Thundercat, Ben LaMar Gay, Brian Wilson & More: New Release Cheat Sheet


If you’re looking for some great new music to discover this weekend, look no further than our weekly New Release Cheat Sheet. 

 

New Songs and Videos

Thundercat, “Dragonball Durag” feat. Jon Batiste

Thundercat performed his song “Dragonball Durag” on a recent episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, alongside Jon Batiste. This is one of the tracks from his latest album, It Is What It Is, released on Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder label last year. Watch the performance via the player below. The virtuosic bassist/vocalist also recently announced the release of a 10th-anniversary deluxe vinyl edition of his debut album, The Golden Age of Apocalypse, for Record Store Day Black Friday.

https://youtu.be/v4iaV3AKD4Y

 

Ben LaMar Gay, “Aunt Lola and the Quail”

Chicago-based composer/singer/improviser Ben LaMar Gay has shared a new single from his upcoming album, Open Arms to Open Us, due out November 19 via International Anthem/Nonesuch. Pre-order it here. “Aunt Lola and the Quail” finds him retracing his childhood summers spent on his great Aunt Lola’s land in Alabama and is a preview of the sonic explorations on his new LP, which explores his interests in thermodynamics, rhythm as an inheritance of information, and improvisation as “the one freedom that we all have access to.” The song is accompanied by a music video directed by Chris Strong.

 

Brian Wilson, “Good Vibrations”

Brian Wilson has shared his solo piano rendition of his iconic Beach Boys hit song, “Good Vibrations.” This is one of the tracks from his forthcoming album, At My Piano, set to be released on November 19 via Decca. The album finds Wilson offering intimate and relaxing solo piano interpretations of some of his legendary compositions. We included it in our list of albums released this month that you need to know about. You can pre-order At My Piano HERE.

 

New Albums

Bill Charlap Trio, Street of Dreams (Blue Note)

Pianist Bill Charlap returns to Blue Note with Street of Dreams, featuring his longstanding trio with bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington. Together, they perform a delightful mix of Great American Songbook favorites and songs by great jazz composers, including Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington, Kenny Burrell, and Dave Brubeck. Order it here.

 

Melanie Charles, Y’all Don’t (Really) Care About Black Women (Verve)

On her first major-label album, Brooklyn-born singer/songwriter/flutist Melanie Charles breathes new energy into songs from the Verve vaults to create an unflinching and activist love letter to the unheralded labor of Black women. Y’all Don’t (Really) Care About Black Women contains reimagined music by Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and more. Order it here.

 

SWR Big Band, Magnus Lindgren & John Beasley, Bird Lives – The Charlie Parker Project (ACT)

Bird Lives was produced and recorded in celebration of Charlie Parker’s 100th birthday in 2020. The album features some of the trailblazing saxophonist’s timeless music arranged by Magnus Lindgren and John Beasley, and featuring prominent guests alongside the SWR Big Band, one of Europe’s most acclaimed big bands. Order it here.

 

Featured photo by Quinn Dunziellas.

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