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| Jason Charos' 'Opening Statement' is out August 22, 2025 via Hollistic MusicWorks Jason Charos — a superlative trumpeter and composer whose musical depth far exceeds his 25 years — is proud to announce Opening Statement, his assured, erudite, and aptly titled debut as a bandleader. Out August 22, 2025 via Hollistic MusicWorks — the imprint founded by Grammy-winning trumpet master Brian Lynch — Opening Statement is a vivid and clear-eyed introduction to a rising artist already staking his claim in the contemporary jazz landscape. A former student of Lynch at the University of Miami's Frost School of Music, Charos now tours internationally with and arranges for Samara Joy — the gamechanging vocalist and 2023 Grammy winner for Best New Artist. ("The interplay between her voice and Charos' trumpet solo is lovely, " Jazz Sensibilities wrote of Joy's 2024 album Portrait.) That same tight-knit core featured in Joy's touring ensemble — Charos, alto saxophonist David Mason, tenor saxophonist Kendric McCallister, and pianist Connor Rohrer — reprise their roles on Opening Statement, joined by bassist Carlo De Rosa and drummer Ludwig Afonso. Together, they anchor Charos' eight original compositions with deep swing, crisp ensemble cohesion, and a contemporary rhythmic vocabulary shaped by hard bop, Latin jazz traditions, and lyrical balladry. Opening Statement also features two of Charos' most important mentors: Lynch, who produced the album, and Dafnis Prieto, the MacArthur-winning Cuban drummer-composer who taught Charos at Frost. Guest tenor saxophonist Melvin Butler — known for his work with Brian Blade's Fellowship Band — adds warmth and lyricism to several tracks, rounding out the album's sense of connection and collective spirit. On the opening track, "Winged Words" — its title borrowed from Homer — Charos, Mason, and Butler inhabit a Latin jazz space, influenced by Lynch and Eddie Palmieri. "BL's Bag" pays homage to mentor Brian Lynch and trumpet innovator Booker Little, based on the harmony from Little's "Dungeon Waltz." The probing ballad "Love and Loss" channels the spirit of Wayne Shorter and Lee Morgan — key influences in Charos' musical journey — unfolding with a lyrical depth that reveals the leader's emotional range and compositional maturity. Opening Statement continues with the hard-bopping "Athens By Night, " named for the Greek capital where Charos' family has roots. Its crisp, driving pulse supports a melody both urgent and inviting, leaving ample space for spirited solos from Butler, Charos, Mason, and Rohrer. On the rhythmically intricate, Afro-Cuban-inflected "The Crown, " Prieto propels the piece with his signature polyrhythmic finesse. The album then slows into the introspective ballad "This, Tonight, " its title contributed from lyrics by Charos' brother Philip. The piece unfolds with measured lyricism, spotlighting the leader's plaintive trumpet lines alongside McCallister's lyrical tenor saxophone. Charos wrote the medium-uptempo "Pacing" in high school and refined it during the pandemic, adding a shout chorus and a memorable bridge. Opening Statement concludes with "George's Place, " a high-velocity burner that captures the restless energy and vibrant life of Charos' cousin's Athens apartment. "It's a snapshot of me in that time, " Charos says today — the album being recorded in 2022. "I definitely play differently now, as do all of us younger folks on the date – but I still enjoy listening to it." And as with the rest of this head-turning debut, so will you. ## write your comments about the article :: © 2025 Jazz News :: home page |