Peace and Justice

This project has been a long time coming. We recorded it in Lisbon in June 2022, just as international travel was opening up again after the pandemic. What I didn’t know then was that it would take four years to finally make its way into the world. This body of work actually began with an invitation from Ukrainian curator Olha Bekenshtein, who commissioned me in late 2021 to write arrangements of Ukrainian folk music for a performance in Kyiv. When Russia launched its full-scale invasion, those plans became impossible. But Olha’s vision for the project never disappeared—it evolved into this album.

Two Ukrainian songs became the emotional center of the recording, including my arrangement of the historic anthem “Oi u luzi chervona kalyna” and a traditional carol from the Kharkiv region. They ultimately inspired both the title of the album and the piece Peace and Justice. In her beautiful liner notes, Olha writes that “holding onto it, hoping for it, is something we must all actively practice.”

Alongside those pieces are my arrangements of a Turkish folk hit, an arrangement of a composition by the incredible Geri Allen, and several of my own compositions.

As the music came together, I realized that the title Peace and Justice captured what the album had become. It’s a record about resilience, community, and holding onto hope—even when the world makes that difficult.

Working with the musicians of the Hot Club Jazz Orchestra was an absolute joy. I’m thankful to everyone who helped bring this project across the finish line after such a long journey. The album will be released on my nonprofit label, Flexatonic Records. You can hear the first single, Sinanari, here on bandcamp (you can also hear it on your streaming platform of choice [unless you use Spotify/Youtube] but keep in mind bandcamp is currently the best platform from a musician’s standpoint).

After that great gig with the Hot Club band, Sarah and I were joined by Chiquita Magic and Anna Webber for a sweet GEORGE gig at the incredible new Muzeu in Braga, Portugal.