MCKINLEY DIXON AT BABY’S ALL RIGHT IN BROOKLYN

BY Isabelle Fama (SHE/HER)

McKinley Dixon sits squarely at the intersection of music and poetry. He converges hip hop and jazz music to paint a landscape of resistance and empowerment. On September 13th, he lent his genius to the crowd at Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn, New York. Dixon opened the set with Swangin’, from his 2021 album For My Mama And Anyone Who Look Like Her. He instantly drew in the crowd with his dynamic stage presence and passionate delivery, and fans of a variety of ages enthusiastically sang along. Another fan favorite track was Chain Sooo Heavy, from the same release.

Midway through his set, Dixon retreated to the back of the stage as the lights dimmed and a recording of an excerpt from Toni Morrison’s Jazz began to play. In the crowd, phones lowered, heads bowed, and eyes closed. People swayed, nodded, and some even mouthed the words - “At last, at last, everything’s ahead. The smart ones say so and people listening to them and reading what they write down agree: Here comes the new. Look out.” Each member of Dixon’s uber-talented band had a chance to shine - his admiration for them was clear as he took the time to dial in and interact with each one. During an electrifying guitar solo, Dixon joined the crowd’s chorus of cheers.

Dixon closed the show with the title track of his 2023 album, Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? The crowd expressed their disappointment when he shared that it was the last song of the night, but quickly changed their tune when he tasked them with a call-and-response to bring the song to life. As Dixon sang “you’re my beloved…” the crowd shouted back: “PARADISE! JAZZ!” McKinley Dixon transcends genre and medium to spotlight history and uplift a generation. Listen to his latest release, Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? and catch him live if you can.