Ezra Collective: Tiny Desk Concert

Ezra Collective: Tiny Desk Concert

What Is It?

The YouTube video Ezra Collective: Tiny Desk Concert by the YouTube channel NPR Music:

Ezra Collective: Tiny Desk Concert

Here is the description for this video:

Suraya Mohamed | November 10, 2022

The day before The Ezra Collective’s Tiny Desk concert, the band members practiced for hours at a nearby community music space and the next morning, they walked in the door giddy and ready to go.

The warm-up was good, but once we started to record, a crazy intensity and energy spilled out into the room.

They were fierce and fun, and all of their solos were on fire.

The band makes amazing jazz music and mixes it with a fusion of other genres like Afrobeat, hip-hop and grime.

The London-based band was supposed to play this Tiny Desk concert in 2020, but then, as bandleader and phenom drummer Femi Koleoso put it, “the world collapsed.”

Here it is now, rockin’ hard with the highest level of musicianship and technique.

Before coming to NPR, Koleoso had just finished a world tour with the group Gorillaz.

He met up with his bandmates in Washington, D.C., to play this concert and kick off promotion for the band’s newly released sophomore album, Where I’m Meant To Be.

He explained on Instagram that he loves the album title because it’s vague and specific at the same time, just like his band, a multifaceted complement of contrasting attributes.

The first two songs in this set are from that new album, while the last, “Chapter 7,” is from the group’s 2016 EP.

Throughout the set, watch how keyboard player Joe Armon-Jones barely stays on his seat and hear how the audience couldn’t keep quiet.

After the concert, the spirit of the music lingered for a long time and the day ended with pictures, hugs, and plenty of smiles.

SET LIST
“Victory Dance”
“Welcome To My World”
“Chapter 7”

MUSICIANS
Femi Koleoso: drums
TJ Koleoso: bass
Joe Armon-Jones: keys
James Mollison: saxophone
Ife Ogunjobi: trumpet

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Director/Editor: Joshua Bryant
Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin
Creative Director: Bob Boilen
Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame, Maia Stern, Sofia Seidel
Audio Assistant: Andie Huether
Production Assistant: Jill Britton
Tiny Desk Team: Marissa Lorusso, Hazel Cills, Ashley Pointer
VP, Visuals, and Music: Keith Jenkins
Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann

#nprmusic #tinydesk #ezracollective

Music

SONG: Victory Dance

ARTIST: Ezra Collective

ALBUM: Where I’m Meant To Be

LICENSES: [Merlin] Liberation Music, PIAS, WMG (on behalf of Partisan Records)

Juilliard Jazz Ensemble: Tiny Desk Concert

Juilliard Jazz Ensemble: Tiny Desk Concert

What Is It?

The YouTube video Juilliard Jazz Ensemble: Tiny Desk Concert by the YouTube channel NPR Music.

Here is the description for this video:

Nikki Birch | Sept. 2, 2022
Jazz may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of The Juilliard School, but perhaps this series of Tiny Desks will change that.

Tiny Desk and Jazz Night in America celebrate the 20th anniversary of Juilliard Jazz with three Tiny Desk concerts featuring performances by current students and alumni of the prestigious institution.

When the starry-eyed students of the Juilliard Jazz Ensemble first saw the Tiny Desk, they stopped short, exuding awe and wonderment.

After all, several of their favorite artists had performed in this very space — and now here they were, ready to prove themselves and carry on the legacy of both the Tiny Desk and jazz.

The Juilliard Jazz Ensemble performed at the Tiny Desk in celebration of the jazz studies program’s 20th anniversary.

Made up of current students, the ensemble embodies the spirit of community and collaboration that is an essential part of the students’ learning experience.

The ensemble opens with “June” a hypnotic composition by alto saxophonist Coby Petricone-Berg.

We understand immediately, despite the members’ relative youth, this ensemble is not to be trifled with.

A shout-out to the rhythm section is absolutely necessary, as drummer John Sturino, bassist Nico Martinez and pianist Esteban Castro lay back in the cut while ensuring the path ahead for the horns, with Jasim Perales giving us soulful trombone, is smooth like whipped shea butter.

This is grade-A musicianship — everyone listening and unselfishly supporting each other.

For the final selection, Ekep Nkwelle presents her arrangement of Geri Allen’s “Timeless Portraits and Dreams.”.

Her voice soars in this contemplative ballad, a perfect closer that allows each member of the ensemble to shine as they share the hope that, “In tomorrow’s world, let joy and love run free / Let’s hold on to our dreams.”.

