Joel Press - Live at Smalls (2026) [Hi-Res]

He is one of those musicians—and they are rarer than you might think—who has digested the history of the music and the instrumental tradition that has come before him without parading an assortment of favorite phrases from his five tenor idols. Yes, he has a purring, mellow approach reminiscent of Harold Ashby, but he is no easy-listening recreator: he knows Rollins and Lacy as well as Hawkins and Young. But Press sounds so much like himself that you cannot predict what his next phrase will be – and he is worth championing just because he does not think in four or eight-bar modules. To add to this, his melodic lines are logical, they are rhythmically intriguing, and he has a wonderful respect for songs, savoring their emotions. His version of “Lover Man,” for one example, will make it hard for me to listen to anyone else’s. And he is not harnessed by “Swing” conventions: the repertoire moves easily from classic Bebop to the much more abstract “Is What Is” (based on “What Is This Thing Called Love”). Even better—he plays soprano with fervor, accuracy, and beautiful intonation, no sourness, no intentional harshness. Although the repertoire is primarily standard material, the performances are original—not in some self-consciously radical way, but they encourage listeners to forget how well-worn they might have thought “Groovin’ High,” for instance.

Joel Press, tenor & soprano saxophone
Michael Kanan, piano (tracks 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10)
Chris Haney, double bass (tracks 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10)
Fukushi Tainaka, drums (tracks 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10)
Spike Wilner, piano (tracks 2, 5, 7)
Boots Maleson, double bass (tracks 2, 5, 7)
Steve Little, drums (tracks 2, 5, 7)