Label: Self released, 2026
Personnel - Eric St. Godard: piano; Niall Cade: saxophone; Ilya Osachuk: bass; Kieran Wallace: drums.
Hailing from Winnipeg, Canada, pianist and composer Eric St. Godard leads a flexible quartet on his debut alum, New Beginnings. Across eight original compositions, the ensemble—featuring saxophonist Niall Cade, bassist Ilya Osachuk, and drummer Kieran Wallace—draws from a melting pot of influences, with jazz at its core.
“Lovely Rose” opens the album as a Wayne Shorter–esque 3/4 enchanter, favoring tranquility and lyricism over turbulence. The spacious atmosphere allows Godard, Cade, and Osachuk to stretch out with confidence. In a similar vein, “Home” stirs emotion with delicate nuance and subtle fragility, beginning in a rubato setting before settling into a gentle waltz for its improvisations.
Despite its hard-bop flair and lively theme, “Tippin’” bears no relation to Horace Silver’s tune of the same name, even if it shares a comparable spirit. Its energetic framework provides a platform for a cleanly articulated saxophone solo, initially unfolding over bass accompaniment alone. Meanwhile, “Changing Winds” offers a clear nod to Pat Metheny’s “Bright Size Life”, concluding with a reflective solo piano passage.
“Letter”, with its strong ballad character, crisp backbeat, and fusion-tinged expression, could easily be mistaken for a Metheny composition, showcasing well-developed phrasing rooted in diatonic harmony. The uplifting title track, “New Beginnings”, gets a separated, multi-rhythmic piano introduction, curiously longer than the piece itself, which opens with a chant-like saxophone line later matched by piano. It reveals a melody enriched by luminous harmonic color.
The album closes with “Chicken Strut”, which subtly evokes New Orleans jazz-funk through its direct melodic lines and splashy chordal accents, ending on an energetic note. The rhythm section swings assertively beneath Godard’s poised piano runs.
Though somewhat conservative in form and structure—occasionally feeling constrained—New Beginnings nonetheless introduces a promising new voice in jazz, one intent on blending styles and forging a personal path.
Favorite Tracks:
02 - Tippin’ ► 05 - New Beginnings ► 08 - Chicken Strut