Paramount Quartet Joe Lovano, Julian Lage, Asante Santi Debriano, Will Calhoun

• 1 First Song 07:24
• 2 Amsterdam 06:30
• 3 The Call 05:43
• 4 Fanfare for Unity 04:12
• 5 Lady Day 07:59
• 6 The Great Outdoors 06:38
• 7 Congregation 05:36
• Total Runtime 44:02

Info for Paramount Quartet

The “Paramount” in Joe Lovano’s new quartet can be interpreted as a statement of intent. “I feel like at this point I’m on the rise,” Joe says, seemingly unaware of the decades of experience and several dozens of leader-recordings under his belt. “We've arrived at this unique place with this quartet – It’s very special. It's a new thing. Recording this with Manfred [Eicher] in the studio, I was really thrilled with the way the group continuously developed. And those cats, they play with a real global awareness!” The “cats” in question are guitarist Julian Lage, Asante Santi Debriano on bass and drummer Will Calhoun (otherwise known for his part in the American rock group Living Color) – all players who help shape a striking, adventurous new chapter in Joe Lovano’s expansive oeuvre on Paramount Quartet.

Paramount Quartet’s formation was inspired by the saxophonist’s initial meeting with Asante and Will at a 2023 fundraiser for Puerto Rican hurricane relief. The trio immediately hit it off. As Joe puts it: “sometimes you meet, and it's like you've known each other your whole life. That happened with Will, Asante and I”. Adding Julian to the mix was the next logical step, as the saxophonist and guitarist had been talking about doing something together since back when the guitarist was part of one of Joe’s ensembles at Berklee College Of Music starting in ca. 2006.

The group’s flawless understanding is as elegant in understated ballads as it is striking on several full-out romps, making this record a diversified yet balanced programme that covers multiple idiomatic pockets of improvisation. Opening with Charlie Haden’s “First Song”, the group delivers a refined invocation that introduces the proceedings with a deep, soulful yearning. Joe: “I used to sub for Ernie Watts with Quartet West, Charlie on bass and Lawrence Marable on drums. And playing it with Charlie on those occasions, I fell in love with the tune. And I didn't really dare touch it for a while until we started to play it with Paramount. It has this beautiful meditative quality about it.”

Joe’s own compositions find the quartet harmonizing at great intensity in rubato unisons (“Amsterdam”), groove-laden post-bop vamps (“Fanfare For Unity”), extended forms held together by intricately notated and then freely improvised passages (“The Great Outdoors”) as well as in a comfortable mid-tempo sway, to the fore on the tasteful “Congregation”. No matter the context, the saxophonist’s cohorts adapt to any given situation, dialling the fireworks down to but a crackle for the chamber music dynamics of “The Call”, while igniting songs like “Fanfare…” with flash and electricity. All the while, Joe establishes another dynamic dimension by alternating instruments within the songs, organically switching between tenor sax, tarogatos and soprano saxophone as he thoughtfully feels out the required tones and timbres.

“Will Calhoun has a way of playing that is so expansive and beautiful in so many directions,” Joe raves about his fellow travellers. “And the same with Asante. His roots, his Panamanian roots, and being around New York, playing with Archie Shepp and Randy Weston and some other folks through the years… We've known each other since the 80s. And then Julian [Lage] is among the most gifted players in the music…”

This marks the guitarist’s first recording for the label, and his interplay with the band reaches remarkable synergies throughout, with Julian honing in on the saxophonist’s winding lines with great concentration, responsive and agile. Permeated with harmonic double stops and vertical development across the strings, Julian’s solos are marked by elegant phrasing and wide implications, while his discreet comping choices underscore Joe’s playing to great effect. It’s a testament to how long the two have known each other: Joe was introduced to Julian when the guitarist was still a teen, visiting one of Joe’s gigs with McCoy Tyner at Yoshi’s in California, in the early noughts.

Wayne Shorter’s “Lady Day”, the only other non-original of the set, is rendered particularly gracefully by the band, with Joe’s sustained lines breathing fresh life into the melody he was first introduced to on Shorter’s album Soothsayer. Originally a big band-arrangement by Michael Gibbs for Joe’s residency in Orvieto, Italy from a couple of years back, Joe decided to bring it to the quartet “and it really took off into a beautiful, magical way”. “’Soothsayer’ was the inspiration for me, just being around Wayne and knowing that record through the years and loving that song. Just the theme alone is haunting. There's so much possibility in the harmonies and the harmonic rhythm. And then Will, Santi and Julian are always initiating things from within what's being played in the moment.”

Recorded in February 2025 at La Buissonne Studios in Southern France, the album was produced by Manfred Eicher.

