BADBADNOTGOOD-III ALBUM REVIEW

 

BADBADNOTGOOD has been a very exciting young band to watch over the last few years with their irreverent take on jazz fusion. Taking much more influence from hip-hop and electronica acts rather than “classic” jazz artists, BBNG have succeeded in reinterpreting the jazz fusion style while simultaneously opening the doors for jazz musicians who want to incorporate hip-hop into their music, but were maybe too skeptical or self-doubting to do so. If BBNG are not reinventing jazz they are certainly injecting a large dose of fun and innovation into it, and that makes them an absolute joy to listen to. Their hotly anticipated third album has now been released and it continues their path of exploration and experimentation, and it’s their most confident, technically adept, and well produced effort yet.

BADBADNOTGOOD-"Hedron" TRACK REVIEW

Thanks to a friend of mine who goes by the very epic name of Matias, I have become enamored with the Canadian trio of hip-hop loving jazz deviants called BADBADNOTGOOD. Their irreverent approach to jazz has struck a chord with me, and their innovations should leave modern jazz musicians who are still playing “Giant Steps” and “Take the Fucking A-Train” obsolete. Jazz purists be damned! BBNG is ushering in a new wave of jazz for young people who would otherwise avoid the hell out of their grandparent’s Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman records.

BASBADNOTGOOD-BBNG 2 ALBUM REVIEW

For quite some time now, there, unfortunately, haven’t been many big splashes in the jazz music pond worth noting. In fact, after the height of fusion’s popularity in the early to mid ‘70s, jazz started to fade in importance and esteem, save for prominent ‘70s and ‘80s artists like Pat Metheny, Weather Report, and Wynton Marsalis. Since smooth jazz is more commercial pop music than anything else, we’re left with many “true” jazz artists producing music that has flown pretty much under the radar over the last couple decades at least. Thank God, then, for a fine group of Canadian kids named BADBADNOTGOOD, a band that offers a fusion of hip-hop, jazz, and other influences that are hard to pin down to impressive effect.

BADBADNOTGOOD and the Future of Jazz

I haven't talked about jazz very much on this blog. Eexcept for this review of Miles Davis' Bitches Brew I haven't really felt like dedicating much time to writing about the genre, and that's honestly because there hasn't been much new happening in the genre, at least that I care about.