New jazz wunderkind duo DOMi & JD Beck made their official Tiny Desk debut on Wednesday. The young drummer and keyboardist stopped by NPR Music in Washington, D.C. and played selections from their recently released debut album, Not Tight, the first release on Anderson .Paak‘s Apeshit label.
DOMi & JD opened with “Not Tight”, the title track off their debut album and, as DOMi says after playing the tune, the first song they ever wrote together. Next they played “SMiLE”, the first song the duo ever officially released.
JD then introduced “U DON’T HAVE TO ROB ME”. “This is the first song we ever sang together. We’ve never played it in front of anyone ever … so we’re gonna try not to f–ck it up.” After playing the song—which has lyrics that go, “You don’t have to rob me / It’s not really worth it / I only have credit cards / And I can just cancel them,”—Beck explained, “We wrote that song when DOMi almost got stabbed by a homeless person.” The duo closed the set with “What Up”.
For ambience, the duo decorated the Tiny Desk office with the “vines, turf and vibrant floral arrangements from the album cover,” per the video description. Throughout the performance, DOMi and JD display impeccable musicianship, with blazing chops and an elevated sense of melody and groove, respectively. They also showcase their charmingly irreverent and self-deprecating humor.
Watch DOMi & JD Beck’s Tiny Desk Concert below.
DOMi & JD Beck – NPR Tiny Desk Concert