Irreversible Entanglements: Tiny Desk Concert

Lars Gotrich | February 26, 2024
“When did your heart break?” It’s the question that Camae Ayewa asks to open this Tiny Desk, and one that's still rattling in my head. That soul puncture is an essential piece of Irreversible Entanglements, a free jazz band rooted in punk ethos.
Individually, these folks have made some of the most creative and challenging music of the past decade: Ayewa’s ever-evolving project Moor Mother, trumpeter Aquiles Navarro and drummer Tcheser Holmes’ telepathic duets, saxophonist Keir Neuringer’s sonic monuments and bassist Luke Stewart’s restless projects as improviser and instigator. Deep catalogs for deep listeners.
For this Tiny Desk, the band runs through six songs without breaks, starting with “Fireworks,” a personal favorite, then leaning into music from Protect Your Light, which was released on Impulse Records (aka, the house that John and Alice Coltrane built). Joined here by guest vocalist Kyle Kidd, it’s a joy to see Irreversible Entanglements work as a unit: hard-struck funk bass lines seamlessly shift to the horns, which constrict and expand the melody, and elastic drums create a fluid palette for Ayewa to spit, yawp and intone her poetry. To close, she gives us a crucial message to take into the darkness of this year or any: “We need your light / We can’t stop shining / We must be the sun.”
SET LIST
“Fireworks”
“Soundness”
“Free Love”
“Our Land Back”
“root ᐸ=ᐳ branch”
“Protect Your Light”
MUSICIANS
Camae Ayewa: vocals
Aquiles Navarro: trumpet, synth
Keir Neuringer: saxophone, synth
Luke Stewart: upright bass
Tcheser Holmes: drums
Kyle Kidd: backing vocals
TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Lars Gotrich
Director/Editor: Kara Frame
Audio Technical Director: Neil Tevault
Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Videographers: Kara Frame, Joshua Bryant, Maia Stern
Audio Engineer: Josephine Nyounai
Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer
Photographer: Estefania Mitre
Tiny Desk Copy Editor: Hazel Cills
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
#tinydesk #nprmusic #irreversibleentanglements

[@nprmusic]

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[@distinctlyuniquems.latrice9647]

My type of musicality, Poetry, ritual, freedom, invocation, rawness, BEING, LOVE!!! Thank you all for being, for sharing your light with us. ❤

[@Meltchya]

2 minutes in and the acid is kicking... i didn't even take any acid

[@JazzyRatopor-vt5yp]

High trip 27 minutes. It's freedom time. One of today's most interesting bands. I listened to this album once a day on headphones while working all last week. Rare are the artists who really offer something different. Free way of writing music. Change from melodic progressions and repetitive lyrics. Huge thanks to the band, keep up your excellent project. We can all be free. Protect your light.

[@robertwillemstein4031]

Incredible, the most pure expression of modern Afrofuturism, the spirit of Sun Ra lives in all of these musicians.

[@mumblbeebee6546]

So great! Overwhelming, but that’s the idea… such a closeness, yet so fluid. And how Luke is not dripping blood is beyond me!

[@t.wilson7962]

Their name drew me in, the spoken word, incantation, and instrumentation kept me interested. 💫

[@cerealpeer]

magic objects

[@isuckatskating5512]

That's what happens when you combine free jazz and spoken Word, It was so much emotional and perfect. Absolute fire🔥

[@wisp.]

one of my favourite tiny desk concerts yet, love the way they move between tracks seamlessly. Moor Mother has such a command of attention and the way her and the band naturally interact through the music feels so alive and both masterful and effortless. can’t wait to see them in concert later this year.

[@manishkhanal4004]

One day yall will get it!!!

[@hootowl5]

Had to listen to this twice. Amazing performance! Touches my soul.

[@onegaia]

love their message! We can all be free!

[@ItsJGonzo]

I don’t know how I came across this but man I just came back from another dimension to make sure I post this. I’m going to play this while I dream to see if it has an effect. ❤❤❤

[@materia2863]

This is incredible. I saw Moor Mother last year with DJ Haram for a 700 Bliss set they did and it was incredible. Moor Mother’s output, passion, and creativity is truly unlike anything else in the game.

[@HeyAnnieMok]

Moor Mother and Irreversible Entanglements, their music always brought so much to me and I always loved following their artistic journey, since the jump. So rich and layered, such passion, so liberatory, the words. I hear echoes of Don Cherry maybe in the horns in some of their songs. Vibey, got a lot to say with the music, really respects the listener's intelligence. Really appreciate music like this.

