Universal Beings

Universal Beings
Studio album by
Makaya McCraven
ReleasedOctober 26, 2018 (2018-10-26)
Recorded
  • August 29, 2017
  • September 2, 2017
  • October 19, 2017
  • January 30, 2018[1][2]
Studio
  • H0l0 (Ridgewood, Queens, New York)
  • Co-Prosperity Sphere (Bridgeport, Chicago, Illinois)
  • Total Refreshment (Stoke Newington, London)
  • Jeff Parker's house (Altadena, California)[1][2]
Genre
Length89:47
LabelInternational Anthem
ProducerMakaya McCraven
Makaya McCraven chronology
Where We Come From (Chicago x London Mixtape)
(2018) 		Universal Beings
(2018) 		Moving Cities
(2019)

Universal Beings is a studio album by American drummer, composer, and record producer Makaya McCraven. It was released on October 26, 2018, through International Anthem Recording Company. It received universal acclaim from critics.[5]

Background

Makaya McCraven is an American drummer, composer, and record producer based in Chicago.[6] Universal Beings is a double album, containing 22 tracks.[7] It was recorded in New York, Chicago, London, and Los Angeles.[8] It contains performances by McCraven, Brandee Younger, Joel Ross, Dezron Douglas, Tomeka Reid, Shabaka Hutchings, Junius Paul, Nubya Garcia, Ashley Henry, Daniel Casimir, Josh Johnson, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Jeff Parker, Anna Butterss, and Carlos Niño.[9] It was released on October 26, 2018, through International Anthem Recording Company.[10]

Mark Pallman directed a 26-minute documentary film, Universal Beings (2020), which features footage from McCraven's live performances, as well as interviews and studio scenes.[11][12]

McCraven later released a companion album to Universal Beings, titled Universal Beings E&F Sides, in 2020.[13][14] It contains 14 tracks recorded during the original album sessions.[15] It was released digitally on July 31, 2020, and physically on September 25, 2020.[15]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic86/100[5]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[9]
Exclaim!8/10[16]
Pitchfork8.1/10[17]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Universal Beings received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 86 out of 100 from 5 critic scores.[5]

Thom Jurek of AllMusic commented that "Universal Beings is unique from any other jazz recording in 2018: It marries virtuoso musicianship, technological savvy, a keen editor's ear for creative inspiration, and a plethora of almighty grooves."[9] Nate Chinen of Pitchfork wrote, "Informed by ambient and hip-hop protocols as well as state-of-the-art jazz hyperfluency, it suggests both the spark of discovery and the sheen of an obsessively sculptured art object."[17] Scott A. Gray of Exclaim! stated, "While the music is clearly rooted in jazz, the influences on this ensemble's sound are vast and worldly, if not measurably universal."[16]

At the 2019 JJA Jazz Awards, Universal Beings was nominated for the Record of the Year.[18]

Accolades

Year-end lists for Universal Beings
Publication List Rank Ref.
AllMusic AllMusic Best of 2018
—
[19]
Noisey The 100 Best Albums of 2018
62
[20]
NPR The 50 Best Albums of 2018
30
[21]
Spin The 51 Best Albums of 2018
38
[22]

Track listing

New York Side
No.TitleLength
1."A Queen's Intro"0:32
2."Holy Lands"5:14
3."Young Genius"5:32
4."Black Lion"2:56
5."Tall Tales"4:16
6."Mantra"3:48
Chicago Side
No.TitleLength
7."Pharaoh's Intro"1:58
8."Atlantic Black"9:10
9."Inner Flight"3:02
10."Wise Man, Wiser Woman"3:13
11."Prosperity's Fear"6:11
London Side
No.TitleLength
12."Flipped Out"2:40
13."Voila"5:00
14."Suite Haus"5:09
15."The Newbies Lift Off"6:19
16."The Royal Outro"1:44
Los Angeles Side
No.TitleLength
17."The Count Off"1:09
18."Butterss's"2:59
19."Turtle Tricks"4:15
20."The Fifth Monk"8:01
21."Brighter Days Beginning"2:32
22."Universal Beings"4:08

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.[1][2]

