Makaya McCraven in La Rochelle

Drummer Makaya McCraven takes the stage at the La Rochelle Jazz festival, alongside De’Sean Jones on woodwinds and Joshua Ramos on bass. A set composed of McCraven’s originals, each piece is filled with intensity, melodic extrapolation and rhythmic tightness between all three musicians. Jones plays multiple different woodwind instruments throughout the performance, tenor sax, flute and the EWI, the woodwind equivalent of a keyboard or synth, as well as various effect pedals, pushing all the boundaries of his playing, from the loud, high pitched sax, to the soft, somewhat eerie flute, both using pedals to manipulate the sounds further.

Also a producer, McCraven's playing style features influences from hip hop and rap, with a particular emphasis on rhythmic complexity. McCraven's technical skill on the drums makes him an extremely efficient bandleader, in the different circumstances the group finds themselves in throughout the set, with the various contrasting grooves of McCraven's compositions. The drums and bass in this performance are repeatedly linked, usually playing simple phrases, filled with McCraven's fast hands and plentiful ideas.