Donny Mc Caslin: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

Bob Boilen, January 9, 2017 David Bowie had long wanted to make a record with a jazz band, and on Jan. 8 of last year, he realized his dream with the release of Blackstar. Two days later, he was gone. Donny McCaslin s band helped him make that record, and now, a year later, we pay tribute to Bowie and Blackstar by bringing McCaslin s band to the Tiny Desk. It s been exciting to see jazz find its way into the broader music world in recent years; think Kendrick Lamar and hiphop in general. Musicians such as McCaslin often play in their own small circuit, but have much to offer popular music. As a bandleader and sax player, he s put out a dozen albums, the most recent of which is Beyond Now, with musicians Tim Lefebvre on bass, drummer Mark Guiliana and keyboardist Jason Lindner. Beyond Now was recorded after Blackstar, features a few Bowie covers and stretches the band s own usual boundaries. For this Tiny Desk concert, you can hear an extraordinary group playing extraordinary music including an instrum