Toronto saxophonist/composer Jacob Chung’s (b. 2000) debut release Epistle is a swingin’ 45-min album of original music written for quintet. This release marks a new era for Canadian jazz, signifying the hope and promise of a new generation’s coming-of-age in a post-Covid world.
The musicians on this record are a handful of the most exciting young Canadian talent. Pianist Felix Fox-Pappas, drummer Petros Anagnostakos, and bassist Thomas Hainbuch, who at 24 years of age is the band’s eldest member, comprise the rhythm section while trumpet player Christian Antonacci joins Chung on the frontline. The 6 track album features Chung’s Epistle Suite, which reflects the joy of the gospel message through a commitment to the spirit of swing.
Rounding out the album are 3 hard-driving bop tunes, each a contrafact on a familiar form. Epistle is a proclamation. Over the duration of this album, Chung and his young, swingin’ band emphatically state, “we are right here, right now; we play hard and believe in swing; this is jazz in Canada.”
“Epistle” was released on June 24, 2022. Buy “Epistle” on Bandcamp to best support the artist. You can also buy/listen on Apple Music, and Spotify.
Jacob Chung
“Jacob Chung is a fresh face on Toronto’s jazz scene who is well-positioned to make his mark for decades to come. He’s a tenor saxophonist who turns 22 years old this year and already demonstrates a veteran understanding of post-war jazz tradition… By vividly recreating jazz’s past, Jacob Chung and his colleagues are making jazz’s future look bright.”
S. Victor Aaron – Something Else!
1. Triage 6:25
2. Bouncin’ at Bonafide 6:13
3. Epistle I: Conviction/II: Justification 9:41
4. Epistle III: Sanctification 7:57
5. Epistle IV: Glorification 8:10
6. Sizzler Kebab 7:45