Suite for Max Brown
2020 studio album by Jeff Parker
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Suite for Max Brown is a studio album by American guitarist, composer, and record producer Jeff Parker. It was released on January 24, 2020, through International Anthem Recording Company and Nonesuch Records. It received universal acclaim from critics.[2]
| Suite for Max Brown | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 24, 2020 | |||
| Genre | Jazz[1] | |||
| Length | 39:49 | |||
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| Jeff Parker chronology | ||||
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Background
Jeff Parker is an American guitarist, composer, and record producer.[3] Suite for Max Brown is named after and dedicated to his mother, whose maiden name is Maxine Brown.[4] The album's cover features a photograph of her at the age of 19.[4] The album contains nine original tracks, a version of John Coltrane's "After the Rain", and "Gnarciss", which is an interpretation of Joe Henderson's "Black Narcissus".[5] The album includes performances by Parker, Paul Bryan, Josh Johnson, Jamire Williams, Katinka Kleijn, Rob Mazurek, Makaya McCraven, Jay Bellerose, and Nate Walcott.[6] Parker's daughter, Ruby Parker, sings on the opening track "Build a Nest".[7]
The album was released on January 24, 2020, through International Anthem Recording Company and Nonesuch Records.[8]
Critical reception
According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Suite for Max Brown received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 83 out of 100 from 4 critic scores.[2]
Nick Roseblade of The Quietus wrote, "There are times when the project could have drifted into a schmaltzy affair, but Parker sticks to his avant-garde roots and delivers his strongest album to date."[10] Steven Arroyo of Pitchfork stated, "While his electric guitar remains a highlight, Parker builds out a fast-slashing range of ideas using dozens of other sounds and instruments, most of which he plays himself."[7]
It was nominated for Best Jazz Record at the 2021 Libera Awards.[11]
Accolades
| Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Guardian | The 50 Best Albums of 2020 | 39 |
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| Magnet | Magnet's Top 25 Albums of 2020 | 5 |
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| Mojo | The 75 Best Albums of 2020 | 67 |
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| The Quietus | Quietus Albums of the Year 2020 | 27 |
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| The Vinyl Factory | Our 50 Favourite Albums of 2020 | 29 |
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| The Wire | Releases of the Year (2020 Rewind) | 6 |
Track listing
All tracks are written by Jeff Parker, except "After the Rain" by John Coltrane, and "Gnarciss" which contains elements of "Black Narcissus" by Joe Henderson.[18]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Build a Nest" (featuring Ruby Parker) | 2:13 |
| 2. | "C'mon Now" | 0:25 |
| 3. | "Fusion Swirl" | 5:32 |
| 4. | "After the Rain" | 4:45 |
| 5. | "Metamorphoses" | 1:48 |
| 6. | "Gnarciss" | 2:12 |
| 7. | "Lydian" | 0:55 |
| 8. | "Del Rio" | 1:38 |
| 9. | "3 for L" | 4:47 |
| 10. | "Go Away" | 4:58 |
| 11. | "Max Brown" | 10:36 |
| Total length: | 39:49 | |
Notes
- "C'mon Now" features samples from the Otis Redding recording "The Happy Song (Dum-Dum)".[18]
Personnel
Credits adapted from liner notes.[18]
- Jeff Parker – piano (1), electric guitar (1, 3, 4, 6–11), vocals (1, 3, 10), Korg MS-20 (1, 5, 8, 9, 11), drums (1, 8), sampler (2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10), bass guitar (3), percussion (3, 4), glockenspiel (5), sequencer (5), Roland JP-08 (6, 11), MIDI strings (6), MIDI programming (7), pandeiro (7), mbira (8), electric piano (8), production, arrangement, engineering, editing
- Ruby Parker – vocals (1)
- Paul Bryan – bass guitar (4, 6–8, 10, 11), vocals (10), production, engineering, editing, mixing
- Josh Johnson – electric piano (4), alto saxophone (6, 11)
- Jamire Williams – drums (4, 11)
- Katinka Kleijn – cello (6)
- Rob Mazurek – piccolo trumpet (6)
- Makaya McCraven – sampler (6), drums (6, 10)
- Jay Bellerose – drums (9), percussion (9)
- Nate Walcott – trumpet (11)
- Dave Cooley – mastering
- Craig Hansen – design, layout
Charts
| Chart (2020) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Album Downloads (OCC)[19] | 60 |
| UK Jazz & Blues Albums (OCC)[20] | 1 |