jaimie branch Radiates Joy On Irrepressible New Single “baba louie”
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From The Late Musician / Composer’s Final Fly or Die Album, Out August 25 On International Anthem
Listen & Pre-Order Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((world war)) HERE
Album Release Event: October 2 at Roulette in Brooklyn
Watch Never-Before-Seen Fly or Die Footage & Performances By Rob Mazurek, Ambrose Akinmusire, Dave Ballou, Plus More Surprise Guests
Today, International Anthem shares "baba louie," the latest single from jaimie branch's Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((world war)), out August 25. The record is the late trumpeter and composer's third and final album with her quartet.
Writing about branch in the wake of her passing, Pitchfork’s Allison Hussey says she “connected the focus and intensity of high-concept sound artists with the unbridled joy of living in the moment.” “baba louie” exemplifies that sense of joy, its clean melodic lines and New Orleans-evoking rhythms radiating an irrepressible positive energy.
Says branch’s Fly Or Die bandmate Lester St. Louis:
“It was clear that this tune was the joyous tune for the record. It was that special jaimie joy, where she's happy, laughing super loud, cracking jokes, having drinks with the homies, eating pizza in front of San Pedro then getting told we can't and eating from the trunk of her brother's car with the whole Branch clan... just good vibes all around.”
“In the first rehearsal we hit that slowdown into the transition to the second half and it was immediately that deep late night vibe. I picked up my cello and said ''WORLDWIDE'' and screeched the ''OOOooooooo's'' into the mic with tons of delay and reverb. We all busted out laughing and decided to keep it. When we played it on tour, the audience was so with us in the joy, in that dub, in it all. It was exactly what was needed.”
Listen to “baba louie” here.
Backed by her exceedingly sharp and intuitive Fly or Die bandmates — including St. Louis, bassist Jason Ajemian, and drummer Chad Taylor — jaimie branch’s Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((world war)) is an astonishing collision of vibrant color and seismic energy; of cosmic contemplation and skinned-knee physicality; of epic ambition and comedic comedown. It serves as a potent reminder of the vitality and virtuosity of branch, a love letter sent from the beyond by a beloved artist and friend.
On lead single "take over the world," The New York Times says that branch’s “fury gathers a fierce, joyful momentum." KCRW describes the follow-up "the mountain" — a cover of the Meat Puppets' 1994 track "Comin' Down" featuring Ajemian on lead vocals — as "Appalachian blues infused with a sense of lionized authenticity."
A Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((world war)) album release event is set for October 2 at Roulette in Brooklyn. This record release show will begin with never-before-seen footage of branch and her band's final concert together, during which they played Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((world war)) in full (the only time the band ever did) to a live audience at Bemis Center for the Contemporary Arts in Omaha, Nebraska.
Directly following the screening will be live performances by Rob Mazurek, Ambrose Akinmusire, Dave Ballou and other surprise guests, all of whom will come together to pay tribute to their friend, student and collaborator, jaimie branch. More information on October 2 album release event here.
Proceeds from the event will go towards The jaimie branch Foundation. The jaimie branch Foundation was established to ensure the energy, legacy and power of jaimie branch live on. The executive and artistic boards are made up of close family, friends and collaborators of branch. A few projects are underway, including an artist residency that will allow one solo artist to visit, work and even stay in the same cabin that branch occupied in Talkeetna, Alaska during the summer of 2020.
For more information, go to jaimiebranch.com and donorbox.org/the-jaimie-branch-foundation.
about jaimie branch
At the age of 39, jaimie “breezy” branch had already established herself at the vanguard of modern jazz composition, blurring genre boundaries and performing with an inimitable power. branch was also a tireless collaborator, who worked with samba icon Elza Soares; noise icons Wolf Eyes; indie stars like TV on the Radio, Yo La Tengo and Spoon; British dub producer The Bug; the First Nations rock collective Medicine Singers; and various International Anthem labelmates, including Jeff Parker, Ben LaMar Gay, and Alabaster DePlume, among so many others. She even made a post-mortem appearance on Talib Kweli & Madlib’s album Liberation 2 released earlier this spring, playing trumpet in a stunning co-composed duet with Madlib on keys.