Loveland Music is proud to announce the release of The Montclair Session, a rare meeting of four titans of contemporary jazz: trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith, guitarist Jakob Bro, pianist Marilyn Crispell, and drummer Andrew Cyrille. Recorded in Montclair, New Jersey, this album captures the essence of improvisation at its most searching, delicate, and alive.
Each of the four musicians brings a lifetime of artistry to the music. Wadada Leo Smith, a pioneer of creative music and recipient of numerous international awards, unfurls luminous lines on trumpet that balance silence and sound with poetic precision. Jakob Bro, celebrated for his atmospheric guitar work and his role as a leading figure in Scandinavian jazz, creates expansive harmonic landscapes. Marilyn Crispell, whose piano playing is both fiercely dynamic and achingly lyrical, pushes the music into new emotional dimensions. And Andrew Cyrille, a legendary drummer with an unmistakable touch, anchors the session with sensitivity, texture, and masterful rhythmic invention.
The Montclair Session is not only a document of spontaneous composition but also a testament to trust and listening. The recording unfolds with an organic flow—sound becoming conversation, gesture becoming dialogue—where each note feels inevitable yet entirely unpredictable. The music breathes, expands, and resonates with a timeless quality that reflects the individuality of its performers while achieving an extraordinary collective voice.