Members of the modern jazz group BADBADNOTGOOD rose from humble beginnings performing in their college classroom to the currently standing at the forefront of modern jazz music. Their mission statement: make new jazz for the modern listener, stripping away the stigma of cosmopolitanism in modern jazz listeners. When drummer Alexander Sowinski was asked about jazz benchmark, Giant Steps, he demanded that jazz musicians actually make something new: no modulation, no remastering, no remixing, just the rebirth of a lost art.

The rag tag group consisting of Alexander Sowinski, Matthew Tavares, and Chester Hansen united over a shared love for hip hop music, which has a heavy jazz influence and expresses it constantly; however, in the past, the jazz community has reciprocate that admiration, until now. BADBADNOTGOOD began by playing jazz covers of modern hip hop songs from the likes of Kanye West, Tyler the Creator, and Gucci Mane. Later down the road, the group garnered additional vocals from Mick Jenkins, Danny Brown, Ghostface Killa, and many more hip hop icons.  After their first two albums containing mostly covers and only a handful of original songs, they released their debut album, III, containing only original, raw, smooth jazz songs that could make a grown man cry. The album offered additional horns from Leland Whitty, whom later joined the band for their newest album, IV.  IV, unlike III, included some very nice vocals on songs like Time Moves Slow featuring Samuel Herring. The album also had extremely good instrumental tracks like the smooth, cheery Chompy’s Paradise and the deep, heavy Lavender. The group is also dipping its hands into working on instrumental work for other people, such as Goldlink and meeting up with Wu Tang Clan alumni Ghostface Killa for a short album with jazz and rhymes.

For the foreseeable future, the band of jazzy misfits seems to have unlimited potential and nowhere to go but up. BADBADNOTGOOD  has cornered a niche market, one in which they will not only capitalize and dominate, but also experiment and create for the sweet love of jazz.
Link to the band’s soundcloud page: https://soundcloud.com/badbadnotgood