Misty Fest returns with its 14th edition next November and the first name announced is Makaya McCraven, one of the main protagonists of the current movement of jazz renewal that has poles in cities like Los Angeles, Chicago or London.
Producer and drummer Makaya MacCraven has released an acclaimed discography under his own name through the renowned International Anthem, but has also responded to calls from other important labels on both sides of the Atlantic. The musician who in 2018 answered the question “Where We Come From” with an album with the same title and the parallel designation “Chicago Vs. London Mixtape” worked right then and there with renowned soloists such as Kamaal Williams or Nubya Garcia. In the same year, “Universal Beings” confirmed the vigour of his entire musical vision, continuing on his path of crossing jazz with hip hop and other languages.
In 2020, London’s XL Recordings challenged him to remix and reimagine Gil Scott Heron’s last album with the result, “We’Re New Again”, earning widespread applause from the press. Next in his already vast discography was the challenge from the historic New York label Blue Note to decipher the message by reworking a series of classics from their mythical catalogue, from Wayne Shorter to Art Blakey. And for this he invited new jazz values such as Jeff Parker, Matt Gold or Junius Paul. He also participated in “The Chicago Experiment” alongside modern giants such as Marquis Hill or Joel Ross and in 2022 he launched his most ambitious and acclaimed project, “In These Times”, one of the records of the year in many jazz publications. Now, the visionary musician makes his debut in Portugal, showing that the present and the future are really his time, with what will certainly be one of the most awaited concerts of the year.