Recorded live in Chicago and then rearranged in the drummer/producer’s studio, Highly Rare channels an electric night of raw improv into a shapeshifting form halfway between hip-hop and free jazz. McCraven is a beat architect whose craft is threefold. He’s a drummer and bandleader first, but his voice doesn’t really materialize until after sounds are laid to tape—in this case, a Tascam four-track. As a producer, McCraven sifts through, chops up, and reassembles the improvisations of his own band, which here comprises three fellow top-talent players from the local recording company International Anthem. Manipulating their spontaneous takes, he transforms the improvised raw material into a carefully edited statement made out of free-form parts.
| A1 | Danny's Intro |
| A2 | The Locator |
| A3 | Above & Beyond |
| A4 | Venus Rising |
| A5 | Icy Lightning |
| B1 | Left Fields |
| B2 | R.F.J. III |
| B3 | Early Bird Once Again |
