Daniel Rotem - Solo II - Under Construction at Bluewhale (2026)

Saxophonist and composer Daniel Rotem announces the release of Solo II – Under Construction at bluewhale, recorded live inside the unfinished new home of the legendary Los Angeles venue bluewhale.

Captured as part of a new video series launched by musician, artist, and the man behind bluewhale, Joon Lee, this album presents Rotem’s sound in the raw space, before any acoustic treatment. The room itself becomes part of the music, shaping the improvisations and giving the recordings a unique, living presence.

Rotem approaches music as “a listener that plays,” and this seventh solo album continues that philosophy. Using a simple rig, engineer and musician Max Sink—who also mixed and mastered the album—beautifully captured Rotem’s unmistakable tone as it interacts with the space.

The original bluewhale was a hub for Los Angeles’ creative music community, and its closure during the pandemic was deeply felt. The promise of a reopening in a new space has brought fresh energy to musicians and audiences alike.

“Joon has been a hero to me, as he has been for countless others, and also a close friend. I was humbled when he asked me to perform a solo set for an open house in November 2024, and that’s when the idea to record a solo album in the new space sprouted.”

Based in Los Angeles, Rotem has built a distinctive voice in the city’s jazz scene and the broader world of creative music. A prolific performer, composer, and bandleader, he has released six previous albums and collaborated with a wide range of artists across jazz and improvised music.

Solo II – Under Construction at bluewhale is more than a solo saxophone recording. It is a conversation—with the room, with bluewhale’s legacy, and with what comes next. Intimate, alive, and deeply personal, this album affirms Daniel Rotem as a musician whose curiosity and focus continue to inspire—and invites the listener to step inside the new space, before the official opening.