Jeff Parker - Suite for Max Brown

Jeff Parker
Suite for Max Brown
International Anthem / Nonesuch 0029

Jeff Parker’s last album, The New Breed, was a tribute to his father who passed away while the album was being made. This time, Parker dedicated new album, Suite for Max Brown, to his mother, Maxine. Tender riffs interplay with gentle tones to create an album that oozes with admiration. Given the subject matter, his mum, this makes perfect sense. But what sets Suite for Max Brown apart from similar releases is how honest and raw it feels. There are times when the project could have drifted into a schmaltzy affair, but Parker sticks to his avant-garde roots and delivers his strongest album to date. Though he invited in collaborators for this project, Parker is very much a solo artist on Suite for Max Brown. He constructs a digital bed of beats and samples; lays down tracks of his own on guitar, keyboards, bass, percussion, and occasionally voice; then invites musician friends to play and improvise over his melodies. But unlike a traditional jazz session, Parker doesn’t assemble a full band in the studio for a day or two of live takes. His accompanists are often working alone with Parker, reacting to what Parker has provided them, and then Parker uses those individual parts to layer and assemble into his final tracks. The process may be relatively solitary and cerebral, but the results feel like in-the-moment jams—warm-hearted, human, alive. Suite for Max Brown brims with personality, boasting the rhythmic flow of hip hop and the soulful swing of jazz. 
Contributing musicians include: Makaya McCraven, John Johnson, Nate Walcott, Paul Bryan, Katinka Kleijn, Ruby Parker, Rob Mazurek, and others. 

     Tracks are: 
Build a Nest 
C'Mon Now 
Fusion Swirl 
After the Rain 
Metamorphoses 
Gnarciss 
Lydian, Etc 
Del Rio 
3 for L 
Go Away 
Max Brown 

NEW SEALED LP