Melissa Aldana & Crash Trio - Melissa Aldana & Crash Trio (2014)

24 year old Chilean tenor saxophonist Melissa Aldana makes her Concord Jazz debut with The Crash Trio, her group with Chilean bassist Pablo Menares and Cuban drummer Francisco Mela. Melissa won the 2013 Thelonious Monk Competition and is the first female instrumentalist to ever do so.

It's the first recording of the three band mates together and was recorded at Sear Sound recording studio in New York. The album consists of originals written by all three band members and includes two covers - the Harry Warren classic "You're My Everything" and Thelonious Monk's "Ask Me Now."

With the help of mentor, the legendary George Coleman, and former teacher Greg Osby, Melissa recorded two albums Free Fall (2010) and Second Cycle (2012) for Osby's Inner Circle Music label, and quickly became a vital part of the New York jazz scene. She has since performed in such prestigious venues as the Blue Note, Lincoln Center and Smalls.