Sumner returns this week with his latest solo release, FOR WHAT?, streaming everywhere on Friday, September 12, 2025. The new album follows the success of his acclaimed 2024 project Blur, pushing further into uncharted territory for electric guitar improvisation.
Where Blur was expansive and exploratory, FOR WHAT? feels more sombre and reflective. Drawing inspiration from unsettling topics such as disease and simulation theory, Sumner once again demonstrates how the guitar can serve as a powerful vehicle for both musical experimentation and emotional resonance.
The album is largely drawn from his popular improvised performances originally shared on Instagram and TikTok. With over 280,000 streams on Spotify across his recent releases, Sumner has emerged as one of the most listened-to free improvisors worldwide. His style is marked by unconventional but coherent harmonic structures, unexpected rhythmic ideas, and a fearless commitment to pushing the boundaries of jazz guitar.
A key part of FOR WHAT? is the reunion with artist Juan Ballesteros, also known as the red dot artist, who provided cover art for Sumner’s 2024 album Tired in the Final Sense. Ballesteros’ work, with its distinctive, abstract character, mirrors the music’s adventurous spirit.
Sumner’s prolific output has seen him release seven solo-improvised guitar records in just two years. Alongside his viral performances on social media, he’s built a global following with over 10,000 monthly Spotify listeners and thousands of engaged fans across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X, and Threads.
His unique voice as an improvisor is rooted in diverse training: classical guitar studies at Kwantlen College, contemporary guitar at VCC, and jazz guitar at Capilano College. These foundations, combined with two decades of recording and touring with his art-grunge outfit The Sumner Brothers, have given him the tools to improvise freely, unbound by any single genre.
With FOR WHAT?, Sumner offers a bold new statement on what jazz guitar is and what it can become—both deeply personal and profoundly innovative.
No comments:
Post a Comment