To describe something as an “existentiale” is to qualify it as an authentic engagement with ourselves and the surrounding world. I aimed to stay authentic to my own tastes and aesthetics throughout the creation of this album and regardless of what conclusions the listener draws, I hope from this experience they get to know me a little better.

The planning and pre-production of this audio recording began in the fall of 2023. I was away in Paris for a research study fellowship and had a lot of time to myself to think through who I was as an artist and composer. Having composed a considerable amount of music for acoustic jazz ensembles I found myself looking for new sounds and forms to explore outside of the standard acoustic jazz idiom. Through my friendship and collaboration with fellow graduate students Robert Diack and Patrick O’Reilly, I began the process of composing some longer-form pieces that would explore the overlap of our musical tastes. I also sought to exercise some of my early and formative musical influences and reconcile these sounds with my current aptitudes and preferences. What that amounted to was unexpectedly a sonic biography tracing my professional beginnings and connecting them to the present moment.   One of the first bands I played with professionally was a progressive rock group. We covered all kinds of musical territory from 70s psychedelia to heady groove metal to R&B and funk. It was the sound of teenage musical upstarts trying to throw everything at the wall, but it was always a blast. We never recorded with that band in earnest, but the experience left a lasting impact. In many ways, this project was what laid the groundwork for my interest in and subsequent pursuit of jazz music as a lifelong career and passion.