Your Brother’s Keeper & Gary Bartz: Where Rivers Meet

I love Gilles Peterson and have followed him since his Talkin’ Loud days and consider him as one of my heroes in the world of music. During the inaugural edtion of the We Out Here festival he had a thought. What would it be like to bring together a legendary American soul-jazz visionary in Gary Bartz and the seminal British contemporary jazz septet Maisha? The results have been one unforgettable live performance and a spiritually transcendent album, Gary Bartz and Maisha released through the Night Dreamer label.

Since then Maisha has evolved into a new collective called, Your Brother’s Keeper and for 2026 they are back with a new collaboration with Gary Bartz, this time on Gilles’ label Brownswood Recordings. Where Rivers Meet is like an excellent cup of Gesha coffee that envelopes you with different notes and flavors that come together in ways that make you sigh with pleasure. This record has, groove, it has atmosphere, it soulful, it’s vibrant, the inspired performances are palpable almost tactile, there are moments that are introspective and smooth, just like butter.