Reggie Sylvester - drums Joe Ravo - guitar Ed Keller - guitar Michael Eaton - tenor saxophone
Free improvisations and original compositions.
CD release of Adam Minkoff's rock octet arrangement of Igor Stravinsky's masterpiece "The Rite of Spring".
Adam Minkoff - electric bass Michael Eaton - alto saxophone Matt Thomas - tenor saxophone Dan Brantigan - trumpet Kevin Moehringer - trombone Nick Oddy - electric guitar Brad Whiteley - organ/keyboards Nick Anderson - drums
Cheryl Pyle - C flute, alto flute Gene Coleman - C flute, bass flute Michael Eaton - soprano sax
Individuation Quintet plays Call & Response series at The Blockhouse.
Featuring:
Michael Eaton - tenor saxophone Brad Whiteley - piano Daniel Ori - bass Shareef Taher - drums
Michael Eaton - tenor saxophone Brad Whiteley - piano Daniel Ori - bass Shareef Taher - drums
Individuation Quintet plays progressive jazz combined with elements of classical minimalism and world music. A holistic and progressive vision of jazz, cognizant of the history of jazz but reaching for a personal outlook.
Featuring:
Michael Eaton - tenor saxophone Brad Whiteley - piano Daniel Ori - bass Shareef Taher - drums
Dissident Arts Festival
Cheryl Pyle - C flute, alto flute Judi Silvano - voice, poetry Michael Eaton - soprano saxophone Larry Roland - bass Ogi Jaz - bass
Cheryl Pyle - flutes Roberta Piket - piano
Michael Eaton - saxophones + TBA - piano
Second Nature performs for the Jeff Harshbarger Presents: An Alternative Jazz Series at recordBar.
Second Nature ensemble is a contemporary classical/free jazz/electronic hybrid ensemble, featuring compositions by guitarist/composer Seth Davis and saxophonst/composer Michael Eaton.
Personnel TBA
July 18: Daniel Ori Quartet at Sweet Sounds Jazz Festival - Westfield, NJ
A snapshot from the 2018 Sweet Sounds Downtown Jazz Fest in Westfield, NJ. Inclement weather the day prior necessitated a move to Wednesday for the festival. Kenny Warren (trumpet) and I subbed in Daniel Ori's Quartet with Daniel (bass) and Kenneth Salters (drums), playing Daniel's original music. Big fun!
July 15: Beyond Quartet at 6BC Botanical Garden
Cheryl Pyle assembled another configuration of all winds for her Beyond Group; this time it was (L to R): Claire de Brunner (bassoon); Cheryl Pyle (flutes); Michael Eaton (soprano sax), Jamie Baum (alto flute). This was a super fun group to play with!
Brad Whiteley / Michael Eaton Duo, June 8 at iBeam
8 Bit Aesthetic plays "Stealth Operation", Tenor Triage plays "Parallax"
Individuation live at iBeam
May 15: Brad Whiteley Quintet at Cornelia Street Cafe
A shot of Brad Whiteley's "Presence" session at Avatar Studios from June 2016. I was lucky to have an opportunity to record with a killer band: Brad (piano), Tom Guarna (guitar), Matt Pavolka (bass), and Kenneth Salters (drums). Presence is due out in October 2018 on Destiny Records.
Brad's quintet performed music from his Destiny releases on May 15 at Cornelia Street Cafe.
Photo by Dani Gros.
Beyond Group at Tompkins Square Library
Carman Moore conducts the Beyond Group on Saturday, April 21, featuring: Cheryl Pyle (C flute/alto flute), Michael Eaton (soprano sax), Claire de Brunner (bassoon), Claire Daly (bari sax) Gene Coleman (C flute/bass flute), Hill Greene (acoustic bass), Madeleine Yayodele Nelson (African percussion)
Beyond Group (large ensemble version), featuring: Carman Moore (conducting), Cheryl Pyle (C flute, alto flute), Hilliard Green (bass), Gene Coleman (flutes), Claire de Brunner (bassoon), Michael Eaton (soprano sax), Claire Daly (baritone sax), Madeleine Yayodele Nelson (percussion) at Tompkins Square Library.
