Abstaining from hand-wringing about the (un)popularity of jazz takes a great deal of willpower. It’s a relief, consequently, when musicians directly address the worrisome topic on their recordings.
Marquis Hill’s potent new album Composers Collective: Beyond the Jukebox contains several spoken word interludes about the common perception of jazz as an irrelevant form of art. The vitality of the music refutes the notion.
Beyond the Jukebox demonstrates several ways in which jazz can be meaningful to broad audiences in 2024. Joined by luminaries including Gerald Clayton, Caroline Davis, Joel Ross and Jeff Parker, the trumpeter bounces between straight-ahead jazz, grown-and-sexy R&B and contemporary jazz informed by hip-hop.
The important message remains a secret. Liberty Hall was at fifteen percent capacity when Hill performed with Junius Paul and Makaya McCraven in Lawrence, Kansas, nine weeks ago.