Tag Archives: Alex Hitchcock

Alex Hitchcock drops new single, ‘Yellow Greens’, from upcoming Letters From Afar LP

11 September 2025

Photo: Blackham Images

We’re excited to share that saxophonist and Ivor Novello-nominated composer Alex Hitchcock is gearing up to release his new album, Letters From Afar. Following his 2021 album Dream Band and a collaborative album released last month with his new jazz supergroup lvdf, Hitchcock’s new record offers another step forward in his growing catalog of ambitious work. Letters From Afar was largely shaped by a period of intense travel and community-building across two continents, a theme that resonates throughout it. With a stellar lineup including Harish Raghavan (bass), David Adewumi (trumpet), Lex Korten (piano), and Jongkuk Kim (drums), the album explores deep modal harmonies and dynamic exchanges between the quintet. Hitchcock merges intricate and soulful harmonies with explosive moments of spontaneity, tapping into influences from jazz legends like Coleman Hawkins and Wayne Shorter, as well as contemporary figures like Ambrose Akinmusire and Tyshawn Sorey.

Letters From Afar will see the light of day on September 26th through New Soil and following the lead single ‘Wishbone’, he is offering another sublime taste from the album with new single ‘Yellow Greens’. Recorded in New York with an exceptional quintet, ‘Yellow Greens’ draws its inspiration from the colour field paintings of Mark Rothko. Hitchcock comments:

“Rothko invented his own visual language, wanting to create new, modern myths as a reaction to the political chaos of the 1940s. In his Color Field paintings, sometimes structure is purposely given up, and boundaries disintegrate or appear where you wouldn’t expect them. That made me think about letting go of musical control, sharing it, or a kind of organic ‘anarchy’ to show up naturally. I wanted this composition to be satisfying in its harmonic density and colour — ‘Earfood’ to borrow Roy Hargrove’s term — because I get the same feeling of nourishment from the blending at the edges of one of Rothko’s colour blocks as I would from a specific chord or voicing chosen by a pianist I like. They both involve blend, texture, gesture, colour, invention and reorganising.”

‘Yellow Greens’ is offered with a visualiser and you can watch it below.

If you’re in London, don’t miss Hitchcock’s upcoming performances at Ronnie Scott’s (Oct 2nd) and as part of the London Jazz Festival at World Heartbeat (Nov 20th). Additional dates include a show at Nublu in New York (Sep 28th), and at Guimarães Jazz Festival in Portugal (Nov 15th).

Mixtape #155

02 January 2024


A central figure of the contemporary UK jazz scene, young British tenor saxophonist Alex Hitchcock is a creative and visionary artist, with a prolific body of solo and collaborative work. Hitchcock excels as a bandleader, composer and performer in his ambitious recent album, Dream Band: Live in London, which was recorded live over three nights, each featuring a different band he brought together including bright sparks of the contemporary London scene, and for which he specifically composed original music. So with a new year upon us, we’re thrilled to unveil the magnificent mixtape he curated for us, encapsulating the influences at play in his own music. Press play and enjoy.

  1. Koma Saxo & Petter Eldh – Watten Koma [We Jazz]
  2. Patricia Brennan – Square Bimagic [Pyroclastic Records]
  3. Kirk Lightsey, Famodou Don Moye & Tibor Elekes – Heaven Dance [In+Out Records]
  4. Ambrose Akinmusire – Owl Song 1 [Nonesuch]
  5. Phronesis – Lipwash – Part II [Edition Records]
  6. Lucia Cadotsch – Speak Low [We Jazz]
  7. Eric Dolphy – Bee Vamp (Alternate Take) [Prestige]
  8. Maria Chiara Argirò – Beneath The Surface [Cavalo Records]
  9. Bheki Mseleku – Timelessness [Verve]
  10. Nina Simone – Lilac Wine [Philips]
  11. Jaki Byard – Bl + Wh = 88 [Soul Note]
  12. Samm Henshaw – Thoughts and Prayers [Dorm Seven]