{"title":"jaimie branch","description":"\u003cp\u003e(June 17 1983 – August 22 2022)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFirst and foremost, jaimie “Breezy” branch was a trumpet player. Whether it was the blast of her horn’s long steady full-bodied tone, or the expressiveness she’d add with plunger mutes and harmonizing looped effects, branch played the trumpet like she was born to, reasserting her love for and fascination with the instrument each and every time she brought it to her lips. If you need one reason to know why jaimie branch was a special musical force, start there.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.intlanthem.com\/artists\/jaimie-branch\"\u003eLearn More\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"jaimie-branch-fly-or-die-fly-or-die-fly-or-die-world-war","title":"jaimie branch - Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((world war))","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"tralbumData tralbum-about\"\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"tralbumData tralbum-about\"\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"tralbumData tralbum-about\"\u003eI\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003en July of 2022, just one month before jaimie branch’s death sent shockwaves around the world, the trumpet player and composer was in Chicago at International Anthem studios putting finishing touches on an album. It was a suite of music she had composed and then recorded with her flagship ensemble, Fly or Die, over the course of a residency at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts in Omaha, Nebraska. In her wake, the album was near complete, with only mixing tweaks, final titles, and artwork to be fully realized. In the months following, her family (led by sister Kate Branch), her band (Jason Ajemian, Lester St. Louis, and Chad Taylor), and her collaborators at IARC banded together to gather memories, texts, emails, photographs, artwork and fragments belonging to jaimie to light the path forward. The goal was always to do what jaimie would have done. Packaged in stunning artwork by John Herndon, Damon Locks, and branch herself, Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((world war)) is jaimie’s final album with her Fly or Die quartet.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom the album's liner notes, written by jaimie's Fly or Die bandmates:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“jaimie never had small ideas. She always thought big. The minute you told her she couldn’t do something, or that something\u003cspan class=\"bcTruncateMore\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ewould be too difficult to accomplish, the more determined and focused she became. And this album is big. Far bigger and more demanding — for us, and for you — than any other Fly or Die record. For this, jaimie wanted to play with longer forms, more modulations, more noise, more singing, and as always, grooves and melodies. She was a dynamic melodicist. jaimie wanted this album to be lush, grand and full of life, just as she was. Every time we take a listen, we feel the deep imprint of her all over the music, and we see all of us making it together.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003ca\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"credits-label\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"tralbumData tralbum-credits\"\u003eReleased August 25, 2023\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"tralbumData tralbum-credits\"\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"tralbumData tralbum-credits\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"tralbumData tralbum-credits\"\u003ejaimie branch – trumpet, voice, keyboard, percussion, happy apple\u003cbr\u003eLester St. Louis – cello, voice, flute, marimba, keyboard\u003cbr\u003eJason Ajemian – double bass, electric bass, voice, marimba\u003cbr\u003eChad Taylor – drums, mbira, timpani, bells, marimba\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e-with special guests-\u003cbr\u003eNick Broste - trombone (on track 5 \u0026amp; 6)\u003cbr\u003eRob Frye - flute (track 5), bass clarinet (track 5, 6 \u0026amp; 7)\u003cbr\u003eAkenya Seymour - voice (track 5)\u003cbr\u003eDaniel Villarreal - conga and percussion (track 2, 5, 6 \u0026amp; 7)\u003cbr\u003eKuma Dog - voice (track 5)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAll compositions by jaimie branch; except \"and kuma walks” composed by jaimie branch, Lester St. Louis, Jason Ajemian \u0026amp; Chad Taylor; and “the mountain” composed by Curt Kirkwood (originally performed by The Meat Puppets as “Comin’ Down”).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRecorded at Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts in Omaha, NE, April 25-29, 2022. Edits, overdubs and mixing at International Anthem Studios in Chicago, IL, July 18-23, 2022. Additional mixing at International Anthem Studios, August \u0026amp; December 2022.