Congratulations to drummer, producer, and sonic collagist Makaya McCraven, who is among this year's Doris Duke Artist Awards honorees. "A leading voice in contemporary jazz," says the Doris Duke Foundation citation, "he is acclaimed for transforming live improvisations into meticulously edited soundscapes that push the boundaries of the genre." McCraven and his fellow honorees each receive an unrestricted award of $525,000 along with up to $25,000 in retirement savings support. Beyond the award, recipients gain access to ongoing resources including professional development, financial planning, and a network designed to support sustained creative work.

Drummer, producer, and sonic collagist Makaya McCraven releases four distinct yet interconnected EPs—Techno Logic, The People’s Mixtape, Hidden Out!, and PopUp Shop—today. All four are compiled on the two-disc Off the Record, released October 17. Built from live, improvised performances, the music is later reshaped by McCraven via extensive editing, overdubs, and post-production at his home studio. Each EP is drawn from moments of pure improvisation, recorded live in performance, shaped as much by the room and audience as by the musicians themselves, including Ben LaMar Gay, Theon Cross, Junius Paul, Marquis Hill, Joel Ross, Jeremiah Chiu, Jeff Parker, Josh Johnson, Justefan, and Benjamin J. Shepherd.