Russian-born saxophonist and composer Lena Bloch brings poetry and jazz together in a profoundly emotional way with her new album Marina, out November 14, 2025 on Fresh Sound Records. The project reimagines the work of the legendary Russian poet Marina Tsvetaeva, whose words of resilience and spirit find new life through Bloch’s lush compositions and her quintet’s evocative improvisation.
“Throughout my life, Tsvetaeva has been a model of resilience as an immigrant, an artist, and a woman,” Bloch shares. “All of which have been under siege in modern political discourse — all the more reason to amplify her voice for a modern audience.”
Featuring vocalist Kyoko Kitamura, pianist Jacob Sacks, bassist Ken Filiano, and drummer Michael Sarin, Marina builds on Bloch’s reputation for intellectual depth and emotional power. The commissioned suite, supported by a Chamber Music America grant, sets Bloch’s own English translations of Tsvetaeva’s poems, blending jazz expression with poetic sensitivity.
Born in Moscow, Tsvetaeva lived a life marked by displacement and tragedy — from her early success as a teenage poet to her years in exile across Europe and her devastating return to the Soviet Union. Bloch, who also grew up in Moscow before immigrating to Israel, then Europe, and finally settling in New York in 2008, feels a deep kinship with the poet’s themes of endurance, freedom, and identity.
As one of the first jazz artists to interpret Tsvetaeva’s poetry through music, Bloch finds beauty not in despair, but in strength. “Her poetry never bemoaned exile,” Bloch explains. “It celebrated strength — the power to speak freely despite all circumstances. That resonates with me as a lifelong nomad and with so many immigrants in this country.”
Across the album, Bloch and her ensemble create soundscapes that are both intricate and immediate. On “Refuse,” Filiano’s searching bass and Kitamura’s haunting vocal embody defiance. “Insomnia” drifts between wistfulness and longing, while “Such Tenderness” moves with sensual grace. “Immeasurable” and the title track “Marina” pulse with the vitality of womanhood and survival, leading to the closing piece, “The Time Will Come,” a powerful reflection on the endurance of art and spirit.
For Bloch, Marina is more than a musical tribute — it’s a dialogue across time, language, and experience. As Kitamura sings Tsvetaeva’s lines — “for all my poems / like for precious wine / the time will come” — it’s clear that for both poet and composer, that time is now.
Album release concert: Saturday, November 15, 2025 at IBeam, Brooklyn, NY.
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