Makaya McCraven Tickets

Raised in a multicultural environment—born in Paris and growing up in Northampton, Massachusetts—Makaya McCraven was deeply influenced by both his father, a jazz drummer who played with legends like Marion Brown and Archie Shepp, and his mother, who brought Eastern European folk traditions into his world. This heritage forms the foundation of his belief that music is a collective experience—an essential part of who we are and how we build communities. He teaches music by ear, ensuring that even the most complex rhythms become part of a shared, down-to-earth experience.

With recordings and live performances from cities like Chicago, New York, London, and Los Angeles, *In These Times* reflects both personal experiences and universal themes. It is an album that embraces both tradition and innovation—a reflection of a world without borders.

Often referred to as a "cultural synthesizer," McCraven believes that the word *jazz* is insufficient to describe the musical phenomenon he creates. He fuses traditional African American rhythms, Eastern European folk melodies, and '90s sample-based hip-hop into polytextured arrangements that bridge the past, present, and future. As *The New York Times* puts it: "McCraven has quietly become one of the best arguments for jazz's vitality."