"There's a lot of magic that just kind of unfolds as we play. And the more we play, the more magical it becomes." — Joe Lovano
The title Paramount Quartet feels less like a name and more like a declaration of purpose. For saxophonist Joe Lovano, the project represents a fresh creative ascent, despite a career that already spans decades and includes dozens of recordings as a bandleader.
“I feel like at this point I’m on the rise,” Lovano says. “We've arrived at this unique place with this quartet. It’s very special. It's a new thing. Recording this with Manfred Eicher in the studio, I was really thrilled with the way the group continuously developed. And those cats, they play with a real global awareness.”
The quartet brings together an exceptional cast: guitarist Julian Lage, bassist Asante Santi Debriano, and drummer Will Calhoun, widely known for his work with Living Colour. Together, they create a dynamic and adventurous ensemble that opens a compelling new chapter in Lovano’s ever-evolving musical journey.
The origins of the group trace back to a 2023 fundraiser supporting Puerto Rican hurricane relief, where Lovano first met Debriano and Calhoun. The chemistry was immediate.
“Sometimes you meet, and it's like you've known each other your whole life,” Lovano recalls. “That happened with Will, Asante and I.”
Adding Julian Lage completed the vision. Lovano and Lage had discussed collaborating for years, dating back to the guitarist’s time in one of Lovano’s ensembles at Berklee College of Music in the mid-2000s.
That deep connection is evident throughout the album. The quartet moves effortlessly between intimate ballads and energetic explorations, balancing sophistication, spontaneity, and emotional depth. The record opens with Charlie Haden’s “First Song,” a soulful and meditative interpretation that sets the tone for the journey ahead.
Lovano’s relationship with the piece goes back years. Having performed it alongside Haden while occasionally substituting for Ernie Watts in Quartet West, he developed a lasting affection for the composition. Only recently did he feel ready to revisit it with his own ensemble, discovering new possibilities within its reflective spirit.
The album’s original material showcases the quartet’s remarkable versatility. Tracks such as “Amsterdam” highlight intricate rubato interplay, while “Fanfare For Unity” channels groove-driven post-bop energy. “The Great Outdoors” expands into a larger, episodic form that blends carefully structured passages with open improvisation, and “Congregation” settles into an inviting mid-tempo flow.
Throughout the recording, each musician demonstrates an extraordinary sensitivity to the music’s shifting demands. The chamber-like restraint of “The Call” contrasts beautifully with the explosive energy of “Fanfare For Unity,” while Lovano himself adds further texture by moving seamlessly between tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, and tarogato.
Lovano speaks enthusiastically about his collaborators. He praises Calhoun’s expansive musicality and Debriano’s rich experiences shaped by his Panamanian heritage and decades of work with artists such as Archie Shepp and Randy Weston. Their collective history and openness to exploration create an ideal foundation for the music.
For Julian Lage, Paramount Quartet marks his first appearance on ECM. His contributions are both subtle and profound, characterized by lyrical phrasing, harmonic sophistication, and an intuitive responsiveness to Lovano’s improvisations. The long-standing relationship between the two musicians is evident in every exchange, a connection that dates back to when Lovano first encountered Lage as a teenage prodigy attending one of his performances with McCoy Tyner in California.
The album’s second and final interpretation of an outside composition is Wayne Shorter’s “Lady Day.” Lovano first encountered the piece through Shorter’s Soothsayer and has long been captivated by its haunting melody and rich harmonic possibilities. Originally arranged for a big band residency in Orvieto, Italy, he later adapted it for the quartet, where it found an entirely new life.
The performance exemplifies the group’s defining quality: an ability to create in the moment. Lovano notes that Calhoun, Debriano, and Lage are constantly introducing new ideas from within the music itself, allowing each performance to evolve organically and unpredictably.
Recorded in February 2025 at La Buissonne Studios in Southern France and produced by Manfred Eicher, Paramount Quartet captures four master improvisers at a rare point of creative alignment. It is a recording built on trust, curiosity, and shared musical vision—a reminder that even for an artist as accomplished as Joe Lovano, the most exciting discoveries can still lie ahead.
Paramount Quartet was released by ECM on May 29, 2026.
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