“Cook’s newest record… is another kaleidoscopic vignette” – Downbeat
When the vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Braxton Cook first started working on the album that would become 2025’s Not Everyone Can Go, he was going through several transitions that he just couldn’t ignore. Last year, Cook spent lots of time on the road — in Europe and Asia, along with two United States tours. “I was just very busy, and trying to juggle that with family, it was a lot to manage,” Cook said. Then, in a moment of self-reflection, he looked back on the past year, noticed a theme emerging. Thus, he came to this conclusion: It was OK to let go of things that weren’t serving him any longer. Transitions were natural as he stepped into fatherhood. “It was only pushing me more in that direction of understanding,” he continued. “There’s grief that comes along with having to let certain things go to make time for the things I truly value.”
One can hear Cook breaking through on Not Everyone Can Go. Here, his signature mix of jazz and R&B feels indebted to similar hybrids of yesteryear. Musically, the album conjures images of bright evening sunshine, when the temperature begins to cool. Not quite Quiet Storm, instead, the album dabbles between the margins, which won’t surprise Cook’s fans. He’s released acclaimed albums like Somewhere In Between, No Doubt and Who Are You When No One Is Watching?. There, he’s made a career of blurring the lines between genres, landing on a sound that isn’t just one thing. Moreover, while that’s made his music tough to pin down, that also makes it all the more intriguing. Additionally, the fact that you can’t label it just R&B or just jazz lends to the music’s attraction.
Recommended for fans of Robert Glasper, Hiatus Kaiyote, Kamasi Washington and Thundercat.
📸: Ricardo Nagaoka
