The Yussef Dayes Experience | Live from Malibu | The Listening Room | Vol. 2

There’s a certain kind of record that makes a room feel more alive without taking it over. Yussef Dayes’ Live From Malibu is exactly that. Recorded in the Malibu hills with his band, it’s the kind of album that can fill your home with warmth, rhythm, and just enough edge to make an ordinary night feel cinematic.

Dayes is a drummer who doesn’t just keep time; he stretches it, bends it, makes it dance. The album pulls from his Black Classical Music project but translates it into something raw and present. You can hear the interplay between instruments like a conversation over a good meal—Rocco Palladino’s bass lines weaving through, Venna’s saxophone floating in and out, Elijah Fox layering piano textures.

This is modern jazz at its best; soulful, alive, and forward-thinking. It proves that jazz isn’t some relic of smoky clubs and scratchy records; it’s alive and thriving, still reinventing itself in the hands of artists like Dayes. When you play this at dinner, you’re not just setting the mood; you’re tapping into a living tradition that feels fresh, vibrant, and very now.

💡 Pair it with: something unfussy but elevated, like roasted chicken with crispy skin, lemon, and herbs. Pour a glass of natural wine—something funky, maybe a chilled red—and let the grooves carry you through the evening.

And if you want to extend the mood beyond the table, Dayes also filmed a gorgeous piece in Japan—Yussef Dayes in Japan (Film) 富士山. It’s part travel diary, part music film, and all atmosphere. Pair it with a nightcap and let it carry you somewhere else.

Live From Malibu isn’t background music—it’s mood-setting. It’s the kind of album that makes your home feel like the center of something special, even if it’s just you, a candle, and takeout on a Tuesday.

Listen to the full Live Album on Spotify!