For those of you who haven’t pieced this one together yet, jazz and hip-hop are very similar. Jazz used to be hated: it was free form, it was nonsensical, it was fast, it was rhythmic and it was black. Hip-hop could be seen as similar by today’s standards. But something has changed about jazz. It has evolved from a primal, hated music, into the “only true American art form.” Weird? Yup. But it’s influence on hip-hop has not changed. Songs sample jazz tunes all the time to make fluid beats with historic reference. What happens when you use samples to make jazz, though? This is precisely what Kieran Hebden (Four Tet) and Steve Reid do on their newest release, NYC. The Four Tett-er decided to branch out from electronic beats and use the amazing drumming talents of the 64-year-old Reid several releases ago. Three releases later, and the duo have created a tribute to New York City ‘recorded at the legendary Avatar studio.

The first track, “Lyman Place,” is admittedly a little slow. It has a dash of uncertainty that makes you unsure of where the album is going: especially if you know nothing about this collaboration. Is it jazz? Will there be singing? Are these samples or live instrumentation? Will the style change? Well, the style does not change, but the songs do. And Kieran and Steve bring a lot more on the table in the other five songs. “1st and 1st” has a guitar riff buzz through its entirety without ever getting repetitive or old. The drums, like in a lot of jazz, really brings this album to its feet. It is very flowing, original and unpredictable. However repetitive the samples and instruments appear, the drums allow everything to be different. “Arrival” seemingly uses feedback as an instrument, and does it quite well. And like the previously mentioned, with Steve Reid on the drums it is hard to make anything sound bad. Especially in the jazz-format presented in this album. The melodies and rhythms are very free and expressive. “Between B and C” finally gives us a piano glimpse with a wonderful melody that captures the 1930s fairly well.

The only miss on NYC seems to be just that…New York City. The music is supposed to feel representative of the big apple, but, aside from the song titles, this is a feeling I failed to really grasp onto. Thankfully this is probably the least important part, because after listening to this record a few minutes I realized how special it really was. To mix electronics and samples, instruments and drumming, to recreate a music that usually takes some digging to listen to. A resurrection of a true American art form that pays homage to a true American city, I think Kieran and Steve nailed it.

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