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRecorded by: Dave Vettraino\u003cbr\u003eEdited by: jaimie branch \u0026amp; Dave Vettraino\u003cbr\u003eMixed by: Dave Vettraino \u0026amp; David Allen\u003cbr\u003eMastered by: David Allen\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCover Art by: jaimie branch \u0026amp; John Herndon\u003cbr\u003eCover Design by: Damon Locks\u003cbr\u003ePhotography by: Ben Semisch; courtesy of Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts\u003cbr\u003eLiner Notes by: Jason Ajemian, Lester St. Louis, and Chad Taylor; edited by Kate Branch.\u003cbr\u003eLayout \u0026amp; Insert Design by: Craig Hansen\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"license-label\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"license\" class=\"info license\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"cc-icons commercial\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eall rights reserved\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"International Anthem","offers":[{"title":"IARC0066 Limousine Black vinyl LP","offer_id":50256800743698,"sku":"IARC0066LP","price":26.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"IARC0066 Peacock Couture color vinyl LP","offer_id":52121003098386,"sku":"IARC0066LPS","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"IARC0066 CD","offer_id":52121003131154,"sku":"IARC0066CD","price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"IARC0066 Digital Download","offer_id":52121003163922,"sku":"IARC0066","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0751\/6989\/0578\/files\/a0938416696_10.jpg?v=1773342206"},{"product_id":"jaimie-branch-fly-or-die","title":"jaimie branch - Fly or Die","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"tralbumData tralbum-about\"\u003eA mainstay of the Chicago jazz scene and an active recent addition to the New York scene, Jaimie Branch is an avant-garde trumpeter known for her “ghostly sounds,\" says The New York Times, and for \"sucker punching\" crowds straight from the jump off, says Time Out. Her classical training and “unique voice capable of transforming every ensemble of which she is a part” (Jazz Right Now) has contributed to a wide range of projects not only in jazz but also punk, noise, indie rock, electronic and hip-hop. Branch’s work as a composer and a producer, as well as a sideman for the likes of William Parker, Matana Roberts, TV on the Radio and Spoon, is all on display in her debut record Fly or Die – a dynamic 35-minute ride that dares listeners to open their minds to music that knows no genre, no gender, no limits.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“It’s a true joy to listen to Jaimie Branch’s Fly or Die. Jaimie’s masterful trumpet playing sits at the helm of this gorgeous record, richly supported by a stellar cast of musicians, and upheld by strong and provocative composition.” – Sarah Neufeld (Arcade Fire)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Super out tunes that continually open new doors to strange, sweet, and psychedelic grooves. Band is constantly cracking some ancient alien code here. Seamless and effortless compositions from Branch. An absolute “must jam” for anyone interested in the\u003cspan class=\"bcTruncateMore\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003efuture of mind expansion.\" – Ryley Walker\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Fly or Die\u003cbr\u003eFleet footed solar cry\u003cbr\u003eBreath of a neon dragon\u003cbr\u003eStomping Whaling Kryptonite\u003cbr\u003eDelicate as thin ice on the rim of a red rose petal\u003cbr\u003eShatters all\u003cbr\u003eFresh as the beginning after the end of the world\u003cbr\u003eSonic sowing\u003cbr\u003eNew clay\u003cbr\u003ePot of gold\u003cbr\u003eDie or Fly\u003cbr\u003eYou choose”\u003cbr\u003e– Rob Mazurek\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn January of 2016, Jaimie Branch launched a monthly free jazz series with a new ensemble at Brooklyn’s now debunked Manhattan Inn. Sharing the first night of her series with a trio on tour from Chicago (Nick Mazzarella, Anton Hatwich and Frank Rosaly), the trumpeter Branch assembled a quartet to match: cellist Tomeka Reid, bassist Jason Ajemian, and drummer Chad Taylor. Between visitors and expats, it was a night of performers exclusively from The Windy City. “I wanted New York to hear what Chicago sounds like,” says Branch.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThough the format that first night was free, by the time International Anthem family returned to New York to record her in June, Branch had refined her improvised melodies into a suite of themes for to be played by that same quartet. Engineers David Allen \u0026amp; Dave Vettraino recorded the band over an afternoon at Branch’s sister Kate’s apartment in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Branch post-produced those recordings, added overdubs, blended in live takes, cut and stitched the music into its final structure at Vettraino’s home studio in Chicago in July. The finishing touch was her totally bizarre, totally brilliant commissioning of acoustic guitar overdubs by Chicago friend Matt Schneider (Moon Bros). His brief classical plucking of strings, the epilogue in “…back at the ranch,” perfectly caps the dynamic manic-depressive journey in true Jaimie Branch fashion. She's making light of a heavy situation.