Fusing genres in musical performance is a bit like claims of interdisciplinarity in academia: A trendy name and an inspiring idea where the sum of the parts seldom produces a greater whole. Jazz fusion, blending progressive rock with jazz, was oftentimes sublime but often could be accused of cultural appropriation as white musicians drove the music into different cultural spaces. Rap rock gave the world Limp Bizkit, Kid Rock, and a Nineties musical moment that lives in infamy. Even Jay Z went on a forgettable “Collision Course” with nu metal band Linkin Park in 2004.
So to do cross-genre collaboration and to do it well is no easy task, which is what makes the debut of Plus One, a web series that launched in June on YouTube, all the more remarkable. A collaboration between musician Amma Whatt and MusiQology Advisory Board member Fredara M. Hadley, the series pairs a black vocalist and a black instrumentalist, creating unique pairings that, in the words of the producers, “fuse musical languages for the first time in a raw and enriching sonic conversation.”
The inaugural video combines the vocals of Josh Milan with the percussive sounds of Nate Smith. The former’s soulful vocals give voice in various groups including Honey Sweet. The latter is a titan in the contemporary jazz scene, having played with everyone from Dave Holland to Chris Potter. Together, the duo creates a soundscape that is alternatively sparse and rich as their styles weave together, with Milan’s “Confessions” and Smith’s “Small Moves” intersecting and creating a new musical middle ground. It’s a stellar performance that shows how collaboration can produce new and exciting sounds in unexpected ways.
We’re very proud of Dr. Hadley’s work on this exciting collaboration, and we’re happy to share the inaugural episode of Plus One. We hope you’ll follow the Indie Mamma production company account and follow the Twitter hashtag #PlusOneMusicTV to see more collaborations of this kind.
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