The Cookers

Hailed as a "bebop supergroup" by NPR, The Cookers' seven members have played on over 1,000 recordings combined, and two of them - drummer Billy Hart and saxophonist Donald Harrison, Jr. - were named 2022 Jazzmasters by the National Endowment for the Arts. 

But although experience is a feature of The Cookers, their constant push to further innovate has defined their sound. 

The group's latest record, 2021's Look Out, saw them revisit and expand on previously recorded tracks with their signature brand of technical hard bop. Saxophonist Billy Harper's solos on three of the record's tracks were compared to "late Coltrane phases" by Jazz Journal, while "The Mystery of Montifa Brown," a composition led by pianist George Cables, was described by Glide Magazine as a "burner."

The members of the group are all legendary in their own right, but their complimentary styles make The Cookers essential listening.