Monkier

Hip-hop and jazz have been familiar bedfellows for decades, but few groups have been skilled enough to fuse them in an instrumental setting. Even the most talented hip-hop luminaries like Madlib and J Dilla only used the moody ambiance of jazz samples as brushstrokes in their production. Atlanta octet Monkier masterfully elevates the fusion between the two worlds into new dimensions rarely explored by either genres.

Their self-titled debut contains 13 tracks of expertly orchestrated, seamlessly integrated, and consistently adventurous hip-hop that pushes the outer limits of numerous styles. The songs are constructed around a series of loops that are never content to sit still. Saxophone flourishes, virtuoso guitar solos, and lush psychedelic synth buildups all come out to play, switching off between accompanying the multi-talented rapper/saxophonist/keyboardist Zac Evans and taking the reigns of the songs.

Evans raps like a well-trained soloist. Instead of constantly fighting against his bandmates for the forefront, his verses ebb and flow with their unpredictable twists and turns. In the hands of less capable musicians, the complexity of these songs would overwhelm the groove and sacrifice clarity for creativity. But the magic of Monkier comes from its ability to fashion odd time signatures in a natural way, making the skippy seven beat feel of songs like "I Don't Know" and "Stream of Consciousness" seem eminently danceable.

The true standout of the debut is its dense, evolving arrangements. Even though soloing plays a prominent role in the album, the songs are tightly wound fragments deliciously layered to reward new auditory treats upon repeated listening. Monkier's debut acts as a superb living document of Atlanta's burgeoning left field experimental jazz and hip-hop scene.

Four out of five stars - Paul DeMerritt, Creative Loafing ATL - Crib Notes

Atlanta-based collective Monkier takes the groove-oriented, jazz-inflected hip hop of the early '90s (think Digable Planets and De La Soul) and pushes it more explicitly into the jazz arena, layering moody, horn-centric grooves over fusion-focused key explorations and bubbling bass, all topped off where necessary with frontman Zac Evans' astute rhymes. In a less capable group's hands, this sort of jam-fest concept could be (and frequently is) disastrous, but Monkier makes it work. The group's self-titled debut calls to mind the recent release from crossover jazz pianist Robert Glasper—taut and tasteful, full of strange time signatures but also instantly graspable, sure to get the smart crowd grooving. - Gabe Vodika - Flagpole- Athens, GA

Region can at times means as much to an art as its genre, so when one listens to eight-piece hip-hop/jazz group Monkier, Atlanta clearly comes to mind. The collective led by saxophonist, keyboardist, and emcee Zac Evans is reminiscent in vibe to some of Nicholas Payton's recent work (without the offputting rhetoric). It's cool and inspired like it's fresh from Atlanta's Castleberry Hill. The horns swing, the rhythm section is on point, the music swells in just the right times, and Evans has lyrical chops while keeping a good balance between his rapping and the rest of the music. The Kennesaw State alums worked diligently to meld the hip hop they love with the jazz they were playing while still in school, and they've pulled off the mix in spades. In essence, Monkier is a strong debut album that's definitely worth checking out at their SoundCloud and Bandcamp pages. - Anthony Dean-Harris, Nextbop.com