Recently signed to LEITER, New York-based saxophonist Alden Hellmuth is back with a second album, Tether, following her German Jazz Prize winning 2024 debut Good Intentions. Releasing on June 26th, the sonic world of Tether weaves eight threads built around the exploration of jazz, punk and freeform improvisation, balancing form and freedom. As the press release describes, the album “centers on the notion that regardless of how loud and unruly her band might get, the tether always ties the players back to the listener and their invigorating experience.” Hellmuth comments:

“The record is a study in how to effectively write and communicate improvisational ideas. We’re always bending and pulling to make something new out of the music in the present moment and even in the improvising world you have to stay tethered to other people in the band. All of us are connected.”

To bring Tether to life, Hellmuth enlisted the help of bassists Logan Kane and Miller Wrenn, drummer Justin Brown (Thundercat, Aja Monet), pianist Paul Cornish and trumpeter Yakiv Tsvietinskyi, a stellar cast where everyone’s talent shines through.

The riveting and blistering ‘Face The Wall’ is the first single to emerge from Tether. “‘Face The Wall’ was the first piece I wrote specifically for this project,” Alden says. “I was listening to a lot of Deerhoof and Otoboke Beaver at the time and wanted to channel that energy and creativity into my own music. I also wanted to highlight the bassists Logan Kane and Miller Wrenn, and create a space for them to explore sound, texture, and their roles in relation to each other. Justin Brown understood the energy right away and his interpretation made everything lock into place in a unique way.”

Listen to ‘Face The Wall’ now.