Biolcati - Bass (all tracks)
Tracks: 1, 4, 5, 7, 9
Phil Dizack - Trumpet
Kevin Hays - Piano
Kendrick Scott - Drums
Recorded at Bunker Studios in Brooklyn, NY by Nolan Thies on February 27, 2020.
Track 3
Jaleel Shaw - Alto Sax
Lex Korten - Piano
Clarence Penn - Drums
Recorded at Bunker Studios in Brooklyn, NY by Alex Conroy on February 8, 2020.
Tracks: 2, 6, 8
John Ellis - Tenor Sax
Mike Moreno - Guitar
Rodney Green - Drums
Recorded at Bunker Studios in Brooklyn, NY by Aaron Nevezie on November 4, 2020.
Produced by Massimo Biolcati
Mixed and mastered by Dave Darlington at Bass Hit Recording, New York, NY
This recording was made in my home. It documents my thoughts and ideas while being isolated for a whole year during pandemic of 2020/21. I’d recently begun recording myself practice songs and ideas with my phone, which eventually led to me plugging a mic into my computer, hitting record, and seeing where my ideas took me.
I’ve meditated on so many things during this pandemic. From losing my friend/mentors Lee Konitz, Jimmy Heath, and teacher Rayburn Wright recently, to the deaths of Breonna Taylor and one of my favorite artists - MF doom, learning about the Tulsa Massacre and Black Wall St., constantly worrying and thinking about my mother, remembering all of the amazing places I’d traveled to to perform before this pandemic (specifically an opportunity I got to travel to Morocco and play at the Gnawa Festival), and most importantly - focusing on the light at the end of this isolated tunnel and trying to stay as positive as I can be.
Renowned Violinist Alí Bello Presents Inheritance, His New Album Leading the Sweet Wire Band
Featuring special guests Regina Carter, Jaleel Shaw, Jeff Lederer & Jorge Glem
Due out May 7, 2021 via Tiger Turn
Tiger Turn proudly presents Inheritance, the sophomore release by Venezuelan-born, New York-based violinist and composer Alí Bello. Due out on May 7, 2021, this rich new recording showcases Bello’s unique amalgam of modern jazz and musical traditions from Venezuela and the Caribbean. An entirely original set of nine compositions, Inheritance documents the dazzling compositional output of the acclaimed leader and showcases the spirited rapport of his renowned Sweet Wire Band. Featured special guests include Regina Carter, Jaleel Shaw, Jeff Lederer and Jorge Glem.
A veteran of the New York music scene for over two decades, Alí Bello has become known as a musician of incredible versatility. A fixture in the emblematic bands of Johnny Pacheco and Paquito D’Rivera, Bello is also a highly sought-after sideman for artists such as Orquesta Broadway, La Típica 73, Raul Jaurena and Pedro Cortés. He can also be found on occasional stints with mainstream superstars such as Beyoncé, The Roots and Jay-Z. His Sweet Wire Band, made up of pianist Gabriel Chakarji, bassist Gabriel Vivas, drummer Ismael Baiz and percussionist Manuel Márquez have become New York City mainstays, known for their unique fusion of contemporary jazz and Afro-Venezuelan/Caribbean musical styles. Their debut release Connection Caracas – New York (Zoho Music), was released in 2013 to worldwide critical acclaim, having placed on several year-end best-of lists. Inheritance is the long-awaited follow up, and uncovers new shades of maturity and growth. Alí shares: “Inheritance is a recapitulation. A way to move forward through the lessons learned. It’s the result of conveying all the parts that make my music and create new original ideas rooted in the culture, traditions, and experiences that make me and my music as a whole”.
On Inheritance, Bello captures the essence of the music from his native Venezuela and filters it through the lens of an artist that has been deeply exposed to a broad diversity of musical styles in the United States. In his liner notes, producer Kabir Sehgal says “Inheritance is a result of long time growth and an evolution of different styles and genres that constitute Alí’s personal musical heritage from his homeland and his career experiences.” Indeed, Bello has a profound understanding of Venezuelan musical traditions, and has equally acquired invaluable experience in some of the most iconic Salsa and Latin jazz ensembles of all time. This recording integrates those two sides of Bello’s musical artistry as well as his aptitude for production.
