Part of the magic of drummer/bandleader Makaya McCraven’s jazz-funk-hop fusion is that it sounds both dense and casual at the same time—think the rhythmic imperative of mid-’70s Miles Davis meets the mellow utility of a good beat tape, or whatever else you space out to while doing dishes. One of four live EPs released in 2025 (alongside Techno Logic, Hidden Out!, and PopUp Shop), The People’s Mixtape foregrounds the percussive, street-corner feel of “Choo Choo” and “The Beat Up” before moving into two loose, hypnotic nocturnes that highlight the playing of vibraphonist Joel Ross (“What a Life” and “Lake Shore Drive Five”). Taken in aggregate, the EPs capture not only the excitement and collectivity of the modern alt-jazz scene, but its essential accessibility. Like Charles Mingus’ Blues & Roots, this is jazz as folk music with progressive intent, born of thought but easily felt.