Cheryl Pyle's 65th Birthday Celebration at Downtown Music Gallery, April 8
Photo taken from video by Bruce Gallanter of Downtown Music Gallery.
Daniel Carter, Michael Eaton, Claire de Brunner, and Cheryl Pyle improvise freely at Downtown Music Gallery.
Kyle Quass Trio + Michael Eaton, Jazz Fables, March 29, 2018
I took a mini vacation to Bloomington, Indiana to perform at the 30-year running Jazz Fables series (old personal stomping grounds) with the Kyle Quass Trio, augmented with saxophone to a pianoless quartet format. I joined long time Kyle Quass (trumpet, loops, electronics), old IU classmate Jeff Greene (bass), and Tyler Damon (drums and gongs). We improvised two sets, each an hour in length, with virtually no discussion and no preparation. Clicking on the photo will take you to a SoundCloud page with the entire first set. We also appeared on David Brent Johnson's WFIU show, "Just You, Just Me" to discuss our recent music and artistic happenings. (Photo by Rob Ambrose.)
Kyle Quass and I recorded "Darkness Made Light", a sextet date of original compositions with Chicago tenor great Mark Tuttle, in the summer of 2016. That session also yielded an EP, "Rise Against" that was subsequently released a few months after the original CD. The album is available for purchase or streaming at Kyle's Bandcamp site, which can be accessed by clicking on the album cover above.
Michael Eaton, Adam Minkoff, and Disrupt Series Present: Interstellar Regions
On December 1, Adam Minkoff and I renewed our collaboration for the Disrupt Series at National Sawdust in Williamsburg, where we presented music from the late period of John Coltrane (ca. 1965-1967). In honor of the 50th Anniversary, we performed compositions from Interstellar Space (Venus, Jupiter, Saturn) and Stellar Regions (Sunstar, Iris, Seraphic Light), recorded the final year of Coltrane's life on Impulse! Records, as well as a bonus song, Sunship, from 1965's Sunship.
The evening featured an incredible ensemble, including NEA Jazz Master David Liebman, guitarist Mark Ribot, pianist Jamie Saft, and drummers Nick Anderson and Anthony Cole. The venue was at or near capacity for both sets.
I want to express my deep and sincere thanks to all the musicians for their tremendous artistry, to Dani Gros for her poster and photography work, to National Sawdust for hosting us, and to all our friends who attended. This was for me a peak artistic happening that brought together all the different elements of the evening into one cohesive whole.
Sunday, November 19: Beyond Trio and Individuation
A real treat to improvise with baritone saxophonist Claire Daly.
Cheryl Pyle's Beyond Trio, featuring (L to R): Claire Daly (baritone sax), Michael Eaton (soprano sax), and Cheryl Pyle (flute)
Cheryl Pyle and I trade ideas.
Individuation played a free improvised set.
Summer 2017 events
Playing with IU Jazz Piano professor Luke Gillespie as part of Jazz Fables.
David Miller, Tom Walsh, and I played tunes by Monk, Shorter, Ibrahim, and others as part of Jazz Fables.
Soloing with Fables.
Photos by Minneapolis based photographer Steve Peterson, taken from the 2017 Bloomington Jazz Festival in Bloomington, IN. I performed as a guest with David Miller (trumpet), Tom Walsh (saxophone), Luke Gillespie (piano), Neil Heidler (bass), and Chris Parker (drums). Thanks to Steve for the great shots!
On August 10, composer/guitarist Seth Davis and I presented Second Nature Ensemble (formerly called Transition Ensemble) at Kansas City's Westport Coffee House. Second Nature is our KC-based new music and free improv chamber group. We debuted our original works plus classic compositions drawn from the free improvised and modern classical canons: Peter Brotzmann's "Alarm" as well as Terry Riley's "In C". The group is comprised of many of Kansas City's strongest free and new music performers and composers.