The music featured on Inheritance draws heavily on Venezuelan traditions, and Bello’s core group of sidemen are all versatile Venezuelan expats who are well versed in all these styles. Afro-Venezuelan rhythms from the North Coast serve as the foundation for tunes like “Kaleidoscopic Sunset” and “For all Saints”, displaying drummer Baíz’s adaptations of these rhythms in harmonious unity with percussionist Márquez who plays an array of traditional Venezuelan drums such as the Fulía, the Paila and the Cumaco, among others.
Compositions “Caracas” and “Jojo” present some of the more urban folk styles of Onda Nueva and Merengue Caraqueño respectively – styles of great rhythmic complexity that originated in the capital city of Caracas. Bassist Vivas lends the project a robust electric tone and deft precision while Chakarji plays mainly electric piano, skillfully accompanying the soloists with deft sonic choices.
Regina Carter lends her unmistakable sound to “Song To Marina”, a lush bolero track in which both violinists blend in concert, harkening back to the splendid singer duets known in the genre. In “Bello’s Blues” the close intervals of violin and soprano saxophone in the melody recall the idiosyncratic themes of Thelonious Monk. Jaleel Shaw plays a harmonically ingenious solo while the rhythm section burns on a brisk San Millan rhythm here, while Jeff Lederer shines on “Jojo”. On the Venezuelan joropo “Cepa”, Bello enlists the talents of Jorge Glem on the Venezuelan cuatro – a central instrument of this music.
The orchestration and arrangements featured throughout Inheritance reveal a new perspective on the rich folkloric musical traditions Bello draws from. The violin is an uncommon instrument in this music, yet Bello’s creativity and command places it right at home. The final three notes of the bright closer “Ousia” represent an apex of the jubilant journey of Inheritance. Indeed, Alí Bello’s latest effort is a joyous listen from beginning to end, though the naturally cheerful makeup of the music never sacrifices depth or content – and in that balance lies Alí Bello’s great artistry.
1. Kaleidoscopic Sunset (6:41)
2. Heartbeat (7:12) (feat. Jaleel Shaw)
3. Caracas (6:07)
4. Song To Marina (5:51) (feat. Regina Carter)
5. Bello’s Blues (6:55) (feat. Jaleel Shaw)
6. Jojo (5:09) (feat. Jeff Lederer)
7. For All Saints (5:07)
8. Cepa (4:06) (feat. Jorge Glem)
9. Ousia (4:11)
All music composed and arranged by Alí Bello (AGBA Music Publishing)
The Sweet Wire Band
Alí Bello - acoustic, electric, and baritone violins
Gabriel Chakarji - keyboards
Gabriel Vivas - bass guitar
Ismael Baiz - drum set
Manuel Márquez - fulía, cumaco, clarín, paila, bumbac, congas, bongos, güira, bell, and maracas
Featured Artist
Regina Carter - violin (track 4)
Jaleel Shaw - soprano & alto sax (tracks 2 and 5)
Jeff Lederer - clarinet (track 6)
Jorge Glem - Venezuelan cuatro (tracks 6 and 8)
Guest Artist
Javier Olivencia - soprano & tenor sax (tracks 1, 7 and 9)
Our light shines brightest in the darkness and things in life don’t always turn out the way that we have planned. It is with these maxims in mind that the brilliant pianist and composer Shamie Royston presents her new recording, Beautiful Liar. Her second release is a testament to perseverance and the proposition that learning from mistakes will help in the pursuit of goals and subsequent triumphs. Though the path might not have always been an easy one, Royston’s light is luminous and her music has served her in establishing herself as a leading voice in the jazz world. Originally from Denver, Colorado, Royston has been an integral part of the New York jazz scene as a performer and educator. Her contributions as a pianist can be heard alongside celebrated leaders like Tia Fuller, Ralph Peterson, Sean Jones and Terri Lyne Carrington. On Beautiful Liar, the core sound is that of the piano trio, embellished by one or two horns for different sonic possibilities. Drummer Rudy Royston provides a strong rhythmic foundation and centric fire when paired up with bassist Yasushi Nakamura, whose strong bass presence is essential to the leader’s compositions. Royston expands the ensemble on a number of pieces, exploring possibilities of a quartet and of a quintet. The melodic approach of saxophonist Jaleel Shaw serves as a perfect voice for Royston’s compositions. Royston also adds trumpet player Josh Evans, who ignites a sound of juxtaposing harmonies into Beautiful Liar. This recording focuses on the piano trio as a lead voice, while the horns’ roles are reminiscent of background singers and soloists, for a few of the compositions. The pieces present on Beautiful Liar are all original compositions, except the great “A Lovely Day,” which was made famous by Bill Withers. Furthermore, every original composition represents trials and tribulations of life, reflecting Royston’s life journey and personal development.
