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A collection of newsworthy jazz-related headlines.

“This Week in Jazz” brings you a collection of jazz-related headlines, focusing on news, video, and articles in the new generation of jazz / hip-hop / soul. See below for the headlines you don’t want to miss this week.

NEW MUSIC: BADBADNOTGOOD & LITTLE DRAGON — “TRIED”

(Stereogum)

“Toronto jazz combo BADBADNOTGOOD have been sporadically dropping unheard tracks from their guest-heavy studio sessions for 2016’s IV.

Made in collaboration with Swedish pop outfit Little Dragon, the song has a lush, soulful groove. Yukimi Nagano’s milky vocals temper lyrics about the pain of trying to hold emotions in, and BBNG’s instrumentation slowly rocks and hums. “

Read more here.

REVIEW: NONAME’S ‘ROOM 25’ IS ONE OF THE MOST QUIETLY POWERFUL RAP ALBUMS OF 2018

(SPIN)

“Possibly a reference to reflections that inspired her growth since we last heard from her (she’s just turned 27 at the time of this writing), this latest work is an extension of the aesthetic she formerly perfected with frequent collaborator and multi-instrumentalist Phoelix—a signature airy tone and distinct vocal rhythms that mesh prose and abstract rhyming to highlight her roots in spoken word. She’s most recently referred to this unorthodox style as ‘lullaby rap.’

…Though it can require attention to detail for her words to sink in, she gives off a feeling of effortless and whimsical grace as she speaks from a place of stark honesty over live instrumentation. A complete one-of-one act who continues to grow in real time outside of the limelight, Noname makes a subtle yet strong statement for women providing alternatives to one-dimensional rap archetypes.”

Read more here.

THE PLAYLIST: LADY GAGA DIVES INTO A FRESH ERA, AND 15 MORE NEW SONGS (feat. STEFON HARRIS & BLACKOUT, LIONEL LOUEKE, THELONIOUS MONK)

Thelonious Monk, ‘Nutty’
The vault continues to spill open and give us new, old Thelonious Monk. And why not? “Monk,” the latest treat, features a 1963 performance at a concert hall in Copenhagen, from a tour featuring one of the iconic pianist’s most tightly knit quartets: Charlie Rouse on tenor saxophone, John Ore on bass and Frankie Dunlop on drums.

Stefon Harris and Blackout, ‘Chasin’ Kendall’
Fifteen years ago, the vibraphonist Stefon Harris was a few paces ahead of the pack with Blackout, a group that reached back to the Young Lions era with one hand and grasped toward fresh ideas about genre-agnosticism and innovation by rhythm. The band hasn’t released a new album in almost 10 years, but now it’s back with “Sonic Creed.”

Lionel Loueke, ‘Vi Gnin’
The Beninese guitar virtuoso and vocalist Lionel Loueke enjoys the support of a comfortable, loosely syncopated band on “The Journey,” his latest album. But for much of “Vi Gnin,” a ruminative original confronting the heartache of migration and family separation, he is alone.

‘IN THE MOMENT, YOU JUST FLY’: JON BATISTE LETS LOOSE AT THE PIANO

(NPR: Fresh Air)

“Music came naturally to Jon Batiste, the leader of Stay Human, the house band for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Growing up outside of New Orleans as part of a large musical family, he says, “I picked up on all of these things that are integral to who I am as a musician without necessarily studying them.”

By the time he was 8 years old, Batiste was fronting and singing lead for his family’s band. Looking back, he says, the band was ‘a real celebration of our family.’

But after about a year, Batiste’s introverted nature got the best of him. He quit singing and instead began focusing on musical instruments — first drums and percussion and then, when he was 11, piano.

Batiste developed a unique style at the piano that combines a clearly articulated touch with strong emotions. He likens his playing to making gumbo: ‘You put everything in the pot and in the moment, you just fly.’”

Listen to the full interview here.

LIVE JAZZ: THREE SEPTEMBER STANDOUTS, FROM FAY VICTOR TO STAREBABY (feat. MARQUIS HILL BLACKTET)

(New York Times)

“The Month in Live Jazz,” a column highlighting three standout performances from the past month on stages across New York.

Marquis Hill Blacktet — Jazz Standard Sept. 11
“Marquis Hill, a young but accomplished trumpeter, hails from Chicago. There, he was part of a community where rappers, poets, improvisers and other artists played together in an intergenerational network. His various recordings have all been impressive, but none is a better indicator of how much he has to contribute to jazz’s contemporary conversation than ‘Modern Flows Vol. 2,’ his coming LP.”

Read more here.