There's a lot of magic that just kind of unfolds as we play. And the more we play, the more magical it becomes. – Joe Lovano

Joe Lovano, tenor saxophone, tarogatos
Julian Lage, guitar
Asante Santi Debriano, double bass
Will Calhoun, drums

Joe Lovano
Grammy-winning saxophonist, composer and producer Joe Lovano is fearless in finding new modes of artistic expression. With a Grammy win for his 52nd Street Themes and 14 other nominations, he has won DownBeat Magazine’s Critics and Readers Polls countless times as Tenor Saxophonist, Musician of the Year, Jazz Album of the Year and Triple Crowns from DownBeat. He has also received numerous awards from JazzTimes and the Jazz Journalists Association for Tenor Saxophone, Album of the Year and Musician of the Year.

Born in Cleveland, Ohio on December 29, 1952 he attended the famed Berklee College of Music in Boston where years later he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate. Since 2001 he has held the Gary Burton Chair in Jazz Performance and is a founding faculty member since 2009 of the Global Jazz Institute at Berklee directed by Danilo Pérez. He is a guest lecturer at New York University’s Jazz Program, Juilliard and Manhattan School of Music as well as Clinician at Universities around the globe.

From 1991 through 2016, Lovano released an unprecedented 25 records as a leader for the historic Blue Note Records. Joe Lovano Quartet: Classic! Live at Newport featuring Hank Jones was recorded in 2005 and released in 2016 to critical acclaim. In 2019, Lovano released his debut album as a bandleader on ECM Records, Trio Tapestry, with Marilyn Crispell and Carmen Castaldi. Over the next few years, Lovano saw the release of three additional ECM Records albums: ROMA, a collaboration with Enrico Rava; Arctic Riff, a special guest appearance with the Marcin Wasilewski Trio; and the sophomore release from Lovano’s Trio Tapestry, Garden of Expression. In 2021, Lovano released Other Worlds, his third album with Sound Prints, a quintet he co-leads with trumpeter Dave Douglas. The next year brought a collaboration with guitarist Jakob Bro, Once Around the Room: A Tribute to Paul Motian. Most recently, Lovano released his third Trio Tapestry recording entitled, Our Daily Bread.

In addition, composer Mark Anthony Turnage wrote a Concerto for Saxophone and Chamber Orchestra for Joe called “A Man Descending” which has been performed globally and Maestro Michael Abene orchestrated an album of all-Lovano originals called Symphonica for the WDR Symphonic Orchestra and Big Band, which was released on Blue Note and received a Grammy nomination.

Joe has performed and recorded with a long list of jazz greats including Woody Herman, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Mel Lewis, Bob Brookmeyer, Paul Motian, Bill Frisell, Tony Bennett, Abbey Lincoln, Charlie Haden, John Scofield, Gunther Schuller, Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner, Ed Blackwell, Herbie Hancock, Dave Holland, Hank Jones, Dave Liebman, Michael Brecker, Dave Douglas, Judi Silvano, Ravi Coltrane, Chucho Valdés, Ornette Coleman, Diana Krall, and many others. Joe has created an extensive body of work for his own ensembles including strings, woodwinds, his horn-rich Nonet, the Classic Quartet, Trio Tapestry, and more.

Joe Lovano continues to explore new horizons within the world of music as a soloist, bandleader and composer.

Julian Lage
Award-winning guitarist Julian Lage has been widely acclaimed as one of the most prodigious guitarists of his generation. The New York-based musician boasts a long resumé as a desired sideman with artists as diverse as Gary Burton, Taylor Eigsti, John Zorn, Nels Cline, Chris Eldridge, Eric Harland, and Fred Hersch, to name just a few. Equally important is his reputation as a soloist and bandleader. He is equally versed in jazz, classical, pop, and show tunes, and has spent more than a decade searching through the myriad strains of American musical history via an impeccable technique and a gift for freely associating between styles, tempos, keys, and textures that adds to his limitless improvisational spirit. Sounding Point, his 2009 debut album for Emarcy, featuring Bela Fleck and Chris Thile among his sidemen, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album. For Room, his Mack Avenue debut in 2014, he recorded as a duo with Cline, revealing the depth of their respect and camaraderie. It proved so successful that Lage joined Cline’s group for the landmark Lovers in 2016, the same year his own Arclight was released. On the latter, Lage played a Telecaster — a guitar not normally associated with jazz — in a program of modern originals and pre-bop covers with bassist Scott Colley and drummer Kenny Wollesen. He brought the lineup back together for 2018’s acclaimed Modern Lore, the same year he worked with Cline’s quartet for the Grammy-nominated Currents, Constellations.

