Universal Beings is a studio album by American drummer, composer, and record producer Makaya McCraven. It was released on October 26, 2018, through International Anthem Recording Company. It received universal acclaim from critics.
Background Makaya McCraven is an American drummer, composer, and record producer based in Chicago. Universal Beings is a double album, containing 22 tracks. It was recorded in New York, Chicago, London, and Los Angeles. It contains performances by McCraven, Brandee Younger, Joel Ross, Dezron Douglas, Tomeka Reid, Shabaka Hutchings, Junius Paul, Nubya Garcia, Ashley Henry, Daniel Casimir, Josh Johnson, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Jeff Parker, Anna Butterss, and Carlos Niño. It was released on October 26, 2018, through International Anthem Recording Company.
McCraven later released a companion album to Universal Beings, titled Universal Beings E&F Sides, in 2020. It contains 14 tracks recorded during the original album sessions. It was released digitally on July 31, 2020, and physically on September 25, 2020.
Mark Pallman directed a 26-minute documentary film, Universal Beings (2020), which features footage from McCraven's live performances, as well as interviews and studio scenes.
Critical reception
Thom Jurek of AllMusic commented that "Universal Beings is unique from any other jazz recording in 2018: It marries virtuoso musicianship, technological savvy, a keen editor's ear for creative inspiration, and a plethora of almighty grooves." Nate Chinen of Pitchfork wrote, "Informed by ambient and hip-hop protocols as well as state-of-the-art jazz hyperfluency, it suggests both the spark of discovery and the sheen of an obsessively sculptured art object." Scott A. Gray of Exclaim! stated, "While the music is clearly rooted in jazz, the influences on this ensemble's sound are vast and worldly, if not measurably universal."
At the 2019 JJA Jazz Awards, Universal Beings was nominated for the Record of the Year.
Accolades + Year-end lists for Universal Beings Publication List Rank AllMusic AllMusic Best of 2018 Noisey The 100 Best Albums of 2018 NPR The 50 Best Albums of 2018 Spin The 51 Best Albums of 2018
Track listing
Personnel Credits adapted from liner notes.
Makaya McCraven – drums, production Brandee Younger – harp (1–6) Joel Ross – vibraphone (1–6) Dezron Douglas – double bass (1–6) Tomeka Reid – cello (1–11) Shabaka Hutchings – tenor saxophone (7–11) Junius Paul – double bass (7–11), percussion (7–11) Nubya Garcia – tenor saxophone (12–16) Ashley Henry – Rhodes piano (12–16) Daniel Casimir – double bass (12–16) Josh Johnson – alto saxophone (17–22) Miguel Atwood-Ferguson – violin (17–22) Jeff Parker – guitar (17–22) Anna Butterss – double bass (17–22) Carlos Niño – percussion (17–22) David Allen – recording, mixing Dave Vettraino – recording, mixing Scott McNiece – executive production Damon Locks – cover art Aaron Lowell Denton – design Craig Hansen – insert design Fabrice Bourgelle – insert cover photography
Charts + Chart performance for Universal Beings Chart (2018) Peakposition US Jazz Albums (Billboard) 3
References
Further reading
External links