Brian Jackson’s New Triple LP Features 19 Tracks and Black Thought

Keyboardist Brian Jackson has released a new triple LP containing 19 tracks, a project that reworks his classic 1970s compositions for a contemporary audience. The album, titled Now More Than Ever, is distributed by BBE Music, a British label known for house music. The release format includes a triple vinyl pressing, a double CD, and a high-resolution digital version. Jackson co-wrote the original material with Gil Scott-Heron decades ago.

The production on the new record was handled by Kenny Dope and Louie Vega, members of the house music group Masters at Work. This collaboration shifts the sonic landscape of Jackson’s previous work. The album features extended versions of several songs designed specifically for dancefloors. These tracks include “The Bottle,” “Home is Where the Hatred Is,” and “Racetrack in France,” each running longer than ten minutes.

Jackson updated the lyrics of “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” for the new version. He worked with rapper Black Thought, a member of The Roots, to modernize the references in the song. Jackson told KUVO hosts Steve Chavis and Abi Clark that he wanted to keep the underlying concepts while making them accessible to younger listeners. “I understood the assignment,” Black Thought reportedly said after reviewing Jackson’s instructions.

This is not Jackson’s first project since the turn of the 21st century. In 2021, he released a Jazz is Dead album with Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad in Los Angeles. That release, labeled JID 008, marked his return to studio work after a period of limited activity. Following the end of his collaboration with the Midnight Band, Jackson faced difficulties securing record deals and live bookings. He noted that DJs and house music producers eventually embraced his contributions during those quieter years.

The new album features a diverse group of contributors. Raheem DeVaughn, Rahsaan Patterson, Josh Milan, Moodymann, Omar, J. Ivy, Rich Medina, Raquel Ra Brown, and Wes Felton all appear on the record. Lisa Fischer provides vocals on “Home is Where the Hatred Is.” Carl Cornwell plays saxophone on “Moonshine (Live),” which serves as the album’s only instrumental track.

Jackson emphasized the collaborative nature of his creative process in his interview. “Nobody creates in a vacuum,” he said. He credited the influence of past and present artists for his current direction. The album is available now through BBE Music. The project bridges the gap between Jackson’s early radical jazz and the electronic music styles popular in recent decades.

The release strategy targets both established jazz fans and newer listeners of spoken word and electronic music. By extending the track lengths and involving house music producers, the album adapts the original compositions to current listening habits. The personnel changes reflect a deliberate effort to update the aesthetic of the 1970s recordings. Jackson’s work continues to evolve through these new partnerships and formats.