Toni Sola - Waiting For Common Sense (2026) Hi-Res

There have already been several recording experiences in the Swing Alley series by Fresh Sound Records, and until now, I had never considered writing the liner notes for my own album. It was my producer and friend, Jordi Pujol, who suggested the idea. At first, I was both surprised and somewhat reluctant, but after a brief yet intense reflection, I came to the conclusion: who better to explain the content of a work than the person who created it? So, I’ve decided to offer a few insights into the content of this album.

As you may have noticed, this recording features a special guest who appears on eight of the ten tracks. He is my friend, the great trumpeter and vocalist Ronald Baker. His style as a trumpeter is rooted in hard bop, drawing inspiration from players like Lee Morgan and Donald Byrd himself.

The blues has always been a quiet constant in my music—present in every moment, in every note. Still, I always like to include a slow, thoughtful, and reflective blues. I wrote this one to close out the record, imagining a dialogue between sax and trumpet at the start of the melody, eventually coming together in the final bars. A dialogue of understanding, connection, and reason—ultimately, common sense. The very same common sense that led five musicians to come together and record these ten fragments of music.

In this world we now live in—so turbulent and unsettled—common sense, as someone once said, seems to be the least common of the senses. That much is obvious, judging by the events we witness every day. And yet,wemust remain optimistic, believing that after the darkness, the light always returns. In fact, it happens every day—at dawn.

In the meantime, we’ll keep enjoying the music and… Waiting for Common Sense.

—Toni Solà