[@edwinzorris2312]

Pffff absolutely crazy! I recommend listening with headphones 🤯

[@oscarhoare3461]

literally just saw them play w lonnie holley at the sydney opera house … transportive experience ‼️

[@daffodilwanders4135]

spiritual and trippy......raw and deep.....wow!

[@renatoferreira8007]

Awesome!!!! wonderful music and message!

[@jonathanmatchett6496]

Today on the way to work I listened it gave me strength it freed my mind Thank youuu

[@fifaculture]

I've been sleeping on this band way too long.

[@jewelryqueen9382]

SO trippy & fun as I'm blazing.

[@anggapratama2063]

its crazy!! love it!!

[@MikkiPike]

irresistible arrangements :3 💖

[@GlennRogersJr]

How can we vote for a Project Pat tiny desk?

[@jamesneedham805]

Frank Zappa would be proud of these folks

[@danielcroix5012]

Oh, this hits.... powerful WORK!

[@kaspahauser]

This is sooo good ❤❤❤ We need Andrè 3000, Carlos Niño & Friends @tinydesk

[@amintacrane5671]

Amazing!! Wow!

[@MaryofMagdala74]

A love that lives. Love it.

[@ItsJGonzo]

This is a whole experience. I hope to see them one day live.

[@PaweloBass]

Wonderful!!! Wow😮

[@brooklyntree505]

Tcheser Holmes on drums is magical

[@zackdavey380]

Incredible

[@elodie7325]

so good

[@udomatthiasdrums5322]

love it!!

[@MikeB-zs8nd]

Absolutely epic.

[@nicholaswood3250]

I’d love to see them live

[@manubande]

This is absolutely wild... Fantastic expression of music... Thank you 🙏

[@hunterdelaghetto]

perfect.

[@vau_st]

I love it coming to life

[@tedwist1082]

awesome

[@danielkorosec9944]

Die Funktionalvorstellung des eigenen Körpers raubt ihm der fantastischen Romantik ❤️‍🔥

[@tbone7714]

I love the darkness of this message and the freedom that it relates to. Music is 🗝️

[@leolimt]

WHAT A VOCAL! WOW!

[@paulvee8482]

wow!!!

[@piscean129]

Wow!!! Definitely added to my Spotify.

[@jankove2]

This is magic.

[@martinmenke1369]

Nice! Sounds real!

[@DaveDeRoseMusic]

YESSS YESS YESSS!

[@MarcPlaysPiano]

1:47 I kept looking on the set for an elephant and then I saw it was a trumpet making that sound. Anyone read that Elephant and Piggie book by Mo Willems?

[@kalvinhill5308]

who?

[@MarcPlaysPiano]

@@kalvinhill5308 Mo Willems is an amusing author of books for kids. The book is ~4 mins on KZbin if you're curious...title is "Kids Book Read Aloud - Listen To My Trumpet! - Elephant and Piggie - Mo Willems"

[@tumelomasiu305]

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@ashleybrownstein5289]

Yesss❤z🎉

[@crazya6565]

Redman tiny desk when?!

[@tbone7714]

Freedom and peace🎉

[@darkbluebossa]

It´s cool that jazz is still alive and fresh, mixed with hip hop/urban vibes

[@ZippyLeroux]

Yeah, it was nice of the sun to rise this morning too....

[@mumblingfez5841]

@@ZippyLeroux the sarcasm is palpable

[@vau_st]

@@ZippyLeroux did you know hip hop sometimes even uses jazz as samples for their Beats? Crazy Stuff I tell you

[@ZippyLeroux]

@@vau_st 🤣

[@bigchunkybubbles]

Here’s where all the secret musical conservatives show up in the comments. 😅 Camae and the band are griots. This is gorgeous collective liberation music. It reminds me of the Art Ensemble but brought up to date.

[@shaeabouarab3575]

❤

[@B-BopakaDigga]

🙏

[@dilloncorneliusmusic]

Probably the beat NPR concert in my opinion

[@JotaOrtiz]

💥💥💥💥

[@kodimason5700]

I’m just waiting for heather headley tiny desk 😢

[@HyuugaRaull]

Why so many dislikes? This is different and yet so cool!

[@JazzyRatopor-vt5yp]

Too free and original for these non-receptive ears.

