Mar 30, 2026 10:30 PM
Flea Finds His Jazz Thing
In the relatively small pantheon of certifiable rock stars venturing into the intersection of pop music and jazz, the…
Joel Ross
(Photo: Blue Note)Some music videos can be described accurately as publicity clips, whereas others dig a little deeper and feel more like short films. Vibraphonist Joel Ross’ new video falls into the latter category. Directed by Daveion Thompson, the nearly 6-minute art-house film for “Yana” stars Ross and Xulani Akel.
The track “Yana” appears on Ross’ Blue Note debut, KingMaker, which was released on May 3.
In a 4-star review of KingMaker in the June issue of DownBeat, Tamar Sella wrote, “Ross’ playing erupts through the layers of lush arrangements … like consistent currents of electricity, high-powered and full of luminous energy.”
Produced by bassist Harish Raghavan, the album features Ross’ Good Vibes band: Immanuel Wilkins (alto saxophone), Jeremy Corren (piano), Benjamin Tiberio (bass) and Jeremy Dutton (drums), plus guest vocalist Gretchen Parlato.
Blue Note will release KingMaker on vinyl as a double-LP set on Aug. 9. To pre-order, click here.
Ross, a Chicago native now based Brooklyn, has appeared on drummer Makaya McCraven’s Universal Beings (International Anthem), the self-titled album by the band In Common (Whirlwind), pianist James Francies’ Flight (Blue Note), trumpeter Marquis Hill’s Modern Flows, Vol. 2 (Black Unlimited Music Group) and tenor saxophonist Melissa Aldana’s new album, Visions (Motéma).
Ross’ upcoming tour dates include the Atlanta Jazz Festival (May 25), Blues Alley in Washington, D.C. (May 28), Jazz Standard in New York City (June 4–5), the Umbria Jazz Festival in Italy (July 17) and the Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island (Aug. 3). DB
“Cerebral and academic thought is a different way to approach music,” Flea says of his continuing dive into jazz. “I’ve always relied on emotion and intuition and physicality.”
Mar 30, 2026 10:30 PM
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