As a drummer, Makaya McCraven established his name by working with Archie Shepp and Yusef Lateef, among others. But as a bandleader and producer and one of the most sought-after percussionists from Chicago he continuously shifts boundaries. The online music magazine Pitchfork described his latest solo release, 2018’s Universal Beings as a hypnotizing double album. Large roles on this magical work are set aside for vibraphonist Joel Ross and harpist Brandee Younger, two exceptional artists who have won their spurs in the jazz world. On his current tour, McCraven is taking both as his special guests, with the emphasis on ‘special’. Because of her powerful albums with her quartet, Younger has been compared to Alice Coltrane and Dorothy Ashby, while Ross has shared the stage with Herbie Hancock, among others, and recently signed on the Blue Note label. The album Universal Beings is a compilations of live recordings made over a one-year period. McCraven’s latest series of concerts will no doubt result in the next wonderful record.
