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LOOKING FOR CONSONANCE

March 3, 2026
Friends!
I hope this post can be a short vacation from the harsh realities we are all experiencing in one way or another. I’m very happy to announce the May 8th release of Looking for Consonance on Out of Your Head Records, the 2nd full-length recording from GEORGE (we released the EP Shorts after our 1st release, Letters to George).
From my liner notes:
  “…this record is about looking—about aspiration—about hope. I realized a few years ago that most of my music is either an experiment or an aspiration, and this one is both.”
At a time when so much feels fractured, this music feels like my small attempt to search for alignment, clarity, and community. I hope it gives you some essential “nutrients.”
NORTHEAST TOUR
We are touring the Northeast in two weeks — come say hello.
GOSHEN, MA
March 17
Pioneer Valley Jazz Shares
Institute for the Musical Arts
NEW YORK, NY
March 18
Close Up NYC
PHILADELPHIA, PA
March 19
Ars Nova Workshop
NEW HAVEN, CT
March 20
Firehouse 12
CAMBRIDGE, MA
March 21
Lilypad (with James Falzone)
OTHER UPCOMING GEORGE DATES
We are back in NYC for Bang on a Can’s amazing festival, Long Play, on May 3rd.
We are super psyched to be playing at the Wilco-curated SOLID SOUND Festival at MASS MoCA on June 28th.
For “my fellow” (see below) Canadians, we are doing a run at the Rex in Toronto from May 13–17 with special guest, pianist Yvonne Rogers (a fellow Eastman alum!)
Beyond my current home in Canada, I spent many years living and teaching in Germany, and I’m always happy to stay connected with the wonderful musicians and friends I made there.
BERLIN
I’m thrilled to be part of the Stegreif Orchester’s newest project. For this performance, I re-composed a work by the remarkable Austrian composer Johanna Müller-Hermann—a voice long overlooked, whose music is now being rediscovered. The ensemble includes a few of my former JIB students and is truly unique! Their programs are often based on classical music but re-composed to include improvisation, dance, and theatrical elements. The premiere will be April 10/11 in Berlin. Check it out!
CRESC…BIENNALE FOR CONTEMPORARY MUSIC FESTIVAL
I recently composed and conducted a concert in Darmstadt—a legendary hub for contemporary music—with the Trondheim Voices and the Frankfurt hr-Bigband for the CRESC Festival, which curated by Ensemble Modern. The theme was “swarm,” which turned out to be right up my alley. I had already written pieces like Flock and “Rain and Grace,” which fit perfectly. I was commissioned to write a new piece called Boids (inspired by the artificial life program developed by Craig Reynolds in 1986 to simulate birds or fish moving as a group). I just realized that this might be the longest piece I have written at 29 minutes. And I finally found an opportunity to use my collection of Portuguese olive oil cans that my wife, Kate repurposed into percussion instruments. I just heard the live recording and I’m really happy with it! It will be broadcast on hr2 on March 29th.  In the meantime, you can brush up on your German (I’m talking to you, Marc Chenard.) by reading these two positive reviews, one from the Frankfurter Rundschau and the other by the great German jazz journalist, Michael Rüsenberg, for his blog, JazzCity.
And beyond the musical explorations, some personal news back in North America…
JE SUIS CANADIEN
I got my citizenship! I’m looking forward to voting, interjecting “eh” and “sorry” into conversation as much as possible, and putting maple syrup on almost everything (pizza, oatmeal, ice cream, tea…).  At this moment in time, Canada represents a calmer, saner version of reality. I’m very grateful to feel some peace and justice here.
PEACE AND JUSTICE
Speaking of peace and justice (super smoov segue), I’m happy to announce the release of my next large ensemble recording, Peace and Justice, with the Orquestra de Jazz do Hot Clube de Portugal, in early July on Flexatonic Records.
This album is a labour (Canadian spelling!) of love that we started in 2022. There are a few original pieces (like the title track!), an arrangement of a Claudia Quintet “classic,” three big band arrangements of compositions from Shut Up and Dance and a great Geri Allen tune. Notably, there are two Ukrainian folk songs that I was commissioned by Olha Bekenshtein to arrange for a concert in Kyiv that was supposed to happen in May 2022 (but was obviously cancelled due to the Russian invasion). Everyone deserves the right to live in peace and access justice. 
For me, music is part of that vision—not just a personal gift, but a shared resource for healing, expression, and connection. I’m very grateful to have music in my life. Regular music practices bring structure and clarity to my life—something I rediscovered last summer when I returned to a musical element central to my practice as a drummer, one I had previously explored only on a surface level.
POLYRHYTHMS 
Since then, I’ve found refuge in deeper study and practice of polyrhythms. For non-musicians: that’s when two equal rhythms are played simultaneously. I taught a new seminar on this subject at McGill in the fall. For three hours each week, we fully devoted ourselves to learning, listening, and practicing polyrhythms—three hours NOT lost to doomscrolling or worrying. In the process of developing ways to teach polyrhythms, I felt something shift in my brain—in a good way! To give you an example of the fun I have been having, here’s a 7:5 polyrhythm that I was surprised to find out is pretty groovy! I’m pretty sure it’s going to appear in the GEORGE repertoire, so I hope you will clap along (IN 5) in the future!
Take care of yourself and others.   Hope to see you soon.
“Canada John”
PS in case you forgot 🙂