Emma Dayhuff - Mountains (2026)

Picture yourself as a dot in a vast mountain range.
With Mountains, bassist, composer, and bandleader Emma Dayhuff transforms the awe, scale, and elemental beauty of the mountain wilderness into a breathtaking modern jazz statement. Recorded in Los Angeles, this ambitious full-length album bridges Dayhuff’s Montana roots, Chicago creative music lineage, and the expansive sound of today’s West Coast jazz scene.
Featuring an extraordinary ensemble of acclaimed musicians:
• Paul Cornish — piano
• Corey Wilkes — trumpet
• Jonathan Pinson — drums
• Isaiah Collier — tenor saxophone
Special Feature
Mountains includes a previously unrecorded composition by legendary composer and bassist Bill Lee, making this release an essential addition for jazz collectors, broadcasters, and adventurous listeners alike.
From the solitary opening of “Sentinel” to the soaring climaxes of “Capricorn,” Dayhuff invites listeners into a sonic landscape of towering peaks, rushing rivers, windswept valleys, and personal transformation. Inspired by her upbringing in Montana and informed by years spent in Chicago and Los Angeles, the album blends modern jazz with elements of groove, improvisation, R&B, funk, and contemporary creative music.
The project reunites Dayhuff with longtime collaborator Isaiah Collier while bringing together a remarkable cross-generational ensemble whose collective chemistry elevates every composition. The result is a deeply personal and cinematic listening experience that explores movement, memory, resilience, and connection.
“Life is mountains and valleys. These are the moments that define who we are.”
Following her acclaimed debut, Innovations & Lineage: The Chicago Project, Mountains represents Dayhuff’s most expansive and personal artistic statement to date—an album of beauty, power, and emotional depth that rewards repeated listening.