One of the few good things to come out of 2020 was the launch of the Jazz is Dead imprint from Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad. The goal was to get older jazz musicians back in the studio to record all new material and to introduce them to a younger audience. Since that inception, we’ve gotten wonderful albums from Roy Ayers, Marcos Valle, Azymuth, Doug Cairn, Gary Bartz, and Joao Donato. Now it’s time to add Brian Jackson’s name to that list.

Brian Jackson is a musician from New York that first met Gil Scott-Heron when they were both at Lincoln University, which begat a friendship and musical partnership that saw them put together a run of classic albums across the ‘70s that few can touch. Since the ‘80s, he’s bounced around and collaborated here and there, playing with everyone from Roy Ayers to Les Nubians along the way. For all he’s accomplished in his career, though, it’s been twenty years since he released a new full-length album. Luckily, Jazz is Dead is around to help him get back in the studio. On this album, Jackson himself is playing Rhodes, clavinet, synthesizer, and alto and C flute. He then keeps things simple, with Younge and Muhammad filling in on bass, guitar, and clarinet, and Malachi Morehead hopping on the drums. The result is a really light and breezy jazz album, one played with a lot of finesse and musicality. It’s not the type of album that will blow you away with fancy musicianship, but it is one that will set a mood and then reward those that listen closely and pick up on the subtle and sophisticated musicianship happening with this small combo.

Brian Jackson has become severely underrated at this point in his life, so it’s nice to see someone like Jazz is Dead take the time to get him back in the studio and let his musicianship shine. This is a beautiful and thoughtful album from a legend who isn’t done yet.