The program begins with the ruminative “Sunday Nostalgia,” one of Royston’s oldest tunes but one that sets a scene with a sense of peace. The effervescent “Push” is about pushing through adversity and the emotions of that struggle. The title track, “Beautiful Liar,” relates to objects, images, ideas or people not being as good for us as we think they are. Initially, there is a simple, moving melody that soon becomes disrupted with a vigorous rhythm. The lilting “Precious Lullaby” is a beautiful theme written in ¾ and is a tribute to Royston’s two children, for whom she would invent lullabies at bedtime when they were younger. The fantastically swinging “Dissimulate” is about concealing one’s true character, which is illustrated by the melody being played by one voice and then recreated by a second voice, the interweaving lines of sax and trumpet only coming together at the end, moving from chaos to a united resolution. She chose to add Bill Withers’ “Lovely Day” because it represents times of happiness and hope. This particular arrangement features the horns as background singers. “Circulo Vicioso” represents a sequence of reciprocal cause and effect in which two or more elements intensify and aggravate one another, leading to a worsening of a situation. The song is musically constructed around a circular melodic pattern intertwined with Afro-Cuban rhythms. A personal favorite, “Uplifted Heart,” comes from a poignant melody Royston created that gives a feeling of happiness and peacefulness in the world. “A Tangled Web We Weave” describes a complex or difficult situation that one creates out of deceit. The piece begins with the trio before adding Shaw’s soprano sax. Both piano and sax melodies intertwine as the music continues to grow. The recording concludes with a solo piano take of “Precious Lullaby,” a moment of reflection and calm. Beautiful Liar is a luminous portrayal of the full spectrum of life’s possibilities. Shamie Royston explores the full breadth of her experience and inspiration from the good, the bad and the obscure, to create a lovely recording. In essence, her message is that the key to life’s fulfillment is showering oneself with passion, positivity and promise.
“In conceiving this project, I wanted to focus on creating the material with very few ingredients; just improvising at the drums or piano or singing ideas into a voice recorder, focusing primarily on rhythm and melody. I want to see what other ingredients the players or singers would bring to the material. I’m interested in a true band sound: I want to know how the musicians will color, shape, and season the raw ingredients, and how to pull all of those pieces together to a whole.”- Nate Smith
Jaimeo Brown Transcendence’s Work Songs Resurrects
Stories of Workers and Prisoners Worldwide in a
Call to Action During Tense Times in America
Album Fuses Jazz, Hip Hop, and Blues on
12 Sample-Heavy Original Tracks
Available February 12, 2016 on Motéma Music
At a time where it feels like history is repeating itself and the world has lost its way, drummer, composer, educator and activist Jaimeo Brown asks, “What is important?” For Brown, the answer is to tell the unheard stories in the name of those who need them. To tell the stories of life and the human experience. To tell the stories of the forgotten: to honor the workers and the music of their lives. February 12, 2016 marks the release of Work Songs, the second installment in the Jaimeo Brown Transcendence series. “Work Songs represents us,” Brown explains. “It’s our human journey of transcending the difficult.”
Jaimeo Brown Transcendence is the product of long-time collaboration between Brown and co-producer/guitarist Chris Sholar (who won a GRAMMY® Award for his work on Kanye West and Jay-Z’s Watch the Throne). Both emerging from a generation that appreciates the jazz in hip-hop, the artists with whom this duo has collaborated with speaks for itself. Brown, as drummer, has sat behind the skins for Stevie Wonder, Carlos Santana, Q-Tip, Carl Craig, Kenny Garrett, Geri Allen, and Bobby Hutcherson, among others. Sholar’s work as guitarist and producer has spanned the likes of Beyonce, Kanye West, Jay-Z, Frank Ocean, A Tribe Called Quest, Robert Glasper, D’Angelo, Just Blaze, Common, Dr. Dre and more.
The digital tapestry that birthed Work Songs also hosts several contributors: Jaleel Shaw and JD Allen on alto and tenor saxophone, respectively; legendary soul and blues vocalist Lester Chambers; the Gee’s Bend Quilters (who were the central focus of Jaimeo Brown Transcendence’s debut album), and rising star keyboardists BIG YUKI and James Francies.
