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Things Are Looking Up

Jon Gold

Label: Entropic Records
Released: 2026
Duration: 00:49:00
Views: 175

Tracks

For Rudy Van Gelder; de_Facto; 750 Vallejo; Theme for Woody Shaw; Nitro; Carried by the Quietude; Theme for Gary Bartz; Tone Poem For Raul da Gama; Entropic Waltz; JG and_MZ Canja.

Personnel

Album Description

Pianist and composer Jon Gold (www.jongold.com), who music fits no mold, announces his new album “Things Are Looking Up”. This album showcases Gold’s return to his roots as a post-bop jazz pianist and composer after his recent releases (“Chasing Echoes” (2025) and “Anahi” (2026) ) which have a more Brazilian influence.

With a discography well-received by the critics and public alike, Gold has made a remarkable series of compositions that will appeal to be the “serious” jazz listener as well as to the casual audience as he demonstrates a maturity in his compositions that allow for a high degree of sophistication and cleverness woven in a tapestry of charming melodies and compelling arrangements.

While much of his recent work draws from Gold’s life-changing experiences carved from his years working and living in Brazil, this represents a return to his post-bop influences which began when he studied and worked with Joe Henderson in the Bay Area in Jon’s initial professional years.

This project also grew from a desire to honor many of the people that have been important to him musically and personally, One tune is dedicated to Gary Bartz while another is a tribute to Woody Shaw. There is also a tune in homage to the legendary recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder which seeks to evoke the early 60's “Blue Note Sound.” Gold points out that these dedicated compositions are not meant to imitate or even evoke, but represent how these artists have influenced his musical career in subtle ways. As such the compositions are truly heartfelt and reflect Gold’s love for the interesting diasporas of the musical traditions he draws upon.

The recording features many influential players from the NYC jazz scene and beyond. Two-time Grammy nominee and co-producer Mauricio Zottarelli (Lee Ritenour, Dave Grusin, Ivan Lins) is the mainstay on drums. There is a guest appearance by JT Bates drummer and executive producer for Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran.

Other guests include NYC icon bassists Harvie S and Michael O’Brien for which Gold penned two new interesting piano trio pieces from the point of view of the upright bass as the lead instrument.

Also playing their hearts out are two leading NYC trumpeters: Grammy award winning Jonathan Saraga and John Bailey.

Fresh from recent tours with David Byrne and St Vincent several tunes feature Bryan Murray on saxophone.

This is an album for listening truly which tells a story. There are tracks that will appeal to diverse moods and audiences ranging from the wistful and sentimental to others which give way to inescapable foot-tapping.

Gold once again has shown his ability to make music that appeals to the mind, the heart and the soul.