New record pressing — Victor Vieira-Branco – The Giant is Awkward.

The Giant is Awkward is the second album by vibraphonist and composer Victor Vieira-Branco’s Bark Culture. The ensemble—featuring John Moran (double bass) and Joey Sullivan (drums)—is joined by pianist and composer Sam Yulsman for five pieces that mirror the prismatic nature of a sound Vieira-Branco has been tirelessly crafting with the group since 2021. With the addition of Yulsman, the group reveals, as Peter Margasak states, “a heightened sensitivity and grace, with increased harmonic splendor thanks to the added chordal voice. The record also marks the vibraphonist’s clear growth as a composer.”

The band’s 2024 debut, Warm Wisdom, received high praise, with New York Times jazz critic Hank Shteamer listing it among his top debuts of 2024, as well as landing a spot on Bandcamp’s Best of Jazz for September 2024. Since then, Vieira-Branco has joined Rob Mazurek’s Exploding Star Orchestra and the Chad Taylor Quintet, the former of which released the album Smokeshifter, featuring three pieces penned by the vibraphonist. The core trio of Bark Culture was also heavily involved in Rob Mazurek’s score for Kelly Reichardt’s 2025 film The Mastermind.

(Gotta Groove Records offers vinyl record pressing and EcoRecord manufacturing for independent labels, musicians, and artists – this post features one of the many records pressed at Gotta Groove in the past month).