Stephen Arnold & Sea Change - The Hitting Wall (2026) [Hi-Res]

Bassist Stephen Arnold is a well-known figure on the Washington, D.C. jazz scene, where for years he has worked as a versatile sideman and session musician. In February 2018 he was invited to lead a band for the Göethe-Institut's "Jazz in the Basement" concert series in D.C., and that invitation gave rise to the group Sea Change. The band has since become Arnold's main creative vehicle as a composer, producing lush yet flexible contemporary jazz that blends his love of jazz, folk, rock, and soul with experience gained over years of working in the DMV's vibrant live-music community.

On July 17, 2026, Stephen Arnold and Sea Change release the band's third album, The Hitting Wall, a suite of original compositions reflecting on a decade of change and growth — both in the musicians' lives and in the group's music itself. Alongside Arnold on bass, the recording features saxophonist Brian Settles, trumpeter Brandon Woody, guitarist Nelson Dougherty, pianist Federico Peña, and drummer Keith Butler, Jr.

By the time of the new release, the band already had two critically acclaimed albums to its name. Its second album, Until Now, was voted the #2 D.C. jazz album of 2023 by Capitalbop. The 2020 self-titled debut, Sea Change, was a finalist for jazz album of the year at the WAMMIE Awards and ranked #4 on Capitalbop's jazz albums list that same year. Over the years the band has performed at numerous notable venues, from the DC Jazz Festival and the Smithsonian American Art Museum to clubs like Bop Stop at the Music Settlement and An Die Musik, as well as concert halls such as Maryland Hall and the Gaithersburg Arts Barn.

Tracklist:
1-1 Stephen Arnold & Sea Change - The Hitting Wall (Dec. 24, 2024) [1:19]
1-2 Stephen Arnold & Sea Change - Little Steve's Poem [5:26]
1-3 Stephen Arnold & Sea Change - Change of the Season [5:24]
1-4 Stephen Arnold & Sea Change - Re: Vision (Intro) [1:16]
1-5 Stephen Arnold & Sea Change - Re: Vision [6:50]
1-6 Stephen Arnold & Sea Change - The Root (Intro) [2:01]
1-7 Stephen Arnold & Sea Change - The Root [5:39]
1-8 Stephen Arnold & Sea Change - The Prophecy [6:52]
1-9 Stephen Arnold & Sea Change - Memories of My Precocious Youth, Pt. 1 [6:07]
1-10 Stephen Arnold & Sea Change - Memories of My Precocious Youth, Pt. 2 [5:22]
1-11 Stephen Arnold & Sea Change - Change of the Season (Reprise) [1:01]
1-12 Stephen Arnold & Sea Change - I Won't Let You Down [4:59]
1-13 Stephen Arnold & Sea Change - Older Brother / Younger Brother [7:02]
1-14 Stephen Arnold & Sea Change - The Hitting Wall (Dec. 31, 2025) [4:27]