Suite for Max Brown
| Suite for Max Brown | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 24, 2020 | |||
| Genre | Jazz[1] | |||
| Length | 39:49 | |||
| Labels | ||||
| Producers |
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| Jeff Parker chronology | ||||
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Suite for Max Brown is a studio album by American guitarist, composer, and record producer Jeff Parker. It was released on January 24, 2020, through International Anthem Recording Company and Nonesuch Records. It received universal acclaim from critics.[2]
Background
[edit]Jeff Parker is an American guitarist, composer, and record producer.[3] Suite for Max Brown is named after and dedicated to his mother, whose maiden name is Maxine Brown.[4] The album's cover features a photograph of her at the age of 19.[4] The album contains nine original tracks, a version of John Coltrane's "After the Rain", and "Gnarciss", which is an interpretation of Joe Henderson's "Black Narcissus".[5] The album includes performances by Parker, Paul Bryan, Josh Johnson, Jamire Williams, Katinka Kleijn, Rob Mazurek, Makaya McCraven, Jay Bellerose, and Nate Walcott.[6] Parker's daughter, Ruby Parker, sings on the opening track "Build a Nest".[7]
The album was released on January 24, 2020, through International Anthem Recording Company and Nonesuch Records.[8]
Critical reception
[edit]| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 83/100[2] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [9] |
| Pitchfork | 8.4/10[7] |
According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Suite for Max Brown received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 83 out of 100 from 4 critic scores.[2]
Nick Roseblade of The Quietus wrote, "There are times when the project could have drifted into a schmaltzy affair, but Parker sticks to his avant-garde roots and delivers his strongest album to date."[10] Steven Arroyo of Pitchfork stated, "While his electric guitar remains a highlight, Parker builds out a fast-slashing range of ideas using dozens of other sounds and instruments, most of which he plays himself."[7]
It was nominated for Best Jazz Record at the 2021 Libera Awards.[11]
Accolades
[edit]| Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Guardian | The 50 Best Albums of 2020 | 39 |
|
| Magnet | Magnet's Top 25 Albums of 2020 | 5 |
|
| Mojo | The 75 Best Albums of 2020 | 67 |
|
| The Quietus | Quietus Albums of the Year 2020 | 27 |
|
| The Vinyl Factory | Our 50 Favourite Albums of 2020 | 29 |
|
| The Wire | Releases of the Year (2020 Rewind) | 6 |
Track listing
[edit]All tracks are written by Jeff Parker, except "After the Rain" by John Coltrane, and "Gnarciss" which contains elements of "Black Narcissus" by Joe Henderson.[18]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Build a Nest" (featuring Ruby Parker) | 2:13 |
| 2. | "C'mon Now" | 0:25 |
| 3. | "Fusion Swirl" | 5:32 |
| 4. | "After the Rain" | 4:45 |
| 5. | "Metamorphoses" | 1:48 |
| 6. | "Gnarciss" | 2:12 |
| 7. | "Lydian" | 0:55 |
| 8. | "Del Rio" | 1:38 |
| 9. | "3 for L" | 4:47 |
| 10. | "Go Away" | 4:58 |
| 11. | "Max Brown" | 10:36 |
| Total length: | 39:49 | |
Notes
- "C'mon Now" features samples from the Otis Redding recording "The Happy Song (Dum-Dum)".[18]
Personnel
[edit]Credits adapted from liner notes.[18]
- Jeff Parker – piano (1), electric guitar (1, 3, 4, 6–11), vocals (1, 3, 10), Korg MS-20 (1, 5, 8, 9, 11), drums (1, 8), sampler (2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10), bass guitar (3), percussion (3, 4), glockenspiel (5), sequencer (5), Roland JP-08 (6, 11), MIDI strings (6), MIDI programming (7), pandeiro (7), mbira (8), electric piano (8), production, arrangement, engineering, editing
- Ruby Parker – vocals (1)
- Paul Bryan – bass guitar (4, 6–8, 10, 11), vocals (10), production, engineering, editing, mixing
- Josh Johnson – electric piano (4), alto saxophone (6, 11)
- Jamire Williams – drums (4, 11)
- Katinka Kleijn – cello (6)
- Rob Mazurek – piccolo trumpet (6)
- Makaya McCraven – sampler (6), drums (6, 10)
- Jay Bellerose – drums (9), percussion (9)
- Nate Walcott – trumpet (11)
- Dave Cooley – mastering
- Craig Hansen – design, layout
Charts
[edit]| Chart (2020) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Album Downloads (Official Charts)[19] | 60 |
| UK Jazz & Blues Albums (Official Charts)[20] | 1 |
References
[edit]- ↑ Sumner, Dave (February 10, 2020). "The Best Jazz on Bandcamp: January 2020". Bandcamp Daily. Archived from the original on February 18, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Suite for Max Brown by Jeff Parker". Metacritic. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
- ↑ Simpson, Paul. "Jeff Parker". AllMusic. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
- 1 2 Moreland, Quinn (January 6, 2020). "Tortoise's Jeff Parker Announces New Album Suite for Max Brown". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on March 11, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
- ↑ Sacher, Andrew (January 6, 2020). "Tortoise's Jeff Parker announces new album, shares song, playing shows". BrooklynVegan. Archived from the original on March 5, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
- ↑ "Jeff Parker's "Suite for Max Brown" Out Now on International Anthem / Nonesuch Records". Nonesuch Records. January 24, 2020. Archived from the original on January 24, 2020. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Arroyo, Steven (January 24, 2020). "Jeff Parker: Suite for Max Brown". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on February 22, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
- ↑ Rugoff, Lazlo (January 7, 2020). "Tortoise's Jeff Parker announces new album on International Anthem". The Vinyl Factory. Archived from the original on August 10, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
- ↑ Jurek, Thom. "Suite for Max Brown - Jeff Parker". AllMusic. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
- ↑ Roseblade, Nick (February 5, 2020). "Jeff Parker — Suite for Max Brown". The Quietus. Archived from the original on August 4, 2025. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
- ↑ Grein, Paul (March 22, 2021). "Phoebe Bridgers, Run the Jewels & Perfume Genius Among Top Nominees For 2021 Libera Awards". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 1, 2022. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
- ↑ "The 50 best albums of 2020: the full list". The Guardian. December 1, 2020. Archived from the original on January 5, 2021. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
- ↑ "MAGNET's Top 25 Albums Of 2020". Magnet. December 23, 2020. Archived from the original on March 18, 2021. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
- ↑ "The 75 Best Albums of 2020". Mojo. No. 326. January 2021. pp. 40–55.
- ↑ "Quietus Albums Of The Year 2020 (In Association With Norman Records) (page 4)". The Quietus. December 5, 2025. Archived from the original on August 18, 2025. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
- ↑ "Our 50 favourite albums of 2020". The Vinyl Factory. December 11, 2020. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
- ↑ "Releases of the Year". The Wire. No. 443. January 2021. pp. 34–43.
- 1 2 3 "Suite for Max Brown | Jeff Parker". Bandcamp. Archived from the original on October 1, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
- ↑ "Official Album Downloads Chart on 31/1/2020 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
- ↑ "Official Jazz & Blues Albums Chart on 31/1/2020 – Top 30". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
Further reading
[edit]- Clarke, Patrick (July 7, 2020). "Dedications: An Interview With Jeff Parker". The Quietus. Archived from the original on June 7, 2025. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
External links
[edit]- Suite for Max Brown at Discogs (list of releases)