I’m a big fan of Creative Commons licensing, obviously. I’m a big fan of jazz. But convincing jazz musicians, who are languishing in obscurity anyway, to use Creative Commons licenses to get their music out more widely has always proven to be difficult. It always has been. Since the days of the long-lamented Clinical Archives netlabel, very few consistent outlets for sharing jazz exist. What does exist tends to be scattershot, to put it politely, and with Google changing yet again their search methods, it’s become even more difficult to find jazz that is made to be shared.
So things like Noel Brass Jr.’s music often slips through the cracks. Many Seattle folks know his work with his psychedelic group Afrocop (which is not Creative Commons licensed either). But his more eclectic solo work covers an even wider range than with his group. Sometimes funky, sometimes introspective, sometimes downright spacey, it’s always a joy when a new Noel Brass Jr piece shows up in my box.
I’ve been meaning to feature his work for awhile, but I’ve been waiting for reasons unknown. But no longer. This latest piece should definitely work its way into your brain pan. It’s great music. Besides, Noel is seasonal. It’ll make an excellent soundtrack for your snowy December outro.
