Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad release ‘Jazz Is Dead’ compilation featuring iconic jazz legends
Los Angeles based producers/multi-instrumentalists Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad (of Tribe Called Quest), who are the masterminds behind The Midnight Hour, have recently released an incredible new compilation, titled Jazz Is Dead, featuring new recordings from jazz legends Roy Ayers, Gary Bartz, Doug Carn, João Donato, Brian Jackson, Azymuth, and Marcos Valle.
This brilliant eight-track compilation was recorded at Younge’s all-analog Linear Labs studio over this past year while each featured artist was in residency at the well-curated Jazz Is Dead concert series, which is held at the Lodge Room in Los Angeles’ Highland Park neighborhood. This compilation is also the first release for the Jazz Is Dead label, also run by Younge and Muhammad.
Each track is a collaborative effort between the featured artist, and Muhammad and Younge, both of whom play multiple instruments on the record. Musically, the sessions do a great job of capturing the brilliance of each iconic artist, with the production bringing in those essential elements and backing grooves that are found on some their classic recordings.
In many ways, this recording is a tribute from Younge and Muhammad to the enduring influence that each of these legendary artists has brought to not only jazz, but hip-hop and soul. In a recent Rolling Stone interview, Younge said “To see Ali with Gary Bartz or João Donato, two artists that meant so much to A Tribe Called Quest, is crazy.” And further stating “It’s as if my career was meant for this moment.”
This is only a start for Younge, Muhammad, and the Jazz Is Dead Label. Later this year, they are planning on releasing seven full-length albums, one featuring each of the iconic artists on this recording.
Overall, a great compilation that not only pays homage to these jazz greats, but continues to push their music forward to new heights.
Various — ‘Jazz Is Dead’
(Jazz Is Dead)
1. Hey Lover ft. Roy Ayers
2. Distant Mode ft. Gary Bartz
3. Nancy Wilson ft. Brian Jackson
4. Conexão ft. João Donato
5. Down Deep ft. Doug Carn
6. Apocalíptico ft. Azymuth
7. Não Saia Da Praça ft. Marcos Valle
8. Jazz Is Dead ft. The Midnight Hour