I joined Jazz Fables in Bloomington, IN on the evening of Thursday, August 31 to pay tribute to the legendary David N. Baker, a mentor and jazz master. As a band, Jazz Fables celebrated 40 years as an ensemble, but the Jazz Fables concert series celebrated its 28th year. The Fables weekly concert series has hosted literally hundreds if not thousands of jazz artists, including local, regional, national, and international ensembles. I spent many wonderful and formative evenings playing music on this stage. The band included (L to R): David Miller (trumpet), Luke Gillespie (piano), Pat Harbison (trumpet), Michael Eaton (tenor sax), Ben Lumsdaine (drums), and Tom Walsh (alto and tenor saxes). We played a number of Baker's compositions for small group ranging from slow blues to calypso to hard bop to Afro Cuban jazz and more.
Fresh listening: Paul Bertonlino's "Toy Box"
I'm pleased to appear on vocalist Paul Bertolino's newest album, Toy Box. Paul is a soulful vocalist and a dynamic performer and stage presence, and his work deserves your attention.
I join Paul's vocals, guitar, bass, and percussion on tenor saxophone; my homey Adam Minkoff plays keyboards; and Rob Pallotta plays drums.
Rest in Peace, Bern Nix (September 21, 1947 - May 31, 2017)
Photo by Eva Kapanadze.
The Three Tenors at Rockwood, May 2017. Photo by Dani Gros.
Rest in peace to the great Bern Nix, a one of a kind artist with whom I had the privilege of playing a number of times in the Beyond Group from 2015-2017 as well as in the new Three Tenors. I will not forget our discussions, in particular hanging out with him at a Starbucks in Chelsea this past May. We talked music, the biz, NYC in the past versus today, his concept of "harmonic free association", George Russell, his early teachers, and of course at length about Ornette Coleman. Bern had played in Coleman's electric free jazz group Prime Time for almost 15 years. He told me Ronald Shannon Jackson's saying about being a part of Ornette's universe, that "once you cross the harmolodic event horizon, you never come back." As a musician in the 21st century, you sometimes feel that you've heard virtually every combination of twelve notes possible, but Bern would play ideas and I would have no idea where he got them or how he was moving around. It could be kind of flooring at times, as he bloomed and wafted almost like a harmonic cloud of vapor - abstract, unpredictable, enigmatic. Bern favored a clean, classic jazz guitar sound without electronics (which he liked but felt didn't suit his playing), but his melodic/harmonic rhythmic sense was clearly tied into harmolodics and a harmolodic way of thinking, of which he was a master exponent. Considering how few guitar players there were active in this idiom, his voice and accomplishments become all the more singular. Bern belongs to a long line of jazz musicians who do not receive proper accolades during their lifetimes, and I was struck at how at 69 years old, he was still working to establish himself further as the leader and voice that he was. He came out of a particular period of openness in jazz (the 70s) that, in terms of attitude and creativity, I would like to see revived in the music both socially and culturally. I hope that finally posthumously Bern will receive due recognition for his singular musical ideas, idiom, and artistry.
Playing at The Shrine in Harlem on April 9. From left to right): Bern Nix (guitar), Cheryl Pyle (flute), and Michael Eaton (soprano saxophone).
Audio from Bern Nix's last date. It is compressed, but the entire gig is available for free download or streaming from Cheryl Pyle's Bandcamp page.
Beyond Trio fetes the late Bern Nix through four original compositions by Pyle dedicated to the memory of the guitarist. (Vibe is very much like 60s ESP Disk.) Audio is compressed, but the album is available for download and streaming.
Owl Parlor, Brooklyn - June 2 - Individuation + Brittany Anjou's BEWAA with guest Alfred Kbepsaane!
June 2 was a double bill/collaboration at Owl Music Parlor in Brooklyn with Individuation and Brittany Anjou's Bewaa (arrangements of Ghanaian xylophone folk songs). Special guest Ghanaian gyil master Alfred Kbepsaane joined the festivities and sat in with Individuation on one song.
Playing at Owl Music Parlor. Great sounding room and performance space. Photo by Brad Whiteley.
Ammocake at Brooklyn Studio of Dance
New York Times mentions Ammocake.
12 Planets
AmmoCake
12 Planets
Searching through the hypnotic blue skyline,
looking for signs of end times.
Clouds laugh loud in puffy white burst
breaking the still silence of things to come.
