Liner notes

This album is a snapshot of a working band, captured after six months of a weekly residency at the Northgate Jazz Co-Op in Chiang Mai, Thailand. It’s not about perfection—nor should it be. What you hear is the sound of a group of musicians navigating their way through ambiguous sketches, confronting challenges, and embracing the unknown. Improvisation, after all, is not about flawless execution; it’s about being fully present in the moment, allowing the music to unfold in real-time.

I’m deeply proud of the growth this group has undergone during this period. Music, like language, is mediated by culture, and cultures don’t always align. Yet, through this diversity, there is a shared understanding—a space where music becomes more than notes or rhythms but a means of expressing something far deeper. Improvisation, by its very nature, is ephemeral and subject to conditions beyond control. Unspoken expectations and unknown complications often lead us down paths that could never be planned.

Each track here represents that balance between structure and spontaneity. A song is never just a collection of notes; it’s a framework, a map for exploration. The rhythm section lays down the foundation, and the soloist reaches for the heights, but the truth of the performance lies somewhere in between—in the act of interaction, in the space between known forms and the uncharted territories of feeling.

We recorded this in one chaotic afternoon in May of 2024. The city outside was quieter than usual, but inside the venue space, the energy was anything but. Every take felt like a conversation, one where the outcome was never predetermined. It’s that sense of dialogue and discovery that drives this album. The imperfections, the rough edges—these are what make the music alive.

There’s something almost magical about the way music, especially jazz, can capture a fleeting moment. The tension between what’s expected and what emerges is what keeps the listener on edge. Improvisation, like any investigative act, is a search for clarity, but it doesn’t offer neat conclusions. Instead, it invites us into the process—into the uncertainty, the risk, and the beauty of creating something that can only exist once, in that specific time and place.

This album is, in many ways, a documentation of that process. It’s a testament to the growth and development of a group of musicians learning to trust one another, learning to trust the moment. What you’re hearing is the product of that trust—the collective effort of surrender in the act of making music together. It’s not perfect, but it’s real, and that’s where the beauty lies.

A huge Thank you to everyone that helped this project come to life:

Nutthawut “Ice” Ploysri, Netirak “Beer” Phonsrirach, Steven Montecucco, Dan Elbert, Pharadon “Opor” Phonamnuai, Patihan Thammanu, Jim Anton, Chiang Mai Push, Northgate Jazz Co-Op, Paul Sugars, Isaac Levy, John Miller, & Raphael Lopez.

This album is dedicated to the loving memory of Tepraksa “Wild Sax” Aekchai