Thiefs - Graft [La Greffe] (2018)

Thiefs are a jazz combo at the core – outfitted with saxes, acoustic bass, and drums – but all three members also use a fair bit of electronics, and do so in a way that opens the door to a range of different voices that help shape the sound of the record! The mode is a bit like some of the more creative jazz-inspired projects coming from the LA scene of late – such as work on the Ropeadope label – and there's definitely some righteous power to the vocals on the set, thanks to contributions from Mike Ladd, Gael Faye, and Guillermo E Brown. Aaron Parks plays piano and keyboard on most of the set – and there's a vibe here that's a bit like his own work too – on titles that include "I Live In Fear", "Anthro", "Pas D'Ici", "Iwbah", "Beat One", and "Anthro".