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRegardless of a relatively prolific and consistent decade-plus career performing, composing and collaborating with a lengthy list of jazz world notables, this album is Jaimie Branch's first final work as a leader. Over a dozen friends from Chicago to New York came together under her direction to bring it into being, and the genuine depth of character present in every element makes it well worth the wait. A categorical movement of courageous ascent, Fly or Die conveys a lifetime of experience in a singular suite.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003ca\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"credits-label\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"tralbumData tralbum-credits\"\u003ereleased May 5, 2017\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFly or Die is:\u003cbr\u003ejaimie branch - trumpet\u003cbr\u003eTomeka Reid - cello\u003cbr\u003eJason Ajemian - bass\u003cbr\u003eChad Taylor - drums.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCameos by:\u003cbr\u003eMatt Schneider – guitar\u003cbr\u003eBen Lamar Gay – cornet\u003cbr\u003eJosh Berman – cornet\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRecorded \u0026amp; Mixed by Dave Vettraino \u0026amp; David Allen\u003cbr\u003eEdited by jaimie branch \u0026amp; Dave Vettraino\u003cbr\u003eMastered by Shelly Steffens\u003cbr\u003eCover Art by jaimie branch \u0026amp; John Herndon\u003cbr\u003eCover Design by Damon Locks\u003cbr\u003eLayout \u0026amp; Liner Design by Craig Hansen\u003cbr\u003eInsert Photo by Peter Gannushkin\u003cbr\u003eLiner Photos by David Allen \u0026amp; Scott McNiece\u003cbr\u003eExecutive Producer: Scott McNiece\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"license-label\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"info license\" id=\"license\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"cc-icons commercial\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eall rights reserved\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"International Anthem","offers":[{"title":"IARC0011 - Limousine Black Vinyl LP","offer_id":52121002967314,"sku":"IARC0011LP","price":24.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"IARC0011 - Pigeon Shit Color Vinyl LP","offer_id":52121003000082,"sku":"664992991212colored","price":24.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"IARC0011 CD - Compact Disc","offer_id":52121003032850,"sku":"IA-IARC0011CD","price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"IARC0011 Digital Download","offer_id":52121003065618,"sku":"IARC0011","price":10.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0751\/6989\/0578\/files\/a4276262224_10.jpg?v=1773954509"},{"product_id":"jaimie-branch-fly-or-die-ii-chicago-release-show-poster","title":"Jaimie Branch - Fly or Die II - Chicago Release Show Poster","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLimited Edition screen-printed 18\" (W) X 24\" (L) postered designed by Aaron Lowell Denton for jaimie branch's Fly or Die II: birddogs of paradise release show on December 20, 2020 at the Empty Bottle, Chicago, IL.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e***LIMIT ONE POSTER PER CUSTOMER***\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e***SHIPPING NOTE*** Because the poster requires special packaging, no discounted shipping options are available for combined orders with LPs or CDs.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"International Anthem","offers":[{"title":"Jaimie Branch - Fly or Die II - Chicago Release Show Poster (Empty Bottle, December 2019)","offer_id":52121003229458,"sku":"789993992485","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0751\/6989\/0578\/files\/0020713982_10.jpg?v=1773954744"},{"product_id":"jaimie-branch-fly-or-die-ii-bird-dogs-of-paradise","title":"jaimie branch - FLY or DIE II: bird dogs of paradise","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"tralbumData tralbum-about\"\u003eFLY or DIE II: bird dogs of paradise is the much-anticipated follow-up to composer, trumpeter, and (now) singer jaimie branch's debut Fly or Die, which was dubbed one of the “Best Albums of 2017” by The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, NPR Music, WIRE, Stereogum, Aquarium Drunkard, and more. Written (mostly) while on her first European tour with Fly or Die in November 2018; and recorded (mostly) in studio at Total Refreshment Centre and live at Café OTO in London UK at the end of that tour, bird dogs of paradise is the result of a never-satisfied branch pushing her distinct style of progressive composition to new heights — while also stepping forward as a vocalist for the first time. “So much beauty lies in the abstract of instrumental music,” says branch in the album’s liner notes, “but being this ain’t a particularly beautiful time, I’ve chosen a more literal path. The voice is good for that.