Braxton Cook shares the cosmic jazz cut “Josh’s Tune” + New album ‘Not Everyone Can Go’ out August 29th

Today, award-winning, Juilliard-trained singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Braxton Cook shares another taste from his forthcoming album, Not Everyone Can Go, with the cosmic jazz cut “Josh’s Tune.” Written and produced alongside his bassist and frequent collaborator Joshua Crumbly, the song starts with a stutter-step backbeat intro before launching into an otherworldly jam fueled by a walking bass line and Braxton’s melodic saxophone style. This is progressive jazz at its finest as the band pushes the boundaries of what’s possible. 

Braxton explains: “Joshua Crumbly, bassist, composer, Juilliard Alum, and long-time friend of mine, brought a demo of this song that he produced to our recording session. We played it through the headphones for a bit to learn the general chords, and then, we matched the bpm and just started tracking a jam. We recorded a 15-minute session where the guitarist and I improvised the melody, and we as a band just improvised the form on the spot. This recording has a special energy to it because none of us knew where it was going, and I’m so glad that we were able to capture this energy on record and for it to make the album! Josh’s tune is a testament to the collaborative nature of the entire album and a true depiction of how incredible everyone in the band truly is!”

“Josh’s Tune” follows the euphoric “All My Life” and mesmerizing “We’ve Come So Far,” which will appear on Braxton’s new album Not Everyone Can Go, due out on August 29th via Nettwerk. The new album is a visionary statement on conflict, resolution, and renewed love. It’s a soulful meditation on letting go of what no longer serves you, leaning into life’s inevitable shifts, and finding gratitude amid the chaos. The album includes notable features from Elijah Fox, Nate Smith, Marie Dahlstrom, NAVVY, and more.

After releasing his captivating NPR Tiny Desk Concert performance earlier this year, Braxton is excited to bring his new material on the road with a string of Fall headline tour dates, including the long-awaited Blue Note Los Angeles, which recently announced its opening slate of shows. Braxton will perform two nights on September 9th and 10th to help kick off the venue’s opening month. After the US headline run, Braxton will travel to make his return to Europe and the UK in November. Find the complete list of tour dates below, and for more information, visit www.braxtoncook.com.

LISTEN & SHARE BRAXTON COOK “JOSH’S TUNE” HERE:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bbqqycl3t0U

When artist, singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Braxton Cook started working on the album that would become Not Everyone Can Go, his life was going through many transitions that he just couldn’t ignore. After a whirlwind year touring across Europe, Asia, and the U.S., Cook reflected on the difficulties of juggling his career with family life. “It was a lot to manage,” he says. He noticed a theme emerging and came to the conclusion: It was OK to let go of things that weren’t serving him any longer. Transitions were natural as he stepped into fatherhood. “It was only pushing me more in that direction of understanding,” he continued. “There’s grief that comes along with having to let certain things go to make time for the things I truly value.”

One can hear Cook breaking through on Not Everyone Can Go, a mix of jazz and R&B that feels indebted to similar hybrids of yesteryear. Musically, the album conjures images of bright evening sunshine, when the temperature begins to cool. Not quite Quiet Storm, instead, Not Everyone Can Go dabbles between the margins, which won’t surprise those who’ve followed Cook to this point. Across albums like Somewhere In Between, No Doubt, and Who Are You When No One Is Watching?, he’s made a career of blurring the lines between genres, landing on a sound that isn’t one thing, in particular. While that’s made his music tough to pin down, that also makes it all the more intriguing. That you can’t label it just R&B or just jazz lends to the music’s attraction.

Lyrically, Not Everyone Can Go follows the trek of conflict, from where a romantic relationship faces challenges to when the couple makes it to the other side. The album soundtracks that journey without placing blame on one person or the other. Instead, Cook assesses his own role in the disconnect, as if doing the necessary self-work to show up fully for his significant other. The album’s second half incorporates love songs about the rediscovery of affection, taking sonic cues from late-‘90s R&B, with its slow, body-rolling pace and lush electric keys. “The last part of the album is the action for me,” Cook said. “It’s the act of rebuilding these relationships the way that I want and the way that I see them, and that’s what those love songs are about. ‘Bad’ is very much about taking my wife back out on a date. As if we were just courting each other all over again.”

Ultimately, Not Everyone Can Go is about embracing change, that when seasons arrive where moves are inevitable, you have to lean into them. “This particular record is a reminder to myself and others to take stock in what it is you have and be grateful for the breath in your lungs. It’s like, Man, I’m alive. I got up today. I have two beautiful kids. And, it’s going to be alright.”

BRAXTON COOK 2025 TOUR DATES:

NORTH AMERICAN DATES:
August 31 – Napa, CA @ Blue Note Jazz Festival’s The Black Radio Experience
September 5 – Phoenix, AZ @ Musical Instrument Museum
September 9 – Los Angeles, CA @ Blue Note Los Angeles *NEWLY ANNOUNCED
September 10 – Los Angeles, CA @ Blue Note Los Angeles *NEWLY ANNOUNCED
October 1 – Chicago, IL @ Schuba’s
October 2 – Cleveland, OH @ Bop Shop
October 4 – Durham, NC @ Missy Lane’s Block Party
October 28 – Seattle, WA @ Jazz Alley Restaurant and Nightclub
October 29 – Seattle, WA @ Jazz Alley Restaurant and Nightclub
October 30 – Portland, OR @ The Jack London Revue (2 shows)
November 1 – Sacramento, CA @ The Starlet Room @ Harlow’s
November 11 – New York, NY @ Blue Note NYC
November 12 – New York, NY @ Blue Note NYC
November 13 – Washington, DC @ Songbyrd
November 15 – Philadelphia, PA @ Milkboy
November 16 – Boston, MA @ City Winery

EUROPEAN DATES:
November 19 – Paris, FR @ Duc Des Lombards
November 20 – Paris, FR @ Duc Des Lombards
November 21 – London, UK @ Jazz Cafe
November 23 – Manchester, UK @ Yes

Media Praise for Braxton Cook:

“…a refreshing jazz-R&B take on Black love…”
– Billboard

“genre-jumping artist whose music feels both contemporary and timeless”
– NPR Music

“…powerful… rich… avant-garde…”
– PAPER Magazine

“Cook’s soulful sound seamlessly intertwines jazz with funk, soul, and gospel, a testament to the passionate and thoughtful work he puts out”
– OkayPlayer

“Jazz prodigy…with his alto saxophone and other acoustic instruments, the album uses electronic textures, hip-hop- and trap-inspired beats, plus Cook’s own vocal…”
– The Washington Post

“Braxton Cook had us in a trance with his new single, “Weekend, featuring Swiss soul singer, NNAVY. Collectively, the two singers embrace a push-pull tension of balancing work, life and love.”
– VIBE