Makaya McCraven

He calls himself a "beat scientist" and is considered one of the most important protagonists of contemporary jazz and the new Chicago scene in particular: Makaya McCraven. As a master of musical collage, the drummer and producer masterfully incorporates influences from hip-hop, drum'n'bass, jazz and his own beat philosophy into his music. He became known to a wide audience with his reinterpretation of the last Gil Scott-Heron album at the latest: "We're New Again" is McCraven's title and amalgamates blues, spiritual and free jazz into a powerful statement that respectfully celebrates the historical significance of the pioneer of rap. With his most recent solo album "In These Times", the "beat scientist" has pumped even more ingredients into his music - electronic, symphonic, borrowed from funk and hip-hop - in a seven-year effort, forming soundscapes that, it can be said without exaggeration, make jazz at least ten years younger.