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Conversations Across Time: Makaya McCraven, Beat Scientist
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Makaya McCraven
drumsb.1983
Born into a musical family, McCraven's father,
Stephen McCraven
drumsOver the past two decades, McCraven has emerged as a leading voice in contemporary jazz and beyond. After relocating to Chicago, he began developing his signature style of combining live improvisation with modern post-production techniques. His 2015 album In The Moment exemplified this approach, featuring hours of live recordings edited into cohesive compositions. The project reflected McCraven's desire to connect with younger audiences and break away from the rigid formalities of traditional jazz.
Subsequent projects continued to explore themes of community, time, and innovation. His 2018 album Universal Beings brought together musicians from Chicago, New York, London, and Los Angeles in a series of augmented live sessions, further honing his technique of transforming improvised moments into produced records. In 2021, he applied this methodology to the Blue Note Records catalog with Deciphering The Message, reimagining classic recordings by jazz greats like
Art Blakey
drums1919 - 1990
Hank Mobley
saxophone, tenor1930 - 1986
In 2022, McCraven released In These Times, an album that he described as a lifelong project exploring the intersection of rhythm, culture, and the human experience. He explained that the record is about "time and space"—both in a literal rhythmic sense and as a reflection of the times we live in. The album embodies McCraven's ability to create music that feels simultaneously timely and timeless, drawing on the past while pushing boldly into the future.
This episode of The Third Story features a hybrid conversation with McCraven, combining interviews from 2022 and 2025. Through these conversations, McCraven reflects on his artistic journey, his philosophy of relinquishing to the moment, and his commitment to improvisation as an innate part of human consciousness. The discussion highlights his role as a cultural synthesizer, seamlessly blending influences from jazz, hip hop, and global traditions to create a sound that is entirely his own.
Here he discusses his early influences, his innovative projects, and his evolving perspective on time and creativity, navigating the space where past and present intertwine, and capturing the essence of McCraven's work: a celebration of the moment, an embrace of uncertainty, and a relentless drive to innovate.
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Radio & Podcasts
Makaya McCraven
Leo Sidran
Stephen McCraven
Cold Duck Complex
Art Blakey
Hank Mobley
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