“Freebird” by Walking Distance feat. Jason Moran garners NY Times best-of and more!

February 6, 2019

Freebird, the new record by Walking Distance feat Jason Moran, produced and mixed by me, has been out now for a few months and has garnered quite a bit of praise.

It was named to the “Top 20 Jazz records of 2018” by the New York Times. The Times also covered the record in their annual “Fall Arts Preview” as well as their “Playlist” column.

Bird is the Worm named the record #2 in his Top 50 of 2018 and also appeared on numerous other 2018 Best-of lists. Bird is the Worm says: “Everything about this album is representative of everything that is great about jazz.”

Also thrilled for many more positive coverage from media, blogs playlists and podcasts from the likes of DownBeat Magazine (2 reviews: print and e-newsletter editor’s pick,) Jazz Times, Jazziz, Financial Times, All About Jazz, NextBop.com, Jazz Bastard Podcast, BandCamp Daily, Club de Jazz, Via Jazz, Jazz Trail, MondoJazz, Modern Jazz Today

“Sound[s] ageless” and “Utterly fresh” – New York Times

“Throughout Freebird, Parker’s signature eighth-note triplets and bold chromatic turns emerge and just as quickly disappear as the bebop icon’s canon is cleverly, and lovingly, mutated.” – Downbeat Editor’s Pick, Oct 2018

“I wouldn’t have thought that a re-envisioning of Parker’s music could reach the heights of Rudresh Mahanthappa’s excellent 2015 release Bird Calls, but this offering from Walking Distance has me wanting to shout this recommendation from the rooftops. I can’t possibly recommend this album enough.” – BandCamp Best Jazz of Sept 2018

“It’s like hearing these tunes in a dream state, where an occasional real-world fact shows up just in time to anchor an otherwise otherworldly narrative.” – Jazziz. Also in Jazziz Winter 2018 playlist

“There isn’t a jazz fan out there who doesn’t recall the visceral thrill of hearing a Charlie Parker solo for the first time. That electric charge bleeds through every note of Freebird.” – BandCamp Daily

Buy or stream the record here:

Bandcamp
Spotify
Apple Music

 

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  1. Home In America *producer/mixer* *hip-hop* Analog Players Society x Masta Ace 4:23
  2. Reckoning *producer/mixer/engineer* *jazz meets boom bap* Donny McCaslin 3:15
  3. Wicked *performer/co-writer/producer/mixer/engineer* *trip-hop* Mudville 4:27
  4. All That We Are *producer/mixer/performer* *black americana pop* Queen Esther 4:07
  5. Bigment *producer/mixer/engineer* *jazz movie* Walking Distance feat. Jason Moran 4:22
  6. I Believe *co-producer/mixer* *funk/soul* Shine and the Moonbeams 3:12
  7. All About Me *bassist/producer/mixer/engineer* *political rock* Lower Power 2:13
  8. Rock The Block (feat. Ben Rubin) *producer/mixer* *hip-hop* Analog Players Society (feat. Donny McCaslin & Orrin Evans) 2:28
  9. Manifest (Benny Cha Cha Remix) *bolly-hop* Karsh Kale 6:09
  10. Williamsburg Bridge *upright bass* *folk rock* James Maddock 4:14
  11. Ain't No Storm *co-producer/mixer* *avant-vocal-jazz* Caleb Wheeler Curtis ft. Sarah Elizabeth Charles 4:39
  12. Ghost Town *producer/mixer/performer* *space music* Buzzed Armstrong feat. Josh Lawrence & Anwar Marshall 4:19
  13. Simple Ghilnooorty *producer/mixer/performer/engineer* *jazz meets nine inch nails* Walking Distance feat. Jason Moran 3:20
  14. Deja Vu (Benny Cha Cha Remix) *hip-hop* Killah Priest 3:53
  15. We Know *co-producer/mixer* *pop* Shine and the Moonbeams 3:24
  16. Someone Else *performer/producer/mixer/engineer* *trip-hop* Mudville 4:12
  17. The Hero Of The World *performer/co-writer/producer/mixer/engineer* *trip-hop* Mudville 4:29
  18. "Long Distance" - End Credits *composer/producer/performer/mixer* *film score* Ben Rubin feat. Michael Blake 1:19
  19. My Favorite Waste of Time *producer/performer/mixer/engineer* *dance pop* Marshall Crenshaw feat. Keva Hargrove 3:10
  20. Businessman Of The Heart *bassist/producer/mixer/engineer* *political rock* Lower Power 3:07
  21. Today Means More *producer/bassist/mixer/engineer* *country* Stripmall Ballads feat. Jolie Holland & Sam Parton 3:19
  22. "Someone Else" - Opening Titles *composer/performerproducer/engineer/mixer* *film score* Ben Rubin 1:39
  23. Pussy (Benny Cha Cha Remix) *hip-hop* Brazilian Girls 5:41
  24. "7x6x2" - End Credits *composer/producer/perfomer/mixer/engineer* *space western rock film score* Ben Rubin 4:33
  25. Doggie and Cookie *bassist/mixer* *jazz* Dred Scott Trio 6:46
  26. When I'm Writing (Benny Cha Cha Remix) *hip-hop* Killah Priest 4:30
  27. Goodbye Blue Sky (Benny Cha Cha's Hee-House Remix) Luther Wright & The Wrongs 4:03
  28. That Lick I Invented *bassist/co-producer/mixer* *jazz* Dred Scott Trio 6:12