More than just music, Jaimeo Brown Transcendence is a movement, a moment, and an imperative: home to a variety of collaborators and contributors, from different eras and across the globe. Work Songs is a call to action, a call to transcend: transcend traditional limits of creativity; transcend oppression; transcend to come together through the essential humanity that unites us. Work Songs samples the unknown laborer, the jailhouse, the coal miner, gandy dancer, and stonemason. The album resonates with echoes of protest and rhythms of a call to freedom.
Borne of oppression and sung in conditions of hardship, the music is visceral but inherently uplifting. It weaves the present through the past to the future, teaching us how to transcend an immediate suffering through strength and mutual support. “The music of Transcendence, on a social scale, allows us to reach out to communities and help restore culture and identity. Work Songs tells powerful stories of perseverance and human ingenuity,” explains Brown. “Tales of enduring communities through song, from African-American slaves to the stonemasons of Japan. These songs paint a picture of struggle we still feel today.”
In search of new sounds (which includes sampled sounds of construction outside of Brown’s own apartment), Work Songs deftly weaves together the acoustic and the digital, connecting jazz and classic blues with contemporary rock, hip-hop and electronic music.
“My goal is to create something that feels good, is soulful and speaks to hearts. Something spiritual and moving,” says Brown of his creative process. “I hope that people will be moved in the way I was when creating it.”
Through an exploration of differing global “scenes” (as Brown refers to the tracks), Work Songs depicts the tale of the human condition, that which make us all the same. The album is sonic cinema. “For Mama Lucy” is a powerful intersection between blues, rock and jazz. The track prominently features a sample of Leroy Grant, a prison inmate from the Parchman Farm Prison in Mississippi in 1959, grieving over a sick family member, singing the multiple emotions associated with love and death. The accompanying video juxtaposes Grant’s cry and a driving guitar riff with sensory-blowing visuals. Flashing images of oppression and injustice, which echo several overarching themes of Jaimeo Brown Transcendence, overwhelm the video’s protagonist.
“Be So Glad” showcases the divergent musical influences that typify Jaimeo Brown Transcendence. It at once exhibits the soulful-hip hop influence that underpins the group, highlighting also their drum and bass influences. The sample sounds workers using hoes in fields under a hot sun. The emotional chant repeats, the refrain lifting and falling with each effort.
“Safflower” imagines a young Japanese boy listening to records in his basement, discovering a cultural tradition of another lifetime, and celebrating it in his own time. The song also pays tribute to the resilience of a country surviving the 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster.
Jaimeo Brown Transcendence was born when the drummer connected with JD Allen and Chris Sholar while in search for new forms of musical expressions. With an MPC salvaged from the garbage, the group sampled songs from the Gee’s Bend Quilters in Alabama for their debut eponymous album. The rest of the project grew organically from there and continues to flourish.
“When recording, our aspiration is always to marry art, history and technology so Transcendence can live as a music and movement that speaks to tomorrow, as well as yesterday,” explains Brown. “We created the album Work Songs to explore the interaction between work and music. It’s fascinating to see the variety of ways that music and work actually weave together.”
Brown’s view of the world is one of togetherness. His life, like his work, is a patchwork of people, cultures and examples of the great human potential for acceptance and integration. His early years were spent living on a Native American reservation in Arlee, Montana, a community in which the Native American voice was an ever-present part of the social dialogue. Later, as a teen amidst the aimless youth and gang culture of the Bay Area, Brown discovered multiculturalism within a west coast hip-hop culture shared and celebrated by a broad group of minorities. Inspired equally by the beats and samples of J Dilla, Dr. Dre, and DJ Premier, and the raw eloquence of John Coltrane, Miles Davis and Art Blakey, he found shelter in creation: the epicenter of his spiritual awakening.
About Jaimeo Brown:
2013 marked the international debut of Jaimeo Brown: a fearless renegade; an artist who seeks new pathways for personal musical expression; an artist who honors a deep and broad lineage of musical and cultural traditions. With the release of Transcendence on Motéma Music, the drummer launched an international career—playing festivals including The Love Supreme Festival and London Jazz Festival—and garnered critical acclaim, earning a spot on year end lists for NPR, The Los Angeles Times, DownBeat, and more. Shortly after the release of the album, Jaimeo Brown Transcendence collaborated with eminent producers Carl Craig and Q-Tip to produce a remix with a radical recasting of “Mean World,” one of Transcendence’s singles.
