OUT NOW: Michael Sarian’s Esquina
Esquina, the bold and expansive new album from trumpeter and composer Michael Sarian, is out now – marking his debut on Greenleaf Music. Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Luis Bacqué at Bacqué Recording in Roselle, NJ, the album showcases Sarian’s adventurous spirit and sonic curiosity. The quartet features Marty Kenney on electric bass, Nathan Ellman-Bell on drums, and Santiago Leibson on a range of keyboards, including Fender Rhodes, Hammond B3, Mini Moog, and Wurlitzer.
The album kicks off with “Glory Box,” a laid-back, inventive cover of the 1994 Portishead classic – setting the tone for what’s to come. Across just three expansive tracks, Esquina dives headfirst into rich, pulsating jazz fusion, marked by Sarian’s Jon Hassell-esque processed trumpet and a clear reverence for Miles Davis’ On The Corner.
A standout is the Sarian original “Straight Trash,” the first piece composed for the album. “It’s built around graphic scores and flexible structures that encourage improvisation and collective expression,” Sarian explains. “It’s divided into four movements, and the piece invites the musicians to guide the direction in real time, and create an unpredictable flow.”
👉 Grab the new release on CD, digital or streaming.
Subscribers: don’t miss our next label hang with Michael on Sunday, April 27th – check your inbox for details!
MICHAEL SARIAN ON TOUR
25 April: Nublu Classic // New York, NY [Album Release Show]
30 April: Casa Del Popolo // Montreal, QC
01 May: The Perkolator // Perth, ON
02 May: The Jazz Room // Waterloo, ON
03 May: Silence Sounds // Guelph, ON
04 May: The Rex Hotel Jazz & Blues Bar // Toronto, ON
05 May: The Rex Hotel Jazz & Blues Bar // Toronto, ON
07 May: Moondog Café // Detroit, MI
08 May: Elastic Arts // Chicago, IL
09 May: Public Space One // Iowa City, IA
10 May: Berlin // Minneapolis, MN
15 May: The Gem // Spring City, PA
