Rockstar Games never skimps on a soundtrack and L.A. Noire is no exception. The game features the music of Billie Holiday, Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, and Thelonious Monk — a suitable backdrop for a detective thriller set in 1947 Los Angeles. In addition, Rockstar partnered with Verve Records for L.A. Noire: Remixed, an EP of remixes of jazz standards by the likes of Dave Sitek and DJ Premier. Premo turned Louis Jordan’s “Ain’t Nobody Here But Us Chickens” into an undeniable head-nodder. Rockstar sure knows how to please hip-hop heads.

L.A. Noire is out now. Watch the launch trailer below and listen to the rest of L.A. Noire: Remixed here

Totally forgot about this until 30 seconds ago. Here’s the full video of Stray Phrases performing J Dilla’s Donuts at the Tea Lounge in Brooklyn on February 3 — the same show we were hyping earlier this year. This was the second time they played Donuts. ML provided the recording of their first set, but now you can get the visual side of the experience. The video is broken into five parts. See the pink hat the drummer is wearing? He hasn’t taken it off in two years.

Update: 8PM not 9

NYC, pay attention. Something on the extra-special, low-key, cooler-than-your-friends-because-you-know-about-it tip.

A jazz trio called Stray Phrases is performing J Dilla’s Donuts from beginning to end this Sunday (10/17) at The Local 269 (269 E Houston Street). No breaks and no cover, so come get your drink on and build some good water-cooler conversation for Monday morning.

ML will be in the house. You’ll likely catch me a sipping a John Daly.

Shout out to my homie Storm, the drummer, and extra props to GonCreative for the flyer.

If Flying Lotus’ space odyssey Cosmogramma gives you a headache, you may find his contributions to Jose James’ Blackmagic more agreeable. Blackmagic already lies in a gray area between between jazz and soul, but FlyLo’s three songs (these two plus “Code”) make it even harder to categorize. You should probably avoid that debate altogether and just bump these.

Download: Jose James – Made For Love (produced by Flying Lotus)

Download: Jose James – Blackmagic (produced by Flying Lotus)

Also check out his interviews with okayplayer and Pop & Hiss.

True story: my friend (not me, really) stayed up until midnight on the eve of his eleventh birthday to see if he would get a letter from Hogwarts.

He didn’t.

Bonus: The J.B.’s – Dirty Harry

“I Remember Clifford” performed in 1958.