Small Things features production from Onyx Collective’s Isaiah Barr.
Nick Hakim has convened with storied New York saxophonist Roy Nathanson of Jazz Passengers and Lounge Lizards fame for the creation and release of a new collaborative album.
An intergenerational and seemingly unexpected pairing, Hakim and Nathanson first met through a mutual association with Onyx Collective whose revolving door both passed through during the writing process for the 2020 album Manhattan Special.
Discussing the album’s creation Nathanson explains
“Over these last few years I’d been a guest in projects with my wonderful former student (and person) and the great young band, Onyx Collective that he co-founded with the wonderful drummer (and person) Austin Williamson. So anyway, I met Nick doing one of these concerts. Nick sang one of my poems at the gig and afterwards said he wanted to come by my house and sing some of my other poems.
Then long story shortish, Nick finally came by my house in Flatbush and we went down to my fusty old basement and I handed him some poems from my new book. And just like that, Nick just stood behind my old fender Rhodes played the chords for ‘Moonman’ and ‘New Guy to Look At’ and I played along and that was that. Of course we spent the next almost year working out the arrangements re-recording and doing the work that you do but that’s was really that.”
Led by the potent, hypnotic and previously heard ‘Moonman’, stream Small Things in full below.
Small Things is out now via NYXO Records. Purchase the album on limited 180g white vinyl here.
Words by Sam Wilkinson.
Like this article? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more.
Fruit and Grooves Collective 