Listening Lab

“Darren Barrett’s latest album, dB-ish: Straight Vibesss, is a dynamic exploration of the intersection between jazz and ’90s hip-hop. Releasing on February 7th—a fitting tribute to J Dilla’s birthday—the album blends live instrumentation with programmed beats, drawing inspiration from hip-hop legends like Nas, Wu-Tang Clan, and J Dilla. dB-ish is Barrett’s experimental jazz project, showcasing his skills as a trumpeter, multi-instrumentalist, and composer.

The ensemble features Santiago Bosch and Warren Pettey on keys, YoungChae Jeong on bass, and drummers Julian Miltenberger and Tobias Israel. Each track embarks on a different musical journey, incorporating influences from Detroit and West Coast hip-hop. The album consists of five extended compositions—each exceeding ten minutes—crafted as the musicians’ personal “vibesss,” with the exception of Tobias.

Three words keep coming to mind when describing dB-ish: Straight Vibesss—Experimental, Imaginative, and Listenable. It’s fascinating to hear where each track takes you, and the album remains incredibly engaging on repeat listens. In fact, I’ve had it on loop a dozen times this past week. The title Vibesss feels entirely fitting.

Fans of Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew might notice its influence here. Barrett, who absorbed the sounds of jazz greats like Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Donald Byrd, Clifford Brown, and Art Blakey, was equally inspired by hip-hop pioneers. “The music of artists such as The Notorious B.I.G., Nas, Mobb Deep, J Dilla, Wu-Tang Clan, 2Pac, and N.W.A. was just as much a part of my listening as jazz legends,” Barrett reflects. “This recording was a dream project, brought to life by these incredible musicians and their limitless talents.”

For listeners who appreciate genre-blending jazz with deep hip-hop roots, dB-ish: Straight Vibesss delivers an immersive, boundary-pushing experience that connects two musical worlds.” ~ John Hilderbrand: contemporaryjazz.com

“Berklee professor Darren Barrett is an ace jazz player. But you don’t come up in Boston and New York in the ’90s and not absorb some hip hop vibes. With “db-ish: Straight Vibesss,” the trumpeter and bandleader crashes jazz and hip hop (and much more) together to glorious results. Drum machines and drum kits lay down beats while Barrett and his collaborators create long, dreamy jams that recall hard bop, trip hop, funk, and ambient soundscapes.” ~ Jed Gottlieb: Boston Herald

“Darren Barrett may be a Jamaican-Canadian trumpeter based in Boston, but he spent much of the ‘90s in New York at a time when hip-hop and R&B greats like D’Angelo and J Dilla were starting to make a significant imprint on younger jazz players that continues to this day. Barrett pays tribute to that era while also looking forward on this collection of five relatively lengthy tracks that feature both live drums and machines programmed by Barrett. While most of the tunes start off with deceivingly smooth grooves, they end up in surprising, and often disarming, places.” ~ Noah Schaffer: WBUR