Lage was a child prodigy — playing his instrument at the age of five and performing in public a year later. Shortly thereafter, Lage began playing with such renowned artists as Carlos Santana (when he was only eight years old!), Pat Metheny, Kenny Werner, Toots Thielemans, Martin Taylor, and David Grisman, among others, resulting in Lage being the subject of the Academy Award-nominated 1996 documentary film Jules at Eight. In addition to performing, Lage recorded as a duo with Grisman (the 1999 release Dawg Duos), and contributed a fine cover of “In a Sentimental Mood” with Martin Taylor and David Grisman to the 2000 compilation Acoustic Disc: 100% Handmade Music, Vol. 5. Lage also appeared at numerous jazz concerts/festivals and performed at the 2000 Grammy Awards.

In 2009, Lage released his debut solo album, Sounding Point, on Emarcy. The album was widely celebrated as the arrival of a new and authoritative voice on the instrument. This was followed by the concept album Gladwell in 2011. He fronted a quintet that featured bassist Jorge Roeder, tenor saxophonist Dan Blake, cellist Aristides Rivas, and drummer/percussionist Tupac Mantilla. The guitarist switched labels for 2013’s Free Flying. Issued on Palmetto Records, it was recorded in duet with pianist Fred Hersch.

The duo format apparently agreed with Lage, though its focus shifted a bit. In 2014, he issued two such albums. The first was Avalon with guitarist Chris Eldridge. Produced by the Milk Carton Kids’ Kenneth Pattengale, it contained bluegrass, folk, jazz, and classic pop standards; the pair called it a “love letter to the acoustic guitar.” Lage’s second 2014 album, Room, with fellow jazz guitarist Nels Cline, appeared on Mack Avenue. It focused on a range of material, from intricately composed and complex works to free and spontaneous improvisations.

In 2016, Lage released the trio album Arclight with bassist Scott Colley and drummer Kenny Wollesen. Produced by Grammy-winning guitarist/songwriter Jesse Harris (Norah Jones, Madeleine Peyroux), the album featured the single “Nocturne.” A five-song EP, Live in Los Angeles, followed later that year, documenting concert versions of songs from Arclight. In early 2017, Lage reunited with Chris Eldridge for Mount Royal, a second volume of acoustic guitar duets. Later that year, he paired with Gyan Riley for Midsummer Moons, a duet album of ten John Zorn compositions. The following year Lage reassembled his trio with Colley and Wollesen for Modern Lore. Produced by Harris, this set flipped the script on Arclight. Where the previous set — his first electric guitar trio date — found the artist inspired by freewheeling, pre-bop jazz, the latter recording incorporated the rhythmic sensibility and persona of early rock & roll in improvisational settings.

After tours with his own and Cline’s groups, Lage formed a new trio with bassist Jorge Roeder and drummer Dave King (Bad Plus) to cut his third Mack Avenue offering, Love Hurts. Whereas Arclight explored the pre-bop and country swing eras and Modern Lore surveyed first wave rock & roll, Love Hurts found the guitarist searching through the music of the late 1960s and early to mid-’70s in various genres for a series of covers — including songs by Roy Orbison, Ornette Coleman, Jimmy Giuffre, and Peter Ivers — in a jazz fusion of his own design. It was released in February 2019.

Asante Santi Debriano
is a highly acclaimed bassist, composer, and bandleader, recognized for his unique voice in the international jazz scene. Born in Panama and based in New York City for many years, he has established himself as a vital figure in contemporary jazz, blending rich harmonies with the melodic and rhythmic influences of his Panamanian heritage and African ancestry.

Asante, meaning “gratitude” in Swahili, is a name he adopted under the guidance of legendary drummer Jabali Billy Hart and a close friend from Togo. Throughout his career, Asante Santi Debriano has performed at the world’s most renowned jazz festivals and concert halls, leading his own groups and collaborating with some of jazz’s greatest luminaries.

Asante Santi Debriano’s extensive discography features collaborations with jazz legends such as Archie Shepp, Kenny Clarke, Mal Waldron, Kirk Lightsey, Chico Freeman, Arthur Blythe, David Murray, Oliver Lake, Baikida Carroll, Cecil Taylor, Sam Rivers, Hank Jones, Elvin Jones, Pharaoh Sanders, Randy Weston, and Joe Lovano. His ability to navigate various jazz idioms has made him a sought-after sideman and a respected leader in his own right.

Among his most notable projects is Asante Santi Debriano’s Arkestra Bembe, an eight-piece ensemble that merges jazz with Afro-Caribbean influences. Their latest album, Ashanti, was released on Jojo Records and has received critical acclaim. The Arkestra debuted at the Hamptons Jazz Festival in 2021.