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOn the album’s epic opening opus “prayer for amerikkka pt.1 and 2” branch calls out “a bunch of wide-eyed racists” between searing trumpet ad libs atop a massive, down-tuned blues. On the album’s closing track “love song (for assholes \u0026amp; clowns)” she laughs in their faces - an unhinged, unflinching, mix of anger and humor paired with a classic shuffle beat. Between both ends is an\u003cspan class=\"bcTruncateMore\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003einstrumental chronicle that traverses a deep sea of dystopian Americana without trepidation. Her trumpet – sometimes soft and pleading and other times brash and seething – is always at the helm. Branch and company are on a quest for sonic saturation here and they conjure up moments of real reckoning - hopefulness, hopelessness, danger, and joy. A cinematic sojourn from our earth to imagined worlds above, bird dogs of paradise dares you to feel again, or as branch says, “now sound the trumpets and get ready to roll.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003ca\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"credits-label\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"tralbumData tralbum-credits\"\u003ereleased October 11, 2019\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFLY or DIE\u003cbr\u003ejaimie branch – trumpet, voice, synths, sneaker squeaks, bells \u0026amp; whistles\u003cbr\u003eLester St. Louis – cello, percussion\u003cbr\u003eJason Ajemian – double bass, percussion, vocals\u003cbr\u003eChad Taylor – drums, mbira, xylophone\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e-with special guests-\u003cbr\u003eBen LaMar Gay – voice (on track 2)\u003cbr\u003eMarvin Tate – voice (on track 2)\u003cbr\u003eMatt Schneider – 12-string guitar (on track 2)\u003cbr\u003eDan Bitney – percussion, synthesizer (on track 8)\u003cbr\u003eScott McNiece – egg (on track 8)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAll compositions by jaimie branch;\u003cbr\u003eexcept \"birds of paradise,\" \"whales,\" and \"bird dogs of paradise\" composed by jaimie branch, Lester St. Louis, Jason Ajemian \u0026amp; Chad Taylor; and \"lesterlude\" composed by Lester St. Louis.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRecorded mostly at Total Refreshment Centre (tracks 2-7 \u0026amp; 9) and Café OTO (tracks 1 \u0026amp; 8) in Dalston, London UK, November 20th – 25th 2018. Edits \u0026amp; overdubs at Dave’s house in Pilsen, Chicago, December 2018. Final dubs \u0026amp; mixing at Decade Studios in Old Town, Chicago, January 2019. Mastered at Chicago Mastering Service in Garfield Park, Chicago, March 2019.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRecorded by: Dave Vettraino \u0026amp; David Allen\u003cbr\u003eRecording Assisted by: James Dunn \u0026amp; Kristian ‘Capitol K’ Robinson\u003cbr\u003eEdited by: jaimie branch \u0026amp; Dave Vettraino\u003cbr\u003eMixed by: David Allen \u0026amp; Dave Vettraino\u003cbr\u003eMastered by: Shelly Steffens\u003cbr\u003eCover Art by: jaimie branch \u0026amp; John Herndon\u003cbr\u003eCover Design by: Damon Locks \u0026amp; jaimie branch\u003cbr\u003eLayout \u0026amp; Insert Design by: Craig Hansen\u003cbr\u003ePhotography by: Peter Gannushkin, Dawid Laskowski \u0026amp; Fabrice Bourgelle\u003cbr\u003eExecutive Production by: Scott McNiece \u0026amp; David Allen\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"license-label\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"license\" class=\"info license\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"cc-icons commercial\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eall rights reserved\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"International Anthem","offers":[{"title":"IARC0027 - Black Vinyl LP","offer_id":52121003262226,"sku":"IARC0027LP","price":24.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"IARC0027 - Psychedelic Robin's Egg Colored Vinyl LP","offer_id":52121003294994,"sku":"603784912219BLUE","price":27.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"IARC0027 - CD","offer_id":52121003327762,"sku":"IA-IARC0027CD","price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"IARC0027 Digital Download","offer_id":52121003360530,"sku":"IARC0027","price":9.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"IARC0027 Test Pressing","offer_id":52121003393298,"sku":"IARC0027LP-1","price":100.