Label: Irabbagast Records, 2026
Personnel - Jon Irabagon: alto saxophone; Matt Mitchell: piano, Fender Rhodes; Chris Lightcap: electric bass; Dan Weiss: drums // Guests - Kokayi: vocals (#3,5); Dave Ballou: trumpet (#3,4); Miles Okazaki: guitar (#3,4); Donny McCaslin: tenor saxophone (#4); Mark Shim: tenor saxophone (#4).
Assertive and harmonically adventurous without abandoning tradition, Chicago-based saxophonist and composer Jon Irabagon has secured a high-ranking place in contemporary jazz. With a progressive mindset, he continues to release brilliant albums in varied formats and rich stylistic settings. His latest sonic venture, Focus Out, features a formidable quartet with inventive keyboardist Matt Mitchell, grounding bassist Chris Lightcap—here playing exclusively electric—and astute drummer Dan Weiss. Across six vibrant originals composed during a period in which Irabagon struggled to balance fatherhood and career, the quartet’s third outing presents him exclusively on alto saxophone, following Rising Sun and Recharging the Blade, where he focused on tenor and soprano, respectively.
The pieces are demanding, and “Morning Star” opens the album in visceral, eloquent fashion. Over the relentless momentum generated by Weiss’ fractured rhythms and the funk-inflected drive of Lightcap’s electric bass, Mitchell’s burning Rhodes and Irabagon’s incisive alto state unison lines with commanding authority. The title track, propelled by an asymmetric bass groove, creates constant metric shifts and even swings hard. Irabagon’s improvisation remains focused, gliding in and out of the margins with refined articulation. Weiss colors the texture with explosive cymbal work before his ride cymbal ushers in an avant-garde romp that drives the piece to its conclusion.
Both “Paper Planes”, named after Irabagon’s favorite cocktail, and the politically charged “Indigo Stains” feature vocalist Kokayi. The former channels a frenetic, vintage jazz spirit, with saxophone, trumpet, and guitar roaming freely, while the latter skirts between grooves with remarkable work by piano and drums. Guest trumpeter Dave Ballou and guitarist Miles Okazaki are featured here and also join “Evening Star”, which also includes tenor saxophonists Donny McCaslin and Mark Shim. Here the ensemble reaches a peak in an avant-garde gem marked by free-funk flair and finely calibrated dynamics. Bursting unisons, collective turbulence, and buoyant, horn-driven improvisations yield angular, outside runs delivered with athletic intensity. Okazaki’s distinctive phrasing benefits from Mitchell’s Rhodes accompaniment, and the vigorous finale unfolds with impeccable synchronicity.
Following “Prayer (For Reomi)”, a tender saxophone–piano duet ballad written for Irabagon’s daughter, “Center Post”, an earlier composition and another high-energy workout with shades of Coltrane, closes a breathtaking album that offers listeners a rich new tapestry of sound. The consistent brilliance and unpredictability displayed by this quartet—calibrated for maximum energy and marked by expansive freedom—make Focus Out one of the year’s standouts.
Favorite Tracks:
02 - Focus Out ► 03 - Paper Planes ► 04 - Evening Star