His other projects include: Flash of the Spirit, a sextet featuring world-class jazz musicians, whose album remained in the top 10 of the Jazz Weekly charts for 14 weeks.

Castle Magic, a trio of double bassists where he serves as composer, soloist, and director.

Organ Quartet, featuring vocalist Nina Shankar, in which Asante Santi Debriano frequently performs on guitar.

Asante Santi Debriano has also performed at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola at Jazz at Lincoln Center, a premier venue for jazz in New York, further solidifying his presence in the jazz capital of the world.

A passionate educator, Asante Santi Debriano has been invited to hold seminars and masterclasses at institutions such as Wesleyan University, The New School for Jazz, New York University, the University of Panama, and the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. He has also authored two instructional books on jazz bass, available on Amazon.

His contributions extend beyond performance and education into film. He participated in two documentary films by French filmmaker Marc Huraux, Check the Changes and Bird Now, and appeared in the Canadian jazz film Imagine the Sound alongside Archie Shepp.

Asante Santi Debriano’s work has been featured on esteemed jazz labels including Highnote, Savant, Freelance, and Motema Records. Several of his concerts have been broadcast on WBGO, WNYC, and National Public Radio. He also serves as a jury member for the YoungArts National Jazz Competition, helping to shape the next generation of jazz musicians.

Deeply influenced by Duke Ellington, Ornette Coleman, Charles Mingus, and Israel Cachao Lopez, among others, Asante Santi Debriano continues to be a vital force in the evolution of jazz. He teaches privately from his home in Staten Island, NY, sharing his wealth of experience with aspiring musicians.

Asante Santi Debriano remains a dynamic presence in jazz, always pushing creative boundaries while honoring the rich traditions of the genre.

Will Calhoun
the widely acclaimed drummer from the Bronx, New York, graduated from the Berklee School of Music in Boston, where he received a Bachelors degree in Music Production and engineering and was the recipient of the prestigious Buddy Rich Jazz Masters Award for outstanding performance by a drummer. Will is also a two time Grammy winner with the genre bending iconic Rock band LIVING COLOUR.

Will Calhoun's unique blend of improvisational and hard rock drumming can be found on each of Living Colour's four Epic releases: the ground breaking multi-platinum debut, Vivid, the critically acclaimed sophomore LP, Time's Up, the Biscuits EP, and Stain, as well as their subsequent releases CollideØscope, The Chair in the Doorway and Shade. A prolific song writer, Will has co-written many Living Colour compositions and wrote the critically acclaimed song, Pride, on the Time's Up album and Nothingness on the Stain album. As a member of Living Colour, Will received a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance by a group and another Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance. Living Colour also won an International Rock Award for Best Rock Band.

In addition to his work with Living Colour, Will has recorded and/or toured with diverse artists including B.B. King, Mick Jagger, Jaco Pastorious, Harry Belafonte, Pharoah Sanders, Jack Dejohnette, Paul Simon, Lou Reed, The Allman Brothers, Lauryn Hill, Marcus Miller, Dr.John, Carly Simon, Herb Alpert, Steve Vai, Mike Stern, Yasiin Bey aka Mos Def, Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood, Wayne Shorter (on the Grammy-winning CD "High Life"), the Moroccan Gnawan Masters, and hip-hop pioneers Run-DMC and Public Enemy. As a producer, player, and songwriter, Will has worked on Herb Alpert's Grammy-nominated CD, Colors and Mos Def's Black Jack Johnson project.

Will has invested over 25 years of personal research in the Outback of Australia, Mali, Morocco, Senegal, Belize, and Northern Brazil (among other locations) to document and study the true History of the drums, rhythm, sonic vibrations and their impact on modern music. Will is an inventor and avid user of technology and its unique role in creating music. Three well known colleagues that Will continues to brainstorm with are: Jaron Lanier(Virtual Reality Inventor), Roger Linn and Mario DeCurtiis. "Simultaneously studying the past and future of music/rhythm is essential in today’s musical environment." - Will Calhoun.

Education plays a key role in Will’s career. Giving back to his own community and broadening the horizons of many students around the World is compulsory. Some of the schools and events that he has spoken and presented at include: Brown University’s Watson Institute, Columbia Teachers College, Berklee College of Music, Havarford College, NYU, The Museum of Mathematics, The Brooklyn Academy of Music, The New School, Head-Royce School in Oakland, CA, Sup’Imax Institute in Dakar, Senegal, The Montreal Drum Festival in Canada, The Beijing Drum Festival in China, The IBVF - Instituto de Bateria in São Paulo, Brazil, and BMHC cultural events in the Bronx.

Booklet for Paramount Quartet