Today, November 6, pre-orders begin for Chadwick, the new collaboration between composer-trumpeter Dave Douglas and author David Hajdu. The album’s first single, “Social Intercourse,” featuring vocalist Sami Stevens, is also out today.

The Story Behind Chadwick

Troubled by the fraud and greed that dominate the news today, Douglas and Hajdu joined up to confront the issues creatively in words and music. They collaborated to explore the twisted, enigmatic power of con artistry through the story of the most notorious con in American history, Cassie Chadwick. In 12 new genre-defying songs, Chadwick captures how an audacious grifter of the Gilded Age amassed millions of dollars in riches through a string of scams under false identities. The ruses made her infamous as “the Queen of the Con.”

The Ensemble

Douglas composed, arranged, and leads the ambitious work, bringing together eight voices and six instrumentalists in a musical landscape that moves fluidly between jazz, theater music, and art song. Each of Chadwick’s identities is brought to life by a different vocalist, creating a rotating cast of characters and perspectives. The remarkable vocal ensemble features Dominique Eade, Aubrey Johnson, Karen Oberlin, Aoife O’Donovan, Alicia Olatuja, Sami Stevens, and Fay Victor, with Donnie T Smith performing the male vocal roles.

The band features Gary Versace on keyboards, Nathan Nakadegawa-Lee on woodwinds, Erik Friedlander on cello, Matt Penman on bass, and Rudy Royston on drums.

First Single: “Social Intercourse”

In “Social Intercourse,” the eclectic contemporary singer Sami Stevens embodies Cassie Chadwick as she becomes the madam of a brothel. The song flirts and sways with the sultry allure of a grifter turning good times into illicit cash.

Release & Pre-Orders

Greenleaf Music will release Chadwick on CD and streaming services on February 5, 2027, with album release concerts at The Pocket Jazz Club in New York on February 17 and 18.

Pre-order Chadwick today on Bandcamp and listen to “Social Intercourse”. With Bandcamp waiving its platform fees for Bandcamp Friday, November 6 is a particularly good day to support independent music and the artists who make it.