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0751\/6989\/0578\/files\/a0855723537_10.jpg?v=1773954981"},{"product_id":"jaimie-branch-fly-or-die-ii-bird-dogs-of-paradise-ia11-edition","title":"jaimie branch - FLY or DIE II: bird dogs of paradise (IA11 Edition)","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"tralbumData tralbum-about\"\u003ejaimie branch’s FLY or DIE II: bird dogs of paradise, originally released in the fall of 2019, was hugely anticipated in its time.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRoughly a year before its release, and following the success of her debut Fly or Die album, branch whisked her incredible quartet across Europe for a string of performances. Across that November 2018 tour, the group stretched a songbook in-process to its limit, improvising en modo deconstructivo, tugging at the music’s edges and relentlessly morphing the sound of a four-fold liberation machine that included branch (trumpet), Chad Taylor (drums), Jason Ajemian (bass), and newcomer Lester St. Louis (cello), who had recently replaced Tomeka Reid.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMost of bird dogs of paradise was recorded in studio at Total Refreshment Centre over three days, and live at Café OTO over two nights that same week – at the tail end of the tour.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe album itself captures a very significant moment in the arc of branch's band. St. Louis’s presence had provided a fresh injection of virtuosic curiosity, and the interplay between him and Ajemian rejiggered the crew’s string-driven multi-rhythmic plonk swing while also refreshing their alternately aggressive and melodious heavy-bite bowing with an expanded pocket. It was a highly fertile\u003cspan class=\"bcTruncateMore\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003efoundation for branch to experiment and explore, reach for the nether regions of her instrument, and continue to focus and refine her flagship ensemble into a wholly original sound.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ebird dogs of paradise also introduced the wider world to branch’s singing voice. “prayer for amerikkka pt. 1 \u0026amp; 2” - written and first performed by branch in Paris on the night of the 2018 US midterm elections - has since become a rallying cry for those who share her sense of justice in a world controlled by those who are seemingly unconcerned with it. And on “love song\" (for assholes and clowns), branch shows us her cards with a wink and a smile. “So much beauty lies in the abstract of instrumental music,” branch says in the album’s original liner notes, “but being this ain’t a particularly beautiful time, I’ve chosen a more literal path. The voice is good for that.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe IA11 Edition of FLY or DIE II: bird dogs of paradise comes on classic black 140-gram vinyl LP (pressed at Pallas in Germany, with lacquers cut by Daniel K at SST) inside a heavyweight reverse-board jacket, with a 16-page 11x11\" insert booklet featuring previously-unpublished photos, two sets of new liner notes – the first by jaimie’s mom, Soledad “Sally” Branch, as told to Kate Branch, and the second by Fly or Die bassist Jason Ajemian – plus IARC 2025 obi strip and printed poly-lined printed inner-sleeve.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003ca\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"credits-label\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"tralbumData tralbum-credits\"\u003ereleased November 20, 2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ejaimie branch – trumpet, voice, synthesizer, percussion, bells, sneaker squeaks\u003cbr\u003eLester St. Louis – cello, percussion\u003cbr\u003eJason Ajemian – double bass, percussion\u003cbr\u003eChad Taylor – drums, xylophone\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ewith special guests:\u003cbr\u003eBen LaMar Gay – voice (on track 2)\u003cbr\u003eMarvin Tate – voice (on track 2)\u003cbr\u003eMatt Schneider – 12-string guitar (on track 2)\u003cbr\u003eDan Bitney – percussion, synthesizer (on track 8)\u003cbr\u003eScott McNiece – egg (on track 8)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAll compositions by jaimie branch, except “birds of paradise,” “whales,” and “bird dogs of paradise” composed by jaimie branch, Lester St. Louis, Jason Ajemian \u0026amp; Chad Taylor; and “lesterlude” composed by Lester St. Louis.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRecorded mostly at Total Refreshment Centre (tracks 2–7 \u0026amp; 9) and Café OTO (tracks 1 \u0026amp; 8) in Dalston, London UK, November 20th–25th, 2018.\u003cbr\u003eEdits \u0026amp; overdubs at Dave’s house in Pilsen, Chicago, December 2018.\u003cbr\u003eFinal dubs \u0026amp; mixing at Decade Studios in Old Town, Chicago, January 2019.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMastered at Chicago Mastering Service in Garfield Park, Chicago, March 2019.