What does our music sound like now?
We mean “now” as in right now — fall of 2019? There’s no simple answer to that question, but The Checkout is here to help. Taking our cue from the WBGO Fall Preview, a rundown of 88 picks for the new season, we’ll explore some of the albums poised to make an impact in the weeks to come.
Simon Rentner welcomes Nate Chinen — WBGO’s editorial director, and author of Playing Changes: Jazz For the New Century — to talk about those albums, from a diverse crop of artists. We’ll discuss breakout debuts, like the one by bassist Harish Raghavan, pictured above; we’ll catch up with old favorites in new phases, like The Bad Plus.
Also in the mix are Tomeka Reid, a cellist at the center of so much vital avant-garde expression; The Comet is Coming, the electro-acoustic party-starters from London; Guillermo Klein, the Argentine composer, bandleader and pianist; and Chris Lightcap, whose latest features a boffo band he calls SuperBigmouth.
More still: We’ll touch on percussionist Adam Rudolph, who combined two large ensembles On Ragmala – A Garland of Ragas. We’ll talk about how pianist Kris Davis branched into new sonic territory on Diatom Ribbons, with Val Jeanty on turntables and Terri Lyne Carrington on drums.
Last but not least, we’ll stand in awe of Matana Roberts, whose Coin Coin Chapter Four: Memphis continues a bold series, presenting her not only as saxophonist and composer but also conceptualist, family folklorist and shaman.
For more about these albums, consult the WBGO Fall Preview.
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