Ola Tunji - TRUST (2026)

The Brussels-based collective Ola Tunji, built around French saxophonist Ornella Noulet, releases its debut album “Trust” on W.E.R.F. on vinyl, with a double-sided printed poster insert. The music combines spiritual jazz with the openness and intensity of the New Thing; John and Alice Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders and Albert Ayler are key reference points, yet the group forges its own improvisational language from these influences. Noulet’s saxophone is most often at the centre, while piano, double bass and drums provide movement, contrast and rhythmic cohesion.

The eleven compositions follow an inner arc of tension between meditative calm, intense build-ups, spirituality and joy. Extended improvisations and modal passages unfold in pieces such as “Awakening”, “Root Motion” and “Intuition”, while “Speak Up! (Your Voice Is Your Strength)” pairs the saxophone’s expressive sound with a call for self-determination and conscious expression.

The album’s thematic core is self-knowledge, connection, resilience and a shared search for a more humane world; “Devotion” and “We Choose Love” develop this line without reducing the music to a mere slogan. For the group, improvisation is both a spiritual and a political act, connecting individual experience with collective energy.

Tracklist:
1. Ola Tunji - AWAKENING
2. Ola Tunji - DEVOTION
3. Ola Tunji - WORK ON YOUR PEACE
4. Ola Tunji - ROOT MOTION
5. Ola Tunji - SPEAK UP! (YOUR VOICE IS YOUR STRENGTH)
6. Ola Tunji - INTUITION
7. Ola Tunji - REQUEST
8. Ola Tunji - MARSAXLOKK
9. Ola Tunji - devOTion (intro)
10. Ola Tunji - SHAKTI
11. Ola Tunji - WE CHOOSE LOVE