Veteran percussionist Michael Wimberly releases second part of his new album Afrofuturism

The forthcoming album by percussionist and composer Michael Wimberly, Afrofuturism, drops February 19th on Temple Mountain Records. The album will be released in three distinct parts, and runs the gamut of genres from pop, R&B, soul, afrobeat and West African traditional music, representing a culmination of Wimberly's long, prolific career as a composer, improviser and percussionist. Today we can enjoy the second part of the album. He embraces the total music vision coined by the Art Ensemble of Chicago, “ancient to the future.” Afrofuturism features Grammy-award winning singer Joss Stone, guitarist/producer Sharief Hobley, kora master Foday Musa Suso and balafonist Famara Dioubate.

Wimberly is a professor at Bennington College, where he currently teaches percussion as the handpicked successor to Milford Graves. He plays drums on several albums released by Charles Gayle and Steve Coleman, and most recently performed on Alan Braufman's excellent 2020 album The Fire Still Burns (The Wicked Sound favorite jazz album of 2020!). He's performed with Funkadelic, Bill Laswell and D'Angelo. The guy's a low-key legend, a secret weapon for composers, performers and musicians who need someone with an unmatched ear for rhythm.

“I’m a jazz musician, so from my perspective it’s impossible for me to separate it. However, I wanted to package a collection of songs that represent another aspect of my creativity”, Wimberly said. “I’m looking to use my music to reflect on legacy while envisioning a future. Ancient to the future – forward thought with deep roots,” says Wimberly. “I’m hoping my music can drive social change, shift perceptions, and transform the way we think. That might be a tall order, but it’s worth striving for.”

Watch below a video of Michael Wimberly new album Afrofuturism: