Atlas Maior - “Riptide”

SXSW 2020 - OEB Score: 7; Popularity Index: 2

Pairs Well With…Chick Corea, Ibrahim Maalouf, Mati Salo Quartet

Austin jazz fusionists Atlas Maior blend Latin, Middle Eastern and other worldly jazz influences in their music, having genres play in conversation through sharp, melodic placement. The instrumental trio has a patient, spacious approach to their performance with horn, bass, and percussion all playing equally important parts in their far-reaching blend. By dipping into melodic and percussive structures from across the globe, Atlas Maior’s 2019 record Ripcord adds moving diversity to the band’s sound, striking interest in moments both improvisational and compositionally tight. (Kevin McStravick)