Jazz vocalist and multi Grammy nominee Nnenna Freelon joins Hip Hop quartet The Beast to release Freedom Suite: a collection of creative reflections on jazz and Hip Hop.

With guest appearances from 9th Wonder, Branford Marsalis, Phonte (of The Foreign Exchange/Little Brother), YahZarah, Geechi Suede (of Camp Lo) and several others, Freedom Suite follows in the tradition of other collaborative jazz and Hip Hop projects like the late Guru's Jazzmatazz. The album features six original songs written and produced by The Beast, which are infused with both a live jazz aesthetic (drums, bass, piano, percussion, strings and horns were all recorded live) and an electronic/sample-based Hip Hop aesthetic. Freedom Suite also includes five contemporary interpretations of "standards" from the jazz and Hip-Hop cannon, including arrangements of Mos Def's Umi Says, Johnny Mercer & Hoagy Charmichael's Skylark, Lauryn Hill's Doo Wop and a tribute to Guru featuring selections from his Jazzmatazz catalogue, inspired by Robert Glasper's J-Dilla tribute, Dillalude.



Tour Dates
11/4 - Raleigh, NC - Tir Na Nog
11/5 - Charlotte, NC - Evening Muse
11/11 - New York, NY - NuBlu
11/12 - Raleigh, NC - NC State University's Kennedy Theatre
12/6-13 - Angola, Africa - Various Venues