Groveling for a glimpse of something other than nothing,
there is no longer hope on earth,
there has to be more.
It has been written so many times before,
There has to be more.
There has to be more than this right?
Planet of panic looking for answers.
Pastors of promise preaching rewards.
What is really in store?
There has to be more.
Conspiracy deliver me from my ordinary life.
Let me live in this fantasy just a little longer,
let me be part of the bigger picture,
not just a forgotten nail on the wall
rusted and waiting to fall.
Part the blue and the glowing golden hue
let me see through the galaxy
Planet X awaiting visibility.
Hold breath anticipation and scientific calculation,
break the hold of human existence frustration.
please let there be more.
There has to be more than this right?
Too many if's and not enough when's,
guess I still have to go work today.
Searching through the hypnotic blue skyline,
looking for signs of end times.
Clouds laugh loud in puffy white burst
breaking the still silence of things to come.
Groveling for a glimpse of something other than nothing,
there is no longer hope on earth,
there has to be more.
It has been written so many times before,
There has to be more.
There has to be more than this right?
Planet of panic looking for answers.
Pastors of promise preaching rewards.
What is really in store?
There has to be more.
Conspiracy deliver me from my ordinary life.
Let me live in this fantasy just a little longer,
let me be part of the bigger picture,
not just a forgotten nail on the wall
rusted and waiting to fall.
Part the blue and the glowing golden hue
let me see through the galaxy
Planet X awaiting visibility.
Hold breath anticipation and scientific calculation,
break the hold of human existence frustration.
please let there be more.
There has to be more than this right?
Too many if's and not enough when's,
guess I still have to go work today.
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1
Januarius
03:18
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2
Februarius
03:12
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3
Martius
03:50
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4
Aprilis
04:24
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5
Maius
02:24
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6
Iunius
03:50
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7
Julius
02:58
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8
Agustus
04:44
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9
Septembre
03:24
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10
October
03:08
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11
November
03:40
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12
Decembre
04:58
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Three Tenors at Rockwood
Thursday, May 4 saw the debut of a fresh perspective in the classic "three tenors" format. James Brandon Lewis, Sean Sonderegger, and I played tenor along with Brad Whiteley (fellow Destiny Records recording artist, bandmate in Individuation) on organ. We had the pleasure of being joined by master musicians Bern Nix on guitar and Calvin Weston on drums, who played with Ornette Coleman in his 1970s Prime Time ensemble. I won't soon forget Ronald Shannon Jackson's metaphor, via Bern Nix, about playing with Ornette: once you cross the harmelodic event horizon, you never come back. More to come from this group.
I must give a special thanks to my friend, photographer Dani Gros, for her gorgeous work documenting the show!
2017 Midwest Minitour
A huge thanks to Palen Music Center for sponsoring the quartet's appearance and masterclass in Liberty; to Cindy Svehla, Shane Fuller, Eddie Owen, Marty Jacobs, and all the staff of Liberty Public Schools who made our visit so warm and inviting; to The Brick in Kansas City as well as all the outstanding musicians who brought Ascension and my music to life; to Seth Davis for being my co-creator and composer for large ensemble; to Tom Ptacek at Westport Coffee House for hosting creative music; to David Miller of Jazz Fables for hosting us as always; to brother Rob Ambrose for his support, and to all our friends and supporters in Bloomington.
Scott Yanow reviews Individuation
On his debut recording as a leader, Michael Eaton emerges as a distinctive and adventurous tenor and soprano-saxophonist and an innovative composer. A resident of Brooklyn since 2008, Eaton has performed in a wide variety of settings ranging from avant-garde and post bop jazz (including with Fred Hersch, Eugene Chadbourne and Ingrid Jensen) to a reinvented version of Stravinsky’s “Rite Of Spring,” new works for dancers and chamber ensemble, Afro-Colombian folk music, rock and soul projects.
Individuation features Eaton performing his originals with a group that also features pianist Brad Whiteley (a major asset throughout), either Daniel Ori or Scott Colberg on bass, and drummer Shareef Taher. There are worthy guest appearances on three numbers apiece by trumpeter Jon Crowley and Eaton’s former teacher the great Dave Liebman on tenor and soprano.