SET LIST
“June” (Coby Petricone-Berg)
“Timeless Portraits and Dreams” (Geri Allen, arr. Ekep Nkwelle)

MUSICIANS
Ekep Nkwelle: vocals
Coby Petricone-Berg: alto saxophone
Jasim Perales: trombone
Esteban Castro: piano
Nico Martinez: bass
John Sturino: drums

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Nikki Birch
Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin
Director: Kara Frame
Creative Director: Bob Boilen
Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Editor: Michael Zamora
Videographers: Kara Frame, Pierre Kattar, Michael Zamora
Audio Assistant: Jospehine Nyounai
Production Assistants: Jill Britton, Joby Tanseco, Alanté Serene
Tiny Desk Team: Suraya Mohamed, Marissa Lorusso, Hazel Cills, Ashley Pointer, Maia Stern
VP, Visuals, and Music: Keith Jenkins
Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann

#TinyDesk #NPRMusic #JuilliardJazz

DOMi & JD BECK: Tiny Desk Concert

DOMi & JD BECK: Tiny Desk Concert

What Is It?

The YouTube video DOMi & JD BECK: Tiny Desk Concert by the YouTube channel NPR Music:

DOMi & JD BECK: Tiny Desk Concert

Here is the description for this video:

Bobby Carter | August 10, 2022
If you’ve heard a DOMi & JD BECK song or watched a performance online, expectations of catching brilliance when you witness the jazz duo in person are likely high.

JD’s drumsticks move faster than the brain can process.

DOMi offers every appendage on her body to the keys.

It’s frantic but focused, and I can’t stop watching.

For as tight as the two artists are musically — and even physically; one of their few Tiny Desk requests was for the drums and keys to be set up as close as possible — they take silly self-deprecating jabs when they aren’t playing.

It’s believable until they transform and the music starts.

The two musicians come from two completely different parts of the world.

James Beck began cutting his teeth as young as eleven at jam sessions in Dallas.

DOMi, aka DOMi Louna, was born in France and raised on jazz, and enrolled at the Conservatoire Régional du Grand Nancy at five.

DOMi eventually made her way to the States via a Presidential Scholarship from the Berklee College of Music.

The two met at a trade show in 2018 and have been inseparable since, playing sets on YouTube and driving the internet nuts.

Before they knew it, they were rubbing elbows with the upper echelon in jazz, R&B, and hip-hop.

The duo’s debut album, ironically titled NOT TiGHT, is a graduation of sorts with all of their OGs lending a hand — notably Anderson.

Paak, who took DOMi and JD BECK under his wing and made the duo the first signee to his APES*** label.

The two brought highlights from that album to the Tiny Desk, including the vines, turf, and vibrant floral arrangements from the album cover.

Before “U DON’T HAVE TO ROB ME,” a true story turned comedy, they make another attempt at neutralizing the room.

DOMi says, “We’re gonna ruin it!” It’s too late for all of that.

We’re already amazed.

SET LIST
“NOT TiGHT”
“SMiLE”
“U DON’T HAVE TO ROB ME”
“WHATUP”

MUSICIANS
DOMi: keys, vocals
JD BECK: drums, vocals

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Bobby Carter
Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin, Jhair “Jha” Lazo
Director: Kara Frame
Creative Director: Bob Boilen
Editor: Joshua Bryant
Videographers: Kara Frame, Pierre Kattar, Joshua Bryant
Art Direction: Winston Studios, Carlos Lopez, Iman Jordan
Audio Assistant: Josephine Nyounai
Production Assistants: Jill Britton, Joby Tanseco
Tiny Desk Team: Suraya Mohamed, Marissa Lorusso, Hazel Cills, Ashley Pointer, Maia Stern
VP, Visuals, and Music: Keith Jenkins
Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann

#TinyDesk #NPRMusic #DOMiandJDBECK

Chet Baker – Almost Blue (Live)

Almost Blue

What Is It?

The YouTube video Almost Blue & the YouTube video Almost Blue by the YouTube channel Chet Baker – Topic, which are videos of a live performance of the song Almost Blue by Chet Baker.

Almost Blue

Here are the descriptions for the videos above:

Provided to YouTube by SongCast, Inc.

Almost Blue · Chet Baker

Plays and Sings

℗ 1968, Chet Baker

Released on: 2021-11-10

Auto-generated by YouTube.

Provided to YouTube by Soundrop

Almost Blue · Chet Baker

Chet Baker In Tokyo (The Complete Concert)

℗ 2019 Chet Baker Estate LLC.

Released on: 2019-02-22

Composer Lyricist: Elvis Costello

Auto-generated by YouTube.

Cowboy Bebop (2021 TV Series) (Season 1)

Cowboy Bebop | Opening Credits | Netflix

What Is It?

The 2021 Netflix American science fiction live action parody streaming TV show adaptation of the Japanese anime (animated) TV show Cowboy Bebop called Cowboy Bebop (Season 1).

Cowboy Bebop | Official Trailer | Netflix

Here is how Metacritic describes this TV show:

The live-action series based on Shinichirō Watanabe’s anime series follows bounty hunters Spike Spiegel (John Cho), Jet Black (Mustafa Shakir) and Faye Valentine (Daniella Pineda) as they search the galaxy for wanted criminals.