Behind Canadian Band BadBadNotGood’s Historic New York City Residency

Since opening in 1981, New York’s Blue Note Jazz Club has been a cultural institution which has played host to some of the world’s most celebrated musicians. Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Charles, and Keith Jarrett once had audiences lined down W 3rd St. Now, a new vanguard of artists is adopting the stage, led by Canada’s own BadBadNotGood.

Speaking with the trio freshly removed from a week-long residency at the iconic venue, Leland Whitty, Chester Hanson, and Alexander Sowinski explain why the Blue Note was the perfect home for their 2024 genre-bending album, Mid Spiral. Outfitted throughout the week in made-in-Japan alternative-luxury, Vowels, BadBadNotGood also talks personal style, their upcoming global tour, and future collaborations.

You’re coming off of a residency at New York City’s Blue Note Jazz Club. Of course, the history behind the club speaks for itself. In a lot of ways, it’s one of the most celebrated music venues in North America. How did that opportunity come about?

Chester Hansen: It was a crazy experience, for sure. In terms of how it came together, it’s unfortunately not the best story compared to the club’s history. They went through the normal channels, we got an offer, that sort of thing, you know? But we’d never done a legacy jazz institution like that before. So, the process was normal but what came out of it was really special. It was perfect timing too. We’d put the album out earlier in the year. Then, we spent the summer doing shows around it. So, it felt like we were as ready as we’d ever be to play somewhere like that.

Alexander Sowinski: We got together for a weekend before and incorporated a bunch of different covers and added new arrangements to some of our songs; we just tried to make it special. A place like that is so intimate and carries so much weight, it makes you play in a different way. It was really inspiring and a special place to be.

You touch on such an amalgamation of genres within your work, but jazz is certainly at the forefront of your inspiration. It must put hosting a residency here on quite the pedestal.

Leland Whitty: For sure, it was such a bucket list experience.

Alexander Sowinski: Playing in an establishment like that, especially in New York, there’s a special energy. Having grown up playing music in Canada, we have a couple of venues like that — I’d say Massey Hall falls into that category — fits in there. But it’s rare. So, to go to a small room like that — you know, old-school style, intimate — is just so different. It’s an environment made for listening, so it makes performing super fun.

Chester Hansen: And just the city, generally, right? It’s really the jazz centre of the world, in a lot of ways. So many people we admire were able to come out and see the show. It was a great chance to connect creatively.

“It’s the idea of being more comfortable experimenting and not fitting into a genre. Obviously, we’ve always played between genres quite a bit. But I think we really found a freedom in that.”

Alexander Sowinski of BadBadNotGood on recording Mid Spiral.

Was there a particular moment that stood out?

Alexander Sowinski: We got to play with some really special guests. Tim Bernardes is a really talented singer from Brazil and Julius Rodriguez is an incredible drummer. We had Nick Hakim, who is exceptional.

Chester Hansen: We’re really spoiled in getting to collab with such great people. It made the week extra special. And the audience is different each time, the energy is different every set. It just makes for a dynamic space, one that feels right for a jazz record. It felt right for this record.

You released this latest album, Mid Spiral, in three separate parts, marking what seemed like a distinctly new chapter for the group. How did the process of making the project differ from the past 15 years?

Leland Whitty: It’s certainly more experimental. I think we’re just far less precious than we used to be. With previous projects, a lot of them took a really long time; we’d spend weeks and weeks going over every little element.

Alexander Sowinski: Yeah, I think it’s the idea of being more comfortable experimenting and not fitting into a genre. Obviously, we’ve always played between genres quite a bit. But I think we really found a freedom in that [in Mid Spiral]. I think the process makes the album more representative of where we were in that present time. It wasn’t rushed. It just came together in a really natural way.

When you talk about the idea of genre-bending and a lack of confinement, we find that increasingly in clothing, too. Streetwear is impossible to categorize, and genderless labels are becoming more common. It feels fitting, then, that you wore a label like Vowels during the residency. How did that come about?

Chester Hansen: It was really organic, which is how pretty much all of our partnerships come about. Fashion is really interesting; like you said, it’s not dissimilar to music. We got connected to the brand through friends and we liked the look. We thought it represented us well. It’s cool to see the space evolve. We got to work with Virgil Abloh a few times. He was a friend. So, seeing how streetwear made it into the high fashion game, the luxury space, it’s cool. You see that with music genres too. I think you see that with us and the crowds we’re able to connect with on tour. It’s constantly evolving. So, it felt right to rep a brand that follows that same line.

You guys are about to kick off the next leg of the tour in South America and then Australia. You’re no stranger to international shows but, this time around, what are you looking forward to most?

Leland Whitty: I think for us, like you said, we’ve been to a lot of these spots before, so it’s seeing how these same cities interact with the new music in different ways. Chile, Argentina, Brazil — these are all places with really rich musical histories. It runs through the pulse of everyday life there in a different way, I think. So, it’s special to see how those crowds react to the work because they’re really, really there to listen to good music in a pure way.

Chester Hansen: Totally. That energy just counterbalances the difficult or tiring aspects of touring. So, it’s important to soak in those positive elements, those really passionate crowds.

Alexander Sowinski: It’s such a different culture than we have in North America, just that spirit for music. You can get that here, but you have to encourage it. You have to create the right environment. But I think travelling the world, you realize how rare it is to be in a place where those melodies just come naturally. It’s rare. So, I think we’re all looking forward to that energy.

The post Behind Canadian Band BadBadNotGood’s Historic New York City Residency appeared first on Sharp Magazine.