Below you can watch the last number Peralta played on Nov. 20 at the Blue Whale, the night before his passing. It is a cover of Joni Mitchell’s “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat”, which was written after the passing of jazz great Charles Mingus. That night Peralta went out for some drinks with fellow musicians drummer Ronald Bruner Jr. and Thundercat, staying out as late as 5am. At the bottom of the post a photo can be found of Peralta and his friends that night. You can read more about the tragic night over at LA Weekly. Rest in peace, Austin Peralta.

This of course leads to a brief freestyle over some TNGHT that I’m hoping lends itself to a proper collaboration down the road. There’s also an Austin Peralta (RIP) tribute on there as Peterson included the young composer’s Maida Vale sessions, which are simply stunning.

You can listen to the three-hour playlist at BBC Radio 6 Music.

With the shocking news of his passing last week, tributes to the life and music of Austin Peralta have started to pour in. This one in particular comes courtesy of Alpha Pup, a live recording of a 2011 performance from the release party of Peralta’s solo LP, Endless Planets. The performance features a stacked lineup of musicians at the side of Peralta’s piano, including Miguel Atwood-Ferguson on viola, Sam Gendel on saxaphone, Ryan McGillicuddy on bass, Zach Harmon on drums, Earnest Blount on electronics and Benjamin Olsen taking care of visuals.

The performance is over an hour long, showcasing the magnificent talent this young man possessed. February 11, 2011 was the date this took place, at Future, the Center for Arts at Eagle Rock in Los Angeles, California. Oh, and yes, that introduction came from Flying Lotus, as this was indeed a Brainfeeder release. Listen to the performance below.

Well this is some really sad news, it appears that experimental jazz pianist Austin Peralta has passed away. The overwhelmingly talented composer was only 22, and at this point the cause is unknown. By the early age of 16 he already released two full LPs and played with jazz legends like bassist Ron Carter. And within a few years of those works, he released his stunning Brainfeeder debut Endless Planets. 

Peralta recorded and performed alongside Flying Lotus, Thundercat, Shafiq Husayn, and Erykah Badu. He had a second album in the works with Brainfeeder and some of his final contributions can be heard on FlyLo’s Until The Quiet Comes. Details of Peralta’s passing are unclear at this point, but our thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family dealing with his untimely passing.

In conjunction with Scion A/V, Daedelus plans on releasing a free EP tomorrow afternoon called Looking Ocean. A day in advance, the Los Angeles producer has liberated the Austin Peralta featured title track. Daedelus handles the percussion and synthesizers, while his friend Peralta paints a vivid picture with his classical piano. At first, the track sounds far from natural, as the hi-hats skip across the soothing piano hits. But somehow things come together for “Looking Ocean”, resulting in a rather unique final product worth listening to. [via]

Listen to the track below and stay on the lookout for Looking Ocean tomorrow.

Hit the skip to stream.

Thundercat – $200 TB prod.Flying Lotus ft. Austin Peralta by Flyinglotus

Hit the skip for the live video.

Make no mistake: Austin Peralta, son of skateboarding legend Stacy Peralta, is a jazz musician. As such, it makes sense that Endless Planets, his debut album for Brainfeeder (the label run by Flying Lotus), is a jazz record. But this, according to FlyLo, is by design.

“This is a step in the direction of where I want Brainfeeder to go – true musicianship as well as some interesting electronics.”

Peralta, the 21-year-old pianist, who was introduced to FlyLo by Dr. Strangeloop (who is, not coincidentally, the producer for Endless Planets and offers electronic manipulation throughout the album – most notably between tracks), is no stranger to true musicianship. He has performed with Chick Corea, Hank Jones, Ron Carter, Erykah Badu and Shafiq Husayn, amongst others. And for his Brainfeeder debut, he teams up with Zane Musa (alto sax), Ben Wendel (tenor and soprano), Hamilton Price (bass) and Zach Harmon (drums).

The album starts with an “Introduction: The Lotus Flower”, which eases the listener into what will become a showcase of musicianship, but the relaxed vibe only lasts briefly. Both “Capricornus” and “The Underwater Mountain Odyssey” are filled with energy immediately; the up-tempo tracks demand your attention – as each musician takes turns in the spotlight. While it might appear that each instrument is fighting for attention, they do complement each other when taken as a whole – and with the steadying influence of Peralta’s deft work on the keys.

The frenetic energy manifests itself in a slightly different form on “Interlude”. Peralta’s keys, once again, form the backbone of the song – but both the bass and horn work also are noteworthy.

The album’s most FlyLo moment (for lack of a better term) comes on “Epilogue: Renaissance Bubbles” where Peralta teams up with The Cinematic Orchestra and vocalist Heidi Vogel, over a Dr. Strangeloop production. It’s a return to the slower, more relaxed vibe of the album’s opener – but it’s also a sign of the possibilities to come on future Brainfeeder releases.

Unfortunately, the closing track is both a gift and a curse for Peralta – it will be the silver lining for those not ready to embrace modern jazz, but more than willing to accept FlyLo’s musical stylings; but it will be a departure for those jazz fans who appreciated Peralta’s traditional leanings in the album’s first six tracks and don’t see the need for any electronic assistance.

3 out of 5 stars

3 out of 5