Ed O'Brien on Working with Jazz Musician Shabaka #EdOBrien
Why It Matters
The collaboration demonstrates how rock veterans can revitalize their music through jazz partnerships, potentially reshaping audience expectations and expanding market appeal for genre‑blending projects.
Key Takeaways
- •O'Brien sought classical and jazz influences beyond Radiohead’s sound.
- •Collaboration occurred at Paul’s Church studio in Crouch End.
- •Shabaka contributed improvised flute loops creating atmospheric textures.
- •O'Brien gave Shabaka full creative freedom, avoiding constraints.
- •The partnership added a distinct, beautiful layer to the new album.
Summary
Ed O'Brien, Radiohead guitarist, explains his recent solo album’s direction, emphasizing a deliberate shift toward classical and jazz influences. He recounts how the desire to move beyond the familiar Radiohead framework led him to invite jazz saxophonist and composer Shabaka Hutchings into the studio.
The session took place at Paul’s Church in Crouch End, a reverberant space that inspired a “glorious” sound. Hutchings laid down improvised flute lines, looping them to create an ambient texture that O'Brien describes as instantly transformative for the record. Rather than dictating parts, O'Brien let Hutchings respond instinctively, trusting his “caliber” to produce something beautiful.
O'Brien stresses that his collaborative philosophy is to avoid “shackling” a guest musician, instead asking, “What do you feel?” The result, according to O'Brien, is a seamless blend of jazz improvisation with his own rock sensibility, adding a new sonic layer that distinguishes the album from his previous work.
The partnership signals a broader trend of genre‑crossing collaborations, showing how established rock artists can rejuvenate their sound by embracing jazz and classical textures. For listeners, it promises a richer, more experimental listening experience and may open doors for similar artistic experiments in the industry.
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