[youtube id=”sggjSJ3qh8U”] Adrien Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad give a quick look at their work with Roy Ayers for their Jazz Is Dead series. Here they are in the studio working on “Hey Lover.” Ayers, Younge and Muhammad wrote the songs for the album that take inspiration from Ayers’s ’70s output that resulted in songs like “Everybody Loves The Sunshine.” The album is exclusively produced by Younge and Muhammad with Loren Oden, Joy Gilliam and others providing the vocals. Jazz Is Dead 2 featuring Roy Ayers will be released June 19th but can be pre-ordered now. 

Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge have collaborated with jazz icons for the Jazz Is Dead 001 compilation. It is the first release from the Jazz Is Dead label. Muhammad and Younge have fulfilled creative dreams working with Roy Ayers, Azymuth, Brian Jackson, Gary Bartz, Doug Carn, Joâo Donato and Marcus Valle on this inaugural project. Muhammad had this to say about jazz music and the new album: 

“What is Jazz in 2020? I can answer that this way: jazz artists have not only been an inspiration that has shaped my development as a musician, but their music is deeply rooted into the foundation of the Hip-Hop culture. We have risen because their head-nodding beats, lush chord progressions, soul ripping melodies and bellowing bass-lines have given us a musical backbeat to poetically flow on until the break of dawn. To me, it’s all freedom music and Jazz Is Dead is motivating a movement.”

Listen to “Hey Lover” their collaboration with Roy Ayers. Jazz Is Dead will be released on March 20th. 

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Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge’s The Midnight Hour is their latest collaboration. The jazz, hip-hop, Latin, and R&B-influenced album has appearances from Ladybug Mecca, Raphael Saadiq, CeeLo Green and more. They cite the Harlem Renaissance and Black excellence as their inspiration. The 20-song album shines brightly despite its reference to the middle of the night. 

Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge bring out another single from their upcoming Midnight Hour project with their version of Luther Vandross’s “So Amazing.” The song receives new sonic elements with Latin rhythm, harps and jazz guitar but Vandross’s original vocals are intact. Muhammad and Younge explained the origins of the cover in a press release: 

“We are huge lovers of Luther Vandross’ music. Our adoration towards Luther was mentioned in a passing conversation, which prompted SONY Legacy to invite us to meet with the members of Luther’s estate. We discussed many things and a question was posed, if one could reimagine Luther’s music in 2018 what would it sound like? Our version of ‘So Amazing’ is an example of a unique and special collaboration towards reimagining one of his classic songs. In addition to this song we will be making an announcement soon in relation to Luther Vandross and Spotify, but for now, we present to you the initial blossom from this collaboration.”

The Midnight Hour comes out next week.