There’s wonderful news from incredibly talented, versatile and prolific guitarist and composer Jeff Parker, who has recently announced Happy Today, a brand new album with his ETA IVtet. The quartet, comprising Jay Bellerose on drums, Anna Butterss on bass, and Josh Johnson on saxophone, has been building its sound for years, originally forming out of Parker’s long-running Monday night sessions at the now-closed ETA in Los Angeles. Happy Today stretches across two long-form pieces, and it was recorded live at Lodge Room in LA last August. The album is also tied to a difficult period in Parker’s life, something he speaks about:
“2025 was a very difficult year for me and my family. Dealing with being displaced from the Eaton fires for eight months, and the kind of toll that instability took on my family’s mental health and general outlook, coupled with Donald Trump being back in office and basically making life miserable for everyone… There was a lot of sadness and despair. But feeling the sense of community that we created with our concert, and later hearing the recording, seeing the beautiful footage that had been shot and the photographs of such joy to be back in that space and to be making music again: It was a very happy moment. So I called the record Happy Today. It’s meant to be a statement of joy.”
Even with the dark elements surrounding it, there’s a warmth to the album, and it feels open, human, and uplifting.
Happy Today arrives on May 15th through International Anthem and Nonesuch Records and alongside the album, a concert film by Charlie Weinmann is set to follow later in May, capturing the same performance that became the record.
An excerpt from the utterly delightful and stunning ‘Like Swimwear (Part One)’ is now streaming and serves as the first taste of what’s coming. Take a listen now.
