The Evolution of John Carroll Kirby Continues with the Electronic-Tinged 'Dance Ancestral'

Kirby returns for his fifth outing on Stones Throw Records.

LA-based pianist, producer, and composer John Carroll Kirby is not one to shy away from a collaboration, having worked with some major artists in the indie and pop world like Frank Ocean, Blood Orange, and Solange. His solo material is where these collaborations shine though, in that Kirby has a genuinely distinct new age jazz sound that flirts with R&B, but those he chooses to bring along for the ride are sure to make their impression with each project.

Last year’s Septet placed at number eleven on my year-end list and was one of my most-listened-to records because its roster of new jazz all-stars helped make the album Kirby’s most realized yet. Septet also included a good amount of electronic textures, so his latest, Dance Ancestral, is such a natural next step in Kirby’s evolution as a prolific performer.

For Dance Ancestral, the personnel is pulled back, but Kirby ensures that this outing is just as lush by working with Canadian DJ and producer Yu Su (read my review of her excellent debut here). Look no further than “Pan’s Dance,” a playful number that presents the woodwinds we’ve heard in his previous records, and with a woozy assist from Yu Su, the two take these ideas into new sinuous territory.

Another excellent guest appearance comes on “Dawn of the New Day,” which features the legendary ambient artist Laraaji’s signature zither and vocals on the song’s hypnotic refrain and is a perfect song to set the odyssey mood of the album. I also appreciate guitarist Benji Lysaght bringing some fresh ideas to the project on “Pause On the Ancient Ballcourt” and “Ghost of Bix Beiderbecke,” named after the jazz musician who found fame almost one hundred years ago.

According to Kirby, Dance Ancestral’s “central theme is the ‘intuitive dance’ we perform throughout our lives,” and there is a wordplay on this in the song titles throughout like “Repettos For You My Lord,” “Frog Life,” and the aptly-titled “Tiptoe To The Grave.” It’s as good a time as any to jump into Kirby’s heady jazz world as he has once again refused to be boxed into a genre.

Dance Ancestral is available on Stones Throw.