ALBUM OF THE WEEK
IARC0013 | MAKAYA MCCRAVEN | HIGHLY RARE
"Highly Rare is a new mixtape produced & arranged by Makaya McCraven.
It’s titled Highly Rare not only for the format of its release (a limited-edition run of cassettes packaged in screen-printed envelopes), but foremost for the context of the source material’s capture.
On one highly rare night in November 2016 Danny's was the place where we invited an "International Anthem All Stars" type of improvising ensemble (Makaya McCraven, Junius Paul, Nick Mazzarella and Ben Lamar Gay) to play in support of DJ sets by LeFtO, who was in transit from Belgium, hitting local spots under the direction of Chicago scene sage King Hippo. Damn-near 0 degrees and just days after the death sentence of the American presidential election, the sounds the musicians conjured were thick with the bitter cold darkness that hung heavy in the air, punctuated with moments of joyful determination – the kind that can only be accessed when such impending doom triggers passionate adrenalized bursts by creators in survival mode." Listen to Super Hot Take #1: Above & Beyond
