Interview: Braxton Cook on Fatherhood, Jazz's Resurgence, and His New Album Not Everyone Can Go

With less than a few days left until the release of Braxton Cook's highly anticipated new record, Not Everyone Can Go (Aug 29th), I caught up with the talented musician for a glimpse into the sonic world he's about to share with us. A true honour and pleasure.

The award-winning, Juilliard-trained singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist is one of those people who pushes contemporary jazz forward, and while often labelled as a jazz musician, I find him quite versatile and respect his way of defying the genre. His journey has led him to work with artists like Jon Batiste, Giveon, Masego, and 6 appearances on NPR's Tiny Desk Concert, including his own performance (which is a must-watch). Braxton has been on a long run of sharing singles, and I've gradually fallen in love with every piece of the Not Everyone Can Go puzzle. The record captures a season of transition - a soulful dive into love, loss, and renewal, and features artists like Elijah Fox, Nate Smith, Marie Dahlstrom, and NAVVY. Some of the tracks plus more of Braxton's work can also be found on our jazz of today playlist selection.

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A record I'm extremely excited about that deals with gratitude and embracing change in one's life.

Great to have you, Braxton! If you can use only 1 word to describe how you feel today, what would that be?

Blessed.

How did fatherhood impact your creativity and the way you view making music?

Being a father has completely changed my life. I’m a father and husband first, and I make music fit in between my familial commitments. I’m surprisingly still able to get an EP or album out every other year and still tour because I have an incredible support system, and I’ve intentionally built that. Also, because my music is autobiographical, I have an endless source of inspiration and experiences to pull from when creating.

The title track, "Not Everyone Can Go", featuring Andrew Renfroe and Corey Fonville, is absolutely phenomenal. It set expectations high for the upcoming album! Tell us a bit more about it.

Thank you so much! I love that track. This is an idea that I started back in 2021 remotely with Renfroe. Corey Fonville sent me a drum pack of loops, and I started producing the song over it. I then sent it to Renfroe, and he came up with that cool melody part and textures. Once he sent stems over, I immediately chopped things up and had my boy Hendrick Valera polish off the track. Can’t wait to play this one live!

You go way back with both Andrew Renfroe (The Duo Sessions) and Butcher Brown’s Corey Fonville. How do you pick the musicians you collaborate with? Do you prefer familiar faces or love exploring new ones?

For the most part, I work with my friends, colleagues, and peers in my collaborations. It’s better that way and more fun when you can make music with friends.

Tell us a bit more about the upcoming record, Not Everyone Can Go - timeline, inspirations, process?

The album comes out on August 29th, and then we go on tour to support the record. The inspiration behind this album is just my life. I’ve just gone through a season of shedding and wilting in my life. Many friends, colleagues, partners, and habits I’ve outgrown. My second son Quincy, has a lot to do with this evolution because with two kids now, there simply isn’t much time for a lot of ancillary relationships that aren’t reciprocated and no longer serve me.

So this album is meant to really chronicle this season of life that I’m in. It’s by no means a sad album though - it’s a project that captures the grief of letting go but also celebrates the joys of rediscovering love, fun, joy, and new relationships.

If you could imagine the perfect way for fans to experience the album for the first time, where would that be (and why)?

I haven’t pressed up vinyl in almost 7 years, and this album will be available on vinyl. So I think the best way to experience this album is on vinyl, and then a close 2nd would be to catch us live! I’m being very intentional about this tour in that everything is spaced out to allow for the proper musical preparation musically and to make sure we have merch and everything set up for the perfect experience for fans.

Earlier this year, you shared your first (technically second) NPR Tiny Desk concert. How would you describe the whole experience?

This was a full-circle moment for me! It was extremely special in that I’m from the Maryland/DC area, and I had a band comprised of people who have been a part of every step of my journey. I knew the bass player Kris Funn, when I was a high school student playing in DC. The pianist Mathis and I went to Juilliard together, and every member of the ensemble was extremely vital to my success. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to perform on NPR’s Tiny Desk!

Where do you see jazz today, and how do you view the future of the genre? Any advice for young, up-and-coming jazz musicians?

I actually see a young demographic really falling in love with Jazz music again, and it’s having quite the resurgence. When I was graduating from college almost 10 years ago, it seemed like there were 2 successful schools of jazz: the modern contemporary artists like Ambrose, and the contemporary genre-bending jazz artists like Christian Scott.

Now I see straight-ahead jazz having another resurgence thanks to young artists like Samara Joy and Emmet, who so intelligently leveraged his online presence during the pandemic to build an audience who loves swing music!

So, due to the internet and the era we are in, I see jazz flourishing but in multiple different directions, and everyone building their own audiences. Similar to mainstream music, I think the era of one or two main stars in any genre is fading out, and we are starting to see more niche silos forming - all with their own audiences that are self-sustainable.

What’s on your playlist these days?

These days, I’m listening to a lot more hip hop, and this summer there have been amazing hip hop albums like Clipse's album Let God Sort Em Out, Tyler, The Creator's new album DON'T TAP THE GLASS, and Freddie Gibbs and Alchemist's Alfredo 2.

Also, I’ve had Mutt by Leon Thomas on repeat.

A dream collaborator you haven’t had the chance to work with, and why?

I want to work with Pharrell, Anderson .Paak, André 3000, Herbie Hancock, Gary Bartz, Miguel, and Kaytranada. I’m just a huge fan of these musicians, and they’ve had a huge influence on me.

If you could send one message to the world, what would it be?

We are more alike than we are different. The world needs more love and compassion, and that doesn’t just happen - you have to fight for it.