If You Like DOMi & JD BECK, Listen to These Albums
Take note of the jazz fusion pioneers and daring artists that are similar to newcomers DOMi & JD BECK.
NOT TiGHT
by DOMi & JD BECK
“Brilliance…”
Words like these are used widely and frequently to describe DOMi and JD BECK. The pair’s debut, NOT TiGHT, can only be defined as jazz — but how do you really define jazz? Their particular flavor is fusion jazz with a touch of acid and a strong undercurrent of hip hop and R&B. And, thanks to Anderson .Paak signing the two to his Blue Note imprint, Apeshit, and producing the album, there’s a heavy sprinkling of pop palatability.
But keys aficionado DOMi (22) and drumming wizard JD Beck (19) probably don’t care about all these adjectives and explanations. ”I think that’s the big misconception with jazz — we got to put our suits on and do this and sound really serious on the mic and not talk to the public, stuff like that. I guess it gravitated toward that but I mean, who made that rule? There’s no rule. Jazz is about experimenting and playing with each other and going places you’ve never explored before,” DOMi told Okayplayer in an interview.
You can hear that experimentation throughout NOT TiGHT, which also features big names across the musical spectrum, including Herbie Hancock, Thundercat, Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, Mac DeMarco, Kurt Rosenwinkel, and Anderson .Paak himself. The duo was just nominated for two Grammys: Best New Artist and Best Contemporary Instrumental Album.
But what if you don’t like jazz? You don’t have to in order to enjoy DOMi & JD Beck. All you have to do is strap in for incredibly fast beats and rapid melodies. Then, you can move on to the albums listed below for some groundbreaking jazz and genre-bending hip hop and funk.
Drunk
by Thundercat
Thundercat is a highly influential crossover musician with a style that is reminiscent of free jazz. He is most famous for his funky, bass-centric solo work, but became well known as a member of the thrash band Suicidal Tendencies and playing a huge role in the production of Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly. DOMi & JD BECK frequently collaborate with Thundercat. It was their appearance during a live performance of Thundercat’s “Them Changes” featuring Ariana Grande that helped them transcend from the jazz prodigy spotlight into the limelight. This song can be found on Drunk, Thundercat’s third studio album that features heavy acid jazz vibes fused with funk and soft rock. This popular release will appeal to NOT TiGHT fans, but provide more groove and sing-along moments.
Thrust
by Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock is a jazz pianist, but his decades-long career has spanned genres and helped define post-bop jazz, jazz-funk, and electro. Head Hunters is undeniably his most popular album, but his group’s subsequent release, Thrust, has more of a classic jazz keys sound while still invoking a futuristic vibe. The legend himself appears on the NOT TiGHT track “Moon”, which was co-written by Paak. “Moon” is much smoother than Thrust, but with Hancock’s voice coming through a vocoder, the song still conjures that same old-school interpretation of a sci-fi future. DOMi cites Hancock as a major influence on her own style. “That was insane, to just see Herbie Hancock solo in front of you,” DOMi told The Guardian.
Emergency!
by The Tony Williams Lifetime
“Fusion” is a description thrown around a lot, even in these very album recommendations. The term is representative of jazz musicians fusing elements from rock, funk, and psychedelia in the 1960s, and Emergency! is considered one of the first and most influential albums to embody this concept. Although more rock-forward than NOT TiGHT, the latter is a great example of modern fusion with R&B and hip hop. JD BECK has been influenced by band leader and fellow drummer Tony Williams, and both albums have that fast, drum-focused sound. Fun fact: Both Herbie Hancock and Tony Williams rose to prominence as part of Miles Davis’s Second Great Quintet in the late 1960s.
Yes Lawd!
by NxWorries
NxWorries is a superduo collaboration between Anderson .Paak and producer Knxledge. Yes Lawd! is a hip hop and R&B album that does not have the same jazz-forward sound as NOT TiGHT. However, elements from those genres and both of these musicians’ work can be heard in how DOMi & JD BECK approach their own unique sound. Paak was a producer on NOT TiGHT and was integral to getting the younger duo signed to Blue Note (via Paak’s imprint Apeshit). Knxledge has also been named-dropped as a big influence on DOMi & JD BECK, who covered his song “1988” and followed it up with improvisations of their own. NxWorries has been relatively quiet since the debut Yes Lawd!, but around the same time that NOT TiGHT dropped this year, the duo officially released a new single featuring H.E.R. for a confirmed second album.
Swagism
by Ghost-Note
Ghost-Note is a self-described “conscious funk” band based out of Dallas, Texas, which is also the home region of JD Beck. Although lesser-known than some of the bands on this list, it’s a supergroup centered around drummer Robert “Sput” Searight and percussionist Nate Werth of Snarky Puppy fame. The lineup is then rounded out by a long list of talented musicians including bassist MonoNeon. Because of the larger cast of artists, Swagism has a much bigger sound but has similar experimental roots, fast breaks, and R&B influences. As one NY Magazine writer notes, Ghost-Note is the “omnivorous diet of J Dilla come to life in big-band form.”
Cloud High In Dreams, But Heavy In The Air
by Athletic Progression
Athletic Progression is a trio from Denmark with one thing that the duo DOMi & JD BECK don’t have: a regular bassist. The result is a groovier sound with the same rapid drums and, depending on the song, keys. As the title teases, Cloud High In Dreams, But Heavy In The Air has dreamier and more electronic melodies perfect for all of your lo-fi listening needs. If you want to stay on the beat of young and experimental jazz musicians, Athletic Progression’s entire (and comparatively short) discography should be on your radar. Spotify’s algorithm regularly suggests the trio to fans of other artists featured here, including DOMi & JD BECK and Thundercat.
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Blue Train: The Complete MastersJohn Coltrane2022JazzVinyl, Reissue, Stereo, 180 g, Special Edition, Gatefold
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About These Recommendations
The Discogs community is always searching for new music, especially songs that are similar to your favorite artists and albums – which is why Discogs is recommending albums to fans of 2022’s most purchased, most coveted, and most talked-about records.
These recommendations were selected through a unique combination of Discogs data, music charts, streaming numbers, algorithm proposals, and human curation to provide listeners like you with something new to explore.
Popular picks were determined by Discogs Wantlist and Collection additions, as well as commonly connected styles and artists in the Database. Eccentric picks were based on sonic similarity, artistic influences, and other music discovery tools. Select albums also include a personal recommendation from another related artist.