Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad - Various: Jazz Is Dead 1 LP

Music exists in movement and change, but before any part of it can be pinned down for analysis, it has often moved and taken on a new face. The transformation is often driven by culture as forward-thinking people avoid the proverbial paths in search of revolution. Even though our pioneers prophesized that the revolution would not be televised, the message has permeated. It’s spreading like wild re and leaders are de ned by those that speak rst: Jazz Is Dead. The pluralism behind the mutiny is stark, but the reality is trapped in the eyes of us that eeted the scene years ago. With Jazz Is Dead, a new musical denomination is born, reversing the damage done to the genre. Yes, jazz speaks to all, but the mes- sage was no longer being recorded with reverence to the processes of the past; the dissonance of our movement is serving as the undertow for change. Music is the universal language and we are the interpreter of sound, a message that has been lost in transcription. Under Jazz Is Dead, younger artists are elaborating upon conversations started decades ago; jazz icons are utilizing vintage equipment to create new masters with Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad; the same equipment that recorded their coveted catalogs. The vitality embedded in the new masters epitomizes our quest for new life in music: Jazz Is Dead. The inaugural release of Jazz Is Dead is a futuristic nod to the past: a dream come true for two Producers that started their careers DJing and sampling some of the greatest jazz icons. “It’s surreal to be in the studio with cats ranging from Marcos Valle to Roy Ayers. The stories, the music and the experience is something Jazz Is Dead wants to share with the world,” states Adrian.