  • Makaya McCraven – drums, production
  • Brandee Younger – harp (1–6)
  • Joel Ross – vibraphone (1–6)
  • Dezron Douglas – double bass (1–6)
  • Tomeka Reid – cello (1–11)
  • Shabaka Hutchings – tenor saxophone (7–11)
  • Junius Paul – double bass (7–11), percussion (7–11)
  • Nubya Garcia – tenor saxophone (12–16)
  • Ashley Henry – Rhodes piano (12–16)
  • Daniel Casimir – double bass (12–16)
  • Josh Johnson – alto saxophone (17–22)
  • Miguel Atwood-Ferguson – violin (17–22)
  • Jeff Parker – guitar (17–22)
  • Anna Butterss – double bass (17–22)
  • Carlos Niño – percussion (17–22)
  • David Allen – recording, mixing
  • Dave Vettraino – recording, mixing
  • Scott McNiece – executive production
  • Damon Locks – cover art
  • Aaron Lowell Denton – design
  • Craig Hansen – insert design
  • Fabrice Bourgelle – insert cover photography

Charts

Chart performance for Universal Beings
Chart (2018) Peak
position
US Jazz Albums (Billboard)[23] 3

References

  1. ^ a b c "Universal Beings | Makaya McCraven". Bandcamp. Archived from the original on August 12, 2025. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  2. ^ a b c "Universal Beings (IA11 Edition) | Makaya McCraven". Bandcamp. Archived from the original on November 18, 2025. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  3. ^ Shteamer, Hank (December 12, 2018). "20 Best Jazz Albums of 2018". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 19, 2019. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  4. ^ Freeman, Phil (December 11, 2018). "The 10 Best Jazz Albums Of 2018". Stereogum. Archived from the original on March 8, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  5. ^ a b c "Universal Beings by Makaya McCraven". Metacritic. Archived from the original on September 23, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  6. ^ Jurek, Thom. "Makaya McCraven". AllMusic. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  7. ^ Joyce, Colin (October 30, 2018). "Makaya McCraven's Utopian Vision of Jazz Could Change the World". Vice.com. Archived from the original on May 8, 2025. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  8. ^ Galil, Leor (November 21, 2018). "Makaya McCraven showcases jazz's bright contemporary scenes throughout Universal Beings". Chicago Reader. Archived from the original on October 20, 2021. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  9. ^ a b c Jurek, Thom. "Universal Beings - Makaya McCraven". AllMusic. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  10. ^ Weiner, Natalie (October 25, 2018). "Makaya McCraven Isn't Interested in Saving Jazz". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on April 23, 2019. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  11. ^ DeVille, Chris (July 31, 2020). "Watch The Makaya McCraven Documentary & Stream His New Album Universal Beings E&F Sides". Stereogum. Archived from the original on August 7, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2026.
  12. ^ "UNIVERSAL BEINGS". YouTube. July 31, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2026.
  13. ^ Yoo, Noah (July 14, 2020). "Makaya McCraven Announces New Universal Beings Companion Album and Documentary". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on April 20, 2021. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  14. ^ "Universal Beings E&F Sides | Makaya McCraven". Bandcamp. Archived from the original on August 18, 2025. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  15. ^ a b Slingerland, Calum (July 14, 2020). "Makaya McCraven Details 'Universal Beings' Addendum Album, Documentary". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on April 17, 2021. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  16. ^ a b Gray, Scott A. (October 25, 2018). "Makaya McCraven". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on April 6, 2020. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  17. ^ a b Chinen, Nate (October 29, 2018). "Makaya McCraven: Universal Beings". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on August 1, 2020. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  18. ^ "2019 Nominees for Performance & Recordings". JJA Jazz Awards. April 16, 2019. Archived from the original on December 7, 2025. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  19. ^ "AllMusic Best of 2018 | AllMusic 2018 in Review". AllMusic. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  20. ^ "The 100 Best Albums of 2018". Vice.com. December 5, 2018. Archived from the original on December 9, 2024. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  21. ^ "The 50 Best Albums Of 2018 (30-21)". NPR. December 4, 2018. Archived from the original on August 1, 2019. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  22. ^ "The 51 Best Albums of 2018". Spin. December 12, 2018. Archived from the original on July 13, 2019. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  23. ^ "Jazz Albums". Billboard. November 10, 2018. Archived from the original on April 18, 2019. Retrieved January 2, 2026.

Further reading

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