Reginald Chapman is a trombonist/multi-instrumentalist/composer/arranger/producer originally from Champaign, Illinois, later based in Richmond, but now living in New York. After years of contributing to groups like Foxygen, Butcher Brown, and No BS! Brass Band, he stepped out with his first solo album, Prototype, in 2018. After giving us a remix collection, and some music under his side-project alias, Pressure Fit, Chapman is now back to give us his sophomore solo album, Accretion.

In case, like me, you were wondering where the title for this album came from, accretion means “the process of growth or increase, typically by the gradual accumulation of additional layers or matter.” This was the mantra Chapman had going into his sophomore album, wanting to build upon the foundation he had laid down with Prototype. His general approach going into the album was to build grooves and loops on his Roland SP-404, and then recording melodic elements on his trombone. He would then go back to these recordings and figure out how to flesh out the arrangements and who he should bring in to bring the compositions to life. In doing so, he came up with a talented roster that includes DJ Harrison, Andrew Randazzo, Marcus “Tennishu” Tenny, Jacob Ungerleider, Rob Quallich, Reggie Pace, Elijah “Ekoli” Harris, Kurt “Stxnfce” Shelby, James Russell Sims, Justin Copeland, Robert Brooks, Macon Mann, Taylor Corker, Morgan Price, Corey Fonville, Sean Durkin, Stephen Norfleet, Michael Jones, Kenneka Cook, Sam France, and Jonathan Rado. This is a lot of cooks in the kitchen, but Chapman has a plan for everyone to contribute, and all in the service of the bigger picture of the album, so it never feels too busy or disconnected. Instead, we get this sound to the album that feels like an experimental big band, one that is based in jazz and hip hop, but also dabbles in funk, soul, gospel, classical, and electronic music. It’s very expansive, ambitious, and creative, with lots of room for exploration and development with the music. Chapman always has one foot in pop music and the other in experimental music, and he walks the line between the two worlds better than most. The result is an album that absolutely sounds unique unto Chapman, and one that pushes the boundaries of different genres, but still remains funky and accessible at the same time. It might take a while for all of the complex musical nuance to sink in over multiple listens, but the grooves on this album are so undeniable, you’ll get sucked in right away.

Accretion is an excellent sophomore album from Reginald Chapman. It builds upon his first album and expands his musical universe in the process, delivering creative and challenging music that also manages to be funky as hell and just fun to listen to.