Not everyone can say Angela Davis features on their album, but Kassa Overall can count himself as one of the lucky ones. It seems to almost make sense that the legendary African-American activist would make an appearance on the album of such an off-the-wall producer and drummer as Kassa Overall: a politically motivated and engaged artist in a constant battle with his own bipolar troubles. The Brooklyn-based Seattle native describes his music as ‘backpack jazz’, blending avant-garde improvisation with hip hop production techniques. “Mental instability, or hypersensitivity was something that felt too taboo to talk about,” he explains with the release of I Think I’m Good on Brownswood Recordings, Gilles Peterson’s label. “But I want to show the world that mentally sensitive people are the innovators of our society, and hopefully set a new standard that includes a healthy way of life and embracing our unique perspective on reality.” It’s therefore unsurprising that the stylistic roots of this record are hard to pinpoint. Into the mix are added: obviously jazz, some hip hop textures, avant-garde soul, and a hurricane of freedom. There’s equally an avalanche of talented creators that feature: adventurers from the up and coming New York scene (Melanie Charles, J Hoard, Joel Ross, Morgan Guerin, Julius Rodriguez…) but also some established names (Vijay Iyer, Sullivan Fortner, Theo Croker, Craig Taborn, Aaron Parks…). All but structured, I Think I’m Good is played out as more of an experience rather than a classic album. This is a long-form sonically experimental project where letting go is the norm. Fascinating. © Max Dembo/Qobuz