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRecorded by Dave Vettraino \u0026amp; David Allen\u003cbr\u003eRecording Assisted by James Dunn \u0026amp; Kristian “Capitol K” Robinson\u003cbr\u003eEdited by jaimie branch \u0026amp; Dave Vettraino\u003cbr\u003eMixed by David Allen \u0026amp; Dave Vettraino\u003cbr\u003eMastered by Shelly Steens\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCover Art by jaimie branch \u0026amp; John Herndon\u003cbr\u003eCover Design by Damon Locks \u0026amp; jaimie branch\u003cbr\u003eInsert Cover Photo by Peter Gannushkin\u003cbr\u003ePhotos from TRC by Fabrice Bourgelle\u003cbr\u003ePhotos from Café OTO by Dawid Laskowski\u003cbr\u003eOriginal Insert Design by Craig Hansen\u003cbr\u003eIA11 Design \u0026amp; Layout by Aaron Lowell Denton\u003cbr\u003eExecutive Production by Scott McNiece \u0026amp; David Allen\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"license-label\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"license\" class=\"info license\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"cc-icons commercial\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eall rights reserved\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"International Anthem","offers":[{"title":"IARC0027 Limousine Black vinyl LP (IA11 Edition)","offer_id":52121003426066,"sku":"IARC0027LP11","price":23.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"IARC0027 Digital Download","offer_id":52121003458834,"sku":"IARC0027","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0751\/6989\/0578\/files\/a4102833518_10.jpg?v=1773955065"},{"product_id":"jaimie-branch-fly-or-die-live","title":"jaimie branch - FLY or DIE LIVE","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"tralbumData tralbum-about\"\u003eFull flight capture of the full Fly or Die suite, parts 1 \u0026amp; 2 compounded \u0026amp; flawlessly communicated in a singular epic of raw cosmic brilliance.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003efull story in the words of Piotr Orlov here:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere is a moment near the top of jaimie branch’s FLY or DIE LIVE, the new album recorded by the trumpeter’s quartet in Zurich, Switzerland on January 23rd, 2020, which feels like it bears the weight of both that specific pocket of time, and a prophecy for all that was soon to come. branch and her Fly or Die crew — cellist Lester St. Louis, double bassist Jason Ajemian, and drummer\/percussionist\/mbira player Chad Taylor — had just kicked off the concert at Moods, with the opening tracks off their then-new studio album FLY or DIE II: Bird Dogs of Paradise, the second of which, “Prayer for Amerikkka” is among the best political songs written during the Tr*mp Era, and when the moment in question pops off.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe multi-part “Prayer” begins as a goth-blues stomp, its moaning ghosts flying around the room. A week into a European tour and after three months of constant live performance, Fly or Die is at home in this new song’s contours, messing with its internal machinery while guiding its meaning. By now, “Prayer” had gained a tough\u003cspan class=\"bcTruncateMore\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003espoken-word intro, bringing the context as it slowly gearshifts the intensity: “It’s a song about America,” off-the-cuffs branch while the band seethes behind her, “but it’s about a whole lotta places — ‘cause it’s not just America where shit’s fucked up...” Then arrives the climax, at once site-specific and far-reaching: “...and it’s not always time to be neutral, do you know what I mean?” The gathered Swiss crowd knows, understands, and responds vocally, as Taylor’s backbeats cue branch to bring the trumpet to her lips, and let out a high-pitched wail. Her horn doesn’t know what’s about to happen to our world, and yet, somehow, it does — with only the catastrophic details needing to be worked out. For the next 12 minutes, “Prayer” careens through its twists of wide-eyed racism and family separation, Ajemian and Taylor driving branch’s punk-jazz Morricone horn line. “This is a warning, honey…” cries the song, and over the ensuing 70 minutes, the band echoes its sentiment, filled with glee and terror.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhere were you in January of 2020, those last moments of the Before Times? Where was your mind, your body, your soul? Did you have plans, hopes and aspirations for the oncoming calendar trip around the sun just starting its initial turn? Were you embroiled in the turmoil continuing to roil the feeds and the headlines, or steeling yourself for the ones that we all knew were incoming during an especially contentious American election year? Maybe both. Or maybe you felt there was some hope blowing in the air.