Drummer Jamire Williams gained a high profile from 11 years in New York playing with Robert Glasper, Jason Moran, Dr. Lonnie Smith, and other major jazz artists. Since moving back to his native Houston, he has put a greater focus on his own genre-defying sound. But Only After You Have Suffered, for the groundbreaking International Anthem label, is a major step in that pursuit. While it is not his debut—his innovative 2016 solo drum album, ///// Effectual, has that distinction—But Only After You Have Suffered finds Williams expanding his sonic palette, melodic sensibility, and curatorial scope as never before. Still, there are common threads: keyboardist Chassol and percussionist Carlos Niño, who played unobtrusive but significant roles on ///// Effectual, are part of the mix here as well. Burniss Travis and Brandon Owens are among the bassists, joining a host of vocal guests, including the operatic Lisa E. Harris and the deeply soulful, richly contrasting Corey King and Kenneth Whalum. The roster of bold instrumentalists also includes Moran on piano, alto saxophonist Sam Gendel, DJ Flash Gordon Parks, bass clarinetist Jason Arce, and guitarist Matthew Stevens, as well as rappers Mic Holden, Fat Tony, and Zeroh. Darkly esoteric and inescapably grooving, But Only After You Have Suffered is a confident summation of Williams’ distinctively hybrid aesthetic, merging jazz, hip-hop, abstract pop, and futurist R&B in new ways.