The music, eight compositions plus the five-part “Individuation,” is quite advanced and unpredictable but, due to often being catchy rhythmically, tends to be more accessible than expected. The opener, “Interior Designs,” has warm solos by Crowley and the light-toned Eaton along with some stirring drum breaks. “Guru” features the leader taking a high-powered tenor solo over the rhythmic patterns which are led by bassist Colberg. “Me, But Not Myself” starts with a somber melody before the theme becomes rhythmic and repetitive, inspiring a strong soprano solo from Eaton.
A four-note rhythmic pattern played by pianist Whiteley gives “Alter Ego” its foundation. On this piece Eaton holds his own with Liebman as they both take passionate tenor solos that are pushed by Taber’s assertive drums. “Prickly,” a pianoless outing with Liebman (who switches to soprano) features plenty of exciting interplay by the two saxophonists. “Centrifuge,” which has trumpeter Crowley in Liebman’s place, utilizes a fairly simple rhythmic pattern behind some heated solos. In contrast, “You’re My Mystery” is a tender ballad that Eaton takes as a duet with pianist Whiteley.
“Individuation,” which clocks in at over 24 minutes, is listed as having five parts although the first three are played as one continuous performance. An insistent rhythmic idea played by the pianist builds up, Eaton takes a nice spot on soprano and then, during “Part 3,” one hears Whiteley stretching out on prepared piano, sounding a bit like drums. “Part 4” and “Part 5” (which are played as one piece) feature new rhythmic patterns, a fine tenor solo and a very hypnotic final section. Dave Liebman rejoins his former student for the infectious “Lifecycle” which concludes the intriguing set.
Individuation is a rather impressive debut by Michael Eaton, the start of what will surely be a very significant solo career.
Scott Yanow, jazz journalist/historian and author of 11 books including The Great Jazz Guitarists and Jazz On Record 1917-76
Doyle Bramhall II's "Rich Man" is November 2016 Downbeat Magazine Editor's Pick
I played tenor saxophone and flute on "November" as part of Doyle Bramhall II's recent release on Concord Records, Rich Man.
Spectrum NYC, 11/5: Tenth Intervention + Beyond Quintet Double Bill!
We had a blast playing at Spectrum NYC for the Tenth Intervention "We Are Legion" album release (with guests from Anonymous in attendance) at 9pm. Beyond Quintet performed around 9:30pm, with Cheryl Pyle (C flute, alto flute), Michael Eaton (soprano saxophone), Roberta Piket (piano), Bern Nix (guitar), and Newman Taylor Baker (washboard percussion), with special guest Carman Moore conducting the improvisations.
A great night for music in NYC!
Dorian Wallace's work, We Are Legion, dedicated to hacktivist collective Anonymous, has been recorded and released! After its debut in December 2015 at The Cell Theater, Tenth Intervention moved into the studio to document the music.
I am proud to be associated with this very artistic and timely work. My playing is on tenor and soprano saxophones in several movements.
Sunday, October 16 - Doyle Bramhall II at Bowery Ballroom
I performed music from Doyle Bramhall's recent album on Concord Records, "Rich Man", at the Bowery Ballroom on Sunday, October 16. The live horn section included Dan Brantigan (trumpet), Nate Sutton (trombone), and Cochemea Gastelum (alto sax). I contributed flute and tenor sax to "November" from Rich Man, released on September 30.
Tenth Intervention at The Greene Space - 40th Anniversary of the Golden Record!
Musicians: Dorian Wallace (piano), Hajnal Pivnick (violin), Michael Eaton (flute and soprano sax), Lathan Hardy (alto sax and bass clarinet), Charlie Kessenich (FX)
September 30: Doyle Bramhall II's "Rich Man" is released
Grupo Rebolu plays "Llorando" for Congahead.com!
For the second year in a row, Grupo Rebolu recorded videos for CongaHead.com. I was guest tenor saxophonist, playing Rebolu's arrangements of Afro-Columbian folkloric music + elements of latin jazz. We had a great time, and this video highlights the band with special guests Jimmy Bosch on trombone. Rebolu traveled to Switzerland in July 2016 to perform for the Montreaux Jazz Festival.
