Out July 18, 2025 on Brass Tonic Records
Acclaimed trumpeter, composer, and visionary artist Sarah Wilson returns with Incandescence, a vibrant and genre-blurring new album that celebrates the power of artistic inspiration and communal connection. Set for release on July 18, 2025, via her own Brass Tonic Records, the album showcases Wilson’s brass-forward sextet Brass Tonic, drawing energy from visual art, New Orleans brass band traditions, and the sheer joy of making music.
The spark for Incandescence ignited during a 2023 residency in Krems, Austria, where Wilson encountered the bold, multilayered work of Viennese painter Thomas Reinhold, a pioneer of German “New Painting.” His architectural, time-bending compositions struck a deep chord with Wilson and became the foundation for several pieces on the album, including “Architecture in Space” and “Music Appears to Stand Still.”
“These incredible paintings just looked like music to me,” Wilson recalls.
Co-produced with Grammy-winning producer Hans Wendl, the album is rooted in both visual abstraction and Wilson’s lifelong affinity for rhythm-driven, community-centric music. Brass Tonic’s lineup reflects this ethos: an all-woman horn frontline—Wilson on trumpet, Kasey Knudsen on alto sax, and Mara Fox on trombone—driven by a powerful rhythm section featuring John Schott (guitar), Lisa Mezzacappa (bass), and drummers Jon Arkin and Tim Bulkley.
“Coming from street theater and New Orleans traditions, my music always needs to be something you can move to,” Wilson explains. “Marching band music is accessible, but I wanted to elevate it while keeping that infectious energy.”
Though the band debuted in 2022, its roots go back decades to Wilson’s work with NYC drummer Kenny Wollesen’s Himalayas marching band and her performances with the Bread & Puppet Theater in the 1990s. These experiences—deeply steeped in activism and artistry—shaped the communal spirit she brings to Brass Tonic.
That spirit also drives her commitment to representation in jazz. “It was important for me to center women in this band,” says Wilson. “Especially in horn sections, where we’re still seeing a lack of gender equity. It’s empowering.”
Wilson composed the early music for Incandescence during her 2022 residency at the Djerassi Resident Artists Program in California. That creative momentum carried her to Austria, where she composed inside the State Gallery of Lower Austria, often working right beside Reinhold’s paintings. The two artists later met and bonded over a shared admiration for John Coltrane—and an understanding of time as both medium and muse.
“When you’re in the moment with music, time just dissolves,” Wilson says. “That joy, that suspension—it’s what I want people to feel when they hear this album.”
Wilson is no stranger to crafting music inspired by visual art. Her 2010 album Trapeze Project featured works influenced by sculptor Nicolas Africano and her collaboration with aerial dance troupe Catch Me Bird for Off the Walls was sparked by Harlem Renaissance painter Aaron Douglas during her NEA-funded residency at San Francisco’s de Young Museum.
Incandescence continues Wilson’s mission to unite art, community, and social purpose through sound. Whether it’s in her past collaborations with Tenderloin Museum and Larkin Street Youth Services, or her acclaimed previous albums Kaleidoscope (2021) and Trapeze Project (2010), Wilson’s voice is one of joyful innovation and intentional connection.
“Music has the power to evoke strong feelings,” she says. “That’s the heart of Incandescence—to bring joy, to move people, and to remind us of the beauty in connection.”
Sarah Wilson – Incandescence
Brass Tonic Records – BTR 003
Recorded: April 13–14, 2024
Release Date: July 18, 2025
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