JAMES BRANDON LEWIS “Apple Cores”

ARTIST

James Brandon Lewis

ALBUM TITLE

“Apple Cores”

LABEL

ANTI-Records

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Lewis’s prolific and diversified output—across labels and projects—testifies to the range and vitality of an artist of extraordinary charisma and creativity. As we’ve said before, he stands at the center of today’s jazz scene, having forged a unique voice grounded in the full history of the music and a proud affirmation of African-American identity.

This album continues that trajectory. Recorded during two largely improvised sessions, it emerges from a collaborative process of collective creation. Its title nods to a column once written by Amiri Baraka in DownBeat, and its conceptual focus is a refracted, idealized interpretation of Don Cherry’s musical universe. Yet this is far more than homage—it’s a dialogue with Cherry’s legacy, revisiting his curiosity and stylistic multiplicity. The music draws on diverse threads: dub-reggae bass lines, minimalist grooves, funk, jazz, and African textures, including Taylor’s mbira.

The originality of the process also appears in the cryptic, referential track titles, designed by Lewis as symbolic allusions to Cherry’s life and work. The album confirms Lewis as one of the most dynamic and generative voices of his generation—a relentless innovator who expands jazz by recombining contemporary elements and reanimating historical depth.

We review this release a bit late, just as a new one is announced—featuring Taylor, Brad Jones, and Aruán Ortiz in the Molecular Systematic Music project. But Apple Cores remains essential listening for anyone tracking the evolution of a key figure on today’s American jazz scene.

Sandro Cerini

DISTRIBUTED BY

Self

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