Jack DeJohnette Releases “Sound Travels”, Featuring Esperanza Spalding

Drummer Jack DeJohnette, widely regarded as one of the great jazz drummers in history, is about to have a pretty remarkable year. DeJohnette, who will celebrate his 70th birthday this year, is set to receive a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master Fellowship, which is the highest U.S. honor for jazz musicians.

Today, DeJohnette releases his latest effort, Sound Travels, a nine-song, genre-spanning effort that brings together Latin rhythms and West Indian influence and switches between straight-up jazz swing and meditative tunes, and lots in between.

DeJohnette brought in several collaborators for the project, including bassist/vocalist Esperanza Spalding, who performs bass on seven of the nine tracks as well as vocals. Other vocalists include Bruce Hornsby and Bobby McFerrin. Trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, guitarist Lionel Loueke, saxophonist Tim Ries, percussionist Luisito Quintero and pianist Jason Moran round out the performers.

Sound Travels is a real showcase for DeJohnette, who composed all of the music for the album and plays piano on nearly every track. He said the goal for the album was simple.

“I love to play grooves and beautiful melodies”, he shared. “It was fun once we got started. It was like, let the juices flow.”

DeJohnette extensive work includes collaborations with John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman, Sonny Rollins, Sun Ra, Jackie McLean, Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, Stan Getz, Chet Baker, George Benson, Charles Lloyd, Herbie Hancock, Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Abbey Lincoln, Betty Carter, Eddie Harris and many others.

Preview and download Sound Travels:

Sound Travels Track List:

1. Enter Here
2. Luisito Serena Salsa
3. Dirty Ground (New Mix)
4. New Muse
5. Sonny Light
6. Sound Travels
7. Oneness
8. Indigo Dreamscape
9. Home