Houston, get ready for a master class in musical time travel—no DeLorean required. On Friday, November 13, 2026, DACAMERA welcomes drummer, composer and producer Makaya McCraven for his first Houston appearance at 8 p.m. in the Cullen Theater at Wortham Theater Center. Nicknamed the “beat scientist,” McCraven does more than keep time. He bends it, loops it and gives it a new groove.

For generations, jazz has been a soundtrack to African American ingenuity. From the improvisational brilliance of New Orleans to Chicago’s restless musical laboratories, artists have transformed inherited rhythms into fresh possibilities. McCraven belongs to that tradition, but his toolkit includes studio editing, hip-hop sampling and electronic production alongside the drum kit. The result is music that respects its elders without asking their permission to evolve.

Born in Paris to jazz drummer Stephen McCraven and Hungarian singer and flutist Ágnes Zsigmondi, he grew up surrounded by jazz, folk music and cross-cultural collaboration. Coming of age during hip-hop’s sample-driven 1990s, he recognized the kinship between a jazz soloist reshaping a melody and a producer reshaping a breakbeat. Chicago, where he built his career, became the ideal workshop for that discovery.

His 2015 breakthrough, In the Moment, turned recordings of improvised performances into striking new compositions. Universal Beings, released in 2018, widened the conversation across international jazz communities, while 2022’s In These Times combined expansive arrangements with deeply personal rhythms. On Deciphering the Message, McCraven even revisited the Blue Note catalog, placing a contemporary pulse beside the music of earlier innovators.

In 2025, the experimentation continued with four connected EPs—Techno Logic, The People’s Mixtape, Hidden Out! and PopUp Shop—collected on the double album Off the Record. Captured from live improvisations and reconstructed in the studio, they demonstrate his trademark alchemy: turning fleeting musical conversations into compelling new stories. Think jazz club meets producer’s laboratory, with every player helping write the formula.

For Houston, the supporting cast makes this performance especially exciting. Vibraphonist Joel Ross brings shimmering melody; guitarist Matt Gold adds texture and unexpected turns; bassist Junius Paul supplies the foundation. Alongside McCraven’s drums, they form a quartet capable of moving from a whisper to an irresistible rhythmic rush without losing the conversation.

The concert also continues a proud DACAMERA legacy. Founded in 1987, the Houston arts presenter launched its jazz series in 1995 with Abbey Lincoln and Roy Hargrove. Three decades later, its programming still celebrates both cultural roots and boundary-pushing artistry.

The experience should resonate in Houston, a city whose musical DNA connects jazz, blues, gospel and hip-hop. McCraven’s method invites listeners to hear these traditions not as competing categories, but as members of the same extended family—each borrowing, responding and building something new.

Whether you are a lifelong jazz enthusiast, a hip-hop devotee or simply curious about what happens when tradition meets technology, November 13 offers a remarkable invitation: come hear where jazz has been—and where it might go next. In McCraven’s hands, the beat never stands still.

Concert Information

Event: DACAMERA Presents Makaya McCraven

Date: Friday, November 13, 2026 • Time: 8:00 p.m.

Venue: Cullen Theater, Wortham Theater Center

Address: 501 Texas Avenue, Houston, TX 77002

Tickets: $53.50–$83.50 • Box Office: 713-524-5050

Official Event Information:
https://www.dacamera.com/jazz/makaya-mccraven/

Purchase Tickets:
https://www.dacamera.com/tickets/?id=18002

Makaya McCraven Official Website:
https://www.makayamccraven.com/#about