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“There was so much promise for the year,” remembers branch. A world of possibilities was certainly pending for Fly or Die leading into 2020 and that Zurich gig. The group was in their favored environment, the stage, where their individual relationships had been molded. branch and Ajemian had been playing together since the mid-’00s in Chicago, and admiring Taylor’s work with the Chicago Underground and at the city’s legendary Velvet Lounge jam-session for just as long. When Fly or Die made its debut at Brooklyn’s Manhattan Inn in 2016, they made up three-quarters of the band. branch and St. Louis met in 2015 after jaimie first moved to New York, while St. Louis was working at the Spectrum club where branch played on occasion. (Soon St. Louis replaced original Fly or Die cellist Tomeka Reid, who departed the band to concentrate on her own myriad of commitments.) In the years since, this quartet had grown into a powerful unit, adept at conjuring musical environments that could be forceful and rhythmic one moment, and fragile the next.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“So much of what the band is about is the trust between the players and the rapport on stage,” says branch. “The trust means no one's going to drop the ball. The band is all improvisers, that's a really key thing. (A lot of people improvise, but not everybody's an improviser.) And I feel like this band especially is made up of them. So much of the music is led with the ears first.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOn Fly or Die’s sophomore album Bird Dogs of Paradise, which dropped in October 2019, branch had composed and recorded a batch of songs that showcased a political perspective and cutting sense of humor, balancing experimentalism and accessibility, party and erudition, “jazz” and the next thing. They were now headed out on the road to show off these songs — “the most touring this band would have ever done,” according to branch — integrating them in suite-like fashion with music from branch’s critically acclaimed 2017 debut. High on the work they were presenting, ready to lock into, and have some fun with it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe late fall saw a month-long tour of Europe; December featured record release shows in LA, Brooklyn and Chicago; then in January, it was back to the EU for a two-week (no days off) sprint, of which the Thursday night at Zurich fell almost directly in the middle. The night before, January 22nd, at Oslo’s Victoria Nasjonal Jazzscene was an upbeat one — St. Louis’ partner had surprised him by flying in from the States; and branch, who earlier thought she’d lost a bag with her passport, documents and cash, had it returned by their van driver after the gig. (No reason for anyone to notice that the Coronavirus had made its debut on the front-page of the New York Times that day.) The positive energy carried over to Switzerland. Soundcheck at Moods, “a big, nice theater in the middle of Zurich,” went well. branch had to talk the venue into the band doing one long set instead of two, but she also agreed to them making a multi-track recording of the set. “The vibe in the band was pretty high,” says branch.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom the offset, it sounds like that’s the case on both sides of the stage. The calm before the “Prayer” storm finds Taylor’s mbira and branch’s muted horn in a gentle duet, interweaving textures and melodies. The storm’s aftermath, “Lesterlude,” is a St. Louis-bowed solo feature turn, moving the strings towards the noise. Each individual song connects to the next, performed in a continuous, no-stop style, a part of the group’s DNA on record as well as stage. By “Twenty-Three N Me,” they are beginning to stretch into free spaces, and the crowd’s timely enunciations betray the fact that the audience too is up on every note. “Whales,” an Ajemian-led interlude, brings the sound palette to the bottom of the ocean, before Taylor’s intricate, rim-heavy beat returns us to the surface and gets the debut album’s “Theme 001” rolling into a full-on dance number. Approving screams pile up. The quiet-loud\/fast-slow alteration continues: Taylor solos softly (“Meanwhile”), before exploding alongside Ajemian to push branch on a supple, double-time swing (“Theme 002,” with branch in Cootie Williams mode). Later Ajemian’s bass is joined by Taylor’s thumb-piano and St. Louis’ arco, before going on a solo stroll, upping the tempo and ending in the funky second-line swagger of “Simple Silver Surfer” (with great melodic counterpoint by St. Louis). It’s crisp and fun, the laughter in the audience answered on-stage. By the forever set-ending, self-indicting new-bar-standard, “Love Song (For Assholes and Clowns),” branch is conducting the sing-along. Then, soon, it is over.