Next album for Destiny Records, Dialogical, in production
Used with Creative Commons license.
I have to thank the Individuation Quartet and Quintet for going above and beyond in the preparation and execution of some difficult music. I am very grateful to all of them for their sustained interest and immersion in my musical world, and to Destiny Records for the chance to combine many facets of my artistic personality in one recording. There were some very special moments - recording the three tenors with James and Sean; documenting the free improvised chemistry between Cheryl Pyle and myself; realizing a 20 minute Reich-inspired piece; and recording with one of my favorite voices in modern jazz, Lionel Loueke. Hearing Lionel sing my melodies was a magical experience. Several pieces were written with his voice, both on guitar and as a vocalist, in mind. Everyone involved was riveted by his artistry, and hearing the melodies come out even beyond what I had imagined was a wonderful artistic experience.
The Individuation Quintet + special guest Lionel Loueke. From L to R: Lionel Loueke, Brittany Anjou, Michael Eaton, Shareef Taher, Daniel Ori, Brad Whiteley. Photo by Dani Gros.
Making notes in the studio, with Brittany Anjou.
New York Times review for David Kulma/Dorian Wallace "The Rest is Sh*t: Stories from the Microchasm" video opera
The Times' Anthony Tommasini writes, "[Kulma's] monologue is at once rambling and riveting, his words backed by music that blurs distinctions between jazz and contemporary classical styles."
2016 MIDWESTERN TOUR/DIALOGICAL ALBUM PREVIEW TOUR: March 18-24
A huge thanks to everyone who came out to support us and to all the fans, venues, and supporters who made this possible - it makes a difference!
Weekend in Indiana: Reflections on Barry Ashton Jazz Festival 2016 and Kyle Quass' Special Guests
Kyle Quass' Special Guests at The Chatterbox in Indianapolis. Photo by David Andrichik.
First was the Barry Ashton Jazz Festival in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I had the chance to work with the students of Northrop High School under the direction of John VanPatten. Mr. VanPatten was a very gracious host who has an excellent music program happening at Northrup. The students all played very well, and they were a pleasure to work with. In total, 17 schools attended the festival on Saturday. Brad Whiteley, Daniel Ori, and Shareef Taher flew into Indiana during the afternoon, and we presented a masterclass to students, discussing rhythm section communication within the context of my music ("Lifecycle"), arranging lead sheets into basic arrangements, working with odd meters, and more. At 6:30, I was the guest with Northrop Jazz I, and at 7:30, the Individuation Quartet performed a focused set of originals (Alter Ego, Guru, Prickly, Juno). Thank you to all the students, faculty, and parents who made the event possible!
Heading back to Indianapolis, we drove to The Chatterbox, one of the longest running jazz venues in the city. I caught up with trumpeter Kyle Quass, who brought a killing quintet with Mark Tuttle (a tenor powerhouse and individualist), Adam Davis on guitar, Jesse Whitman on bass, and Ben Lumsdaine on drums. We played a mix of Kyle's original compositions as well as tunes by Wayne Shorter and Horace Silver. It was a great example of improvisers sharing a language that had certain similarities and commonalities, but also enough differences to create compelling variety and excitement. I felt it exemplified some of the best qualities that the music we call "jazz" embodies, which is to say the celebration of individuality and diversity and real time dialogue. We are reconvening to record the ensemble in mid August 2016.
Alex MacKinnon & The Whistleblowers, New EP: Imaginary Lines! Out now!
PBS Special: School Sleuth - AIRING NOW
Individuation: The Video
Michael Eaton on Destiny Records
The album features all my original compositions, with my working band: Brad Whiteley (piano), Daniel Ori (bass), and Shareef Taher (drums), plus friends Jon Crowley (trumpet) and Scott Colberg (bass), and a very special guest, master musician David Liebman (soprano and tenor saxophones).
For more information about my previous recording projects as a co-leader or sideman, visit my Music page.
Photo by Luis Ruiz, Larufoto.
Photo by Luiz Ruiz, Larufoto.
Preparing the piano for the title track, "Individuation". Photo by Luis Ruiz, Larufoto.