Kelly Moran, courtesy Brandon Bowen. I chose to delve into some instrumental songs this week; there were a bunch to choose from. From the wind instrument leads of Charles Lloyd to percussive piano by Kelly Moran, retro, Afro-Latino flow by Jahari Massamba Unit, electronica by Prefuse 73 and a…

Robert Glasper, Dave Chappelle and Dwyane Wade share the stage at Blue Note Jazz Festival at Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif. on July 29, 2023. Derek Fisher/STAFF. NAPA — Thousands of jazz and hip-hop enthusiasts turned out to the Silverado Resort and Spa on Saturday on the second day…

The best albums of 2021 include St. Vincent, Dave, Madlib, Floating Points with Pharaoh Sanders and the London Symphony Orchestra, The Pretty Reckless, Mogwai, José González, Silk Sonic, Arlo Parks and Royal Blood. Best of 2021 We’re getting into the nitty-gritty now. There are likely some albums here that…

Madlib performs at 1015 Folsom in San Francisco on Sept. 3, 2021. Matt Pang/STAFF. SAN FRANCISCO — Madlib, one of the most legendary figures of hip-hop, was back in the Bay Area Friday. His special DJ set at 1015 Folsom in San Francisco consisted of hip-hop and R&B classics.  He…

Rapper Madlib didn’t wait long between albums. Following a jazz record in November as Jahari Massamba Unit, he’s already back with a new collaborative venture with electronic musician Four Tet in Sound Ancestors. Unlike the previous album, Sound Ancestors takes a more candidly hip-hop-centric focus that’s sample-heavy amid an array of boom…

The best albums of 2020 include (clockwise from top left): Benny the Butcher, Sault, The Soft Pink Truth, Jacob Collier, Lucinda Williams, Jahari Massamba Unit, Bruce Springsteen, Loyal Lobos, Soccer Mommy and Crack Cloud. Welcome back to RIFF’s year-end album roundup! If you’re joining us just now, you’re here…

Jazz, as the cornerstone of practically all modern American music, doesn’t always get critical acknowledgment—particularly in an era where people are increasingly listening to eclectic and peculiar genres like folktronica or vaporwave. Hip-hop producer legends Madlib and Karriem Riggins, who teamed up once again as Jahari Massamba Unit on Pardon My French,…

Clockwise from top left: Angel Olsen, Foals, Sharon Van Etten, Billie Eilish, Freddie Gibbs and Madlib, Oh Sees, The Highwomen, Bring Me The Horizon, Gary Clark Jr., and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. Well, we’ve made it. The following 10 albums are the best we heard this year.…

Freddie Gibbs and Madlib, “Bandana.” Few rap groups have more follow-up pressure than Madgibbs. With the decade drawing to a close, the first collaborative LP between Freddie Gibbs and Madlib remains one of its best hip-hop albums. Piñata proved to be as unexpected as it was successful, charging true-to-life…