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSo, how was it? At the time, Moods was just another stop on a never-ending tour. Italy next, we gotta go. The following month and a half was a blur too, amidst the increasingly dire headlines: the February Pacific Northwest dates found Fly or Die slaying PDX Jazz, but “we keep hearing whispers of this COVID stuff,” and less than 10 days after playing in Seattle, the city finds itself as the first American virus hotspot. In early March, before a gig at DC’s Kennedy Center, there’s a cancellation or two (“a little bit of gloom”). The following night at Brooklyn’s Roulette — the last gig many in attendance would see before quarantine — the bottom drops out (“six cancellations in an hour”). The tour ends, and everything stops. Forever — or what increasingly feels like it. Though a tape arrived from Zurich in early May, branch didn’t actually listen to it until the Fall. “I didn't want to be disappointed,” she says. Such was the headspace.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“I didn't have a memory of the show being an amazing show,” branch says. “But sometimes when you have zero memory of it being good or bad, those are the best shows. Because when you're in the zone, in those moments of channeling creativity, there isn't time for judgment. So oftentimes a memory is not created around that judgment, and that's actually a good indication.” When branch did pop the tape in, she was unequivocal: “I think this is like the best that we've ever played.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ebranch’s personal highlight of FLY or DIE LIVE also comes on “Prayer,” and it too speaks of something greater than what you’ll hear on the recordings, or that the audience at Moods is likely to have picked up on: “There’s a moment in Part Two of the song when Jason flips the bassline and there's this moment of weirdness, but nobody even stops—this is what I'm talking about with trust. So I just added half a bar more of a vocal, because I heard Jason got wonky. And then Chad added a [verbalizes a fill]. It's my favorite part of the whole record because I hear the mistake and I hear us bulldoze through it, turn the mistake into a dance — because that's really what it is at the core of all of this, music as dance.” No neutrality there either.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003ca\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"credits-label\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"tralbumData tralbum-credits\"\u003ereleased May 21, 2021\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ejaimie branch – trumpet, vocals, vibraslap\u003cbr\u003eLester St. Louis – cello, vocals, tiny cymbal\u003cbr\u003eJason Ajemian – bass, vocals, egg shakers\u003cbr\u003eChad Taylor – drums, vocals, mbira\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRecorded Live at Moods, Zurich, Switzerland,\u003cbr\u003e1\/23\/2020.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEngineered by Thierry Looser.\u003cbr\u003eMixed by Dave Vettraino.\u003cbr\u003eMastered by David Allen.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCover Photo by jaimie branch.\u003cbr\u003eGatefold Collage by jaimie branch.\u003cbr\u003eCenter Sticker Portraits by Abdesslam MIRDASS.\u003cbr\u003eLayout \u0026amp; Insert Design by Craig Hansen\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSpecial thanks to all at Moods, specifically Jacqueline Wüst, Carine Zuber, Sebastian Brunner.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA big thank you to Scottie McNiece, David Allen, Dave Vettraino and everyone at International Anthem Recording Company, Regina Greene, the whole team at Saudades, the crew at Moods, Maya Carney, Jody, Soledad I + II, Will Yak, Kate Branch, Jason, Lester, Chad and everyone who Flies with us. Flock up, Much Love. ~j breezy\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"license-label\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"info license\" id=\"license\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"cc-icons commercial\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eall rights reserved\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"International Anthem","offers":[{"title":"IARC0041 2xLP - Classic Black Vinyl","offer_id":52121003491602,"sku":"IARC0041LP","price":31.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"IARC0041  2xLP - \"Shredded American Flag\" Color Vinyl","offer_id":52121003524370,"sku":"IARC0041LPS","price":38.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"IARC0041 CD - Compact Disc","offer_id":52121003557138,"sku":"IARC0041CD","price":14.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"IARC0041 Digital Download","offer_id":52121003589906,"sku":"IARC0041","price":9.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0751\/6989\/0578\/files\/a0259433205_10.jpg?v=1773955194"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0751\/6989\/0578\/collections\/Photo_by_Ben_Semisch_-_Courtesy_of_Bemis_Center_for_Contemporary_Arts_1.webp?v=1791428826","url":"https:\/\/shop.intlanthem.com\/collections\/jaimie-branch.oembed","provider":"International Anthem (US)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}