[@thirdlake3454]

Découverts hier dans une playlist spotify et le lendemain ils sont dans un Tiny desk ,NPR lit dans mes pensée.

[@a.a.1253]

Bill Orcutt Guitar Quartet, Irreversible Entanglements -- more free / creative music!!

[@LorenzoBigUp]

So unique what is this called ? Has to be so hard to vibe out like that

[@stephencarroll230]

Luke Stewart absolutely killing the bass!

[@ruebdogg1]

Wow, powerful!! Most real thing I’ve seen in a while!!

[@vau_st]

Come. On. In. The. Room!

[@esme6074]

Beaut I ful

[@faresjeseh1]

Esa es el macro de la creatividad colectiva la unisono la vibracion de la musica popular libre expresiva

[@andydonham8612]

Got a bird like quality. Way out there.

[@guitarbrother1762]

Well, it's not for everyone. (I couldn't resist commenting too 😊 )

❤ + 🔥

[@vasilii3750]

so based, so true; everything : from style to each word

[@Cerberus-bx7rx]

this reminded me of Captain Beefheart's Frownland

[@Gotnothingbettertodo.]

I cant not not notice the fact that bass guy is the weekend at least from the far away shots 😅😂

[@alexsablairoles9943]

oh my god

[@DogMonG9]

멋집니다^^ 뉴델리 한복판에서 낚아챈 소음들로. 실을 짜서 악보에 옮겨 놓은것 같네요.

[@TheWallyTirado]

Well.....that was different.

[@cristaldiaz213]

sooo amazing!!! you guys should reallyy get Beverly Glenn-Copeland on!!!

[@jayslpstapes519]

All I ask from the NPR head department and to whom makes the request for tiny desk CAN YOU PLEASE PUT MEN I TRUST ON A SET WITH YOU GUYS ITLL HONESTLY MAKE ME THE MOST HAPPIEST PERSON IN THE WORLD

[@johnnymolten7689]

When did my heart break ? Actually it's hereditary , my Gran Ma had Angina ❤

[@RamoshNanocore]

Что-то лютое, похожее на начало репетиции, когда все пытаются отстроиться одновременно

[@aragregorian6039]

As opposed to the quantum entanglement... Interesting.

[@cerealpeer]

entanglement isnt only a quantum mechanical principle. its a field theory principle in general. its gravitostrong nuclear interaction and supersymmetry.

[@vau_st]

@@cerealpeer isn't entanglement also what Jada had with the friend of her son

[@cerealpeer]

@@vau_st i apologize for his retardation? he requested brain damage.

[@cerealpeer]

@@vau_st when you go to dennys and order the cancer you get the buffet nowmin?

[@cerealpeer]

@@vau_st me personally i go to ihop with my broken jaw and have chicken tenders... then again im 35... and i have a decent iq.

[@TempleOfTheMartyrs]

HUGE HUGE INFLUENCE ON OUR BAND .........AND MUSIC

[@al-yashailhaamwilliams8969]

Yes

[@anamar7797]

No mms están durísimos alv

[@tobiasznowy3689]

Perfekt...

[@astrogallotron]

Sun Ra vibes

[@palm5reader276]

The question is when is tiny desk getting dr. Dog back on?

[@lizduffy9825]

First time hearing of them. Eternally grateful. 🙌❤Jah I and i

[@zain5496]

I love music like yes baby put me on your frequency, tune me in. you are loved and understood. thank you for expressing yourself.

[@Cowpeep2]

the craziness giving me eric andre vibes

[@niasmith510]

Liberation music at its finest and most potent!

[@Chris-zo4vu]

Slam poetry has a very appropriate cupboard to be stored and locked in. I don't know why someone relinquished the key

[@jorgebouquet393]

invite JUNGLE

[@lattianaali]

Well that was peculiar.

[@BestFitSquareChannel]

🌞🎶🫶🏼🤸🏽‍♂️🖖🏼

[@flowermaze___]

As an arm of NPR, you need to call on your partners to report the news without bias or prejudice. Aaron Bushnell self immolated as an active protest against the genocide in Gaza. It was woefully miss reported by NPR, this man sacrifice, for such a cause deserves the dignity of being told properly. I think what you do at tiny desk to give a platform to artists is amazing, let’s see you stand up to your corporate partners and have that same fair platform for the news! Don’t enable genocide!