When Ize Trio released its acclaimed debut album The Global Suites in 2024, the Boston-based ensemble introduced a bold musical vision rooted in cultural exchange, dialogue, and healing. Their follow-up, Global Prayer, arriving June 12, 2026, broadens that vision while turning inward, offering a deeply reflective exploration of identity, spirituality, and human connection.
Blending jazz, Western classical traditions, and maqam—the rich microtonal musical language found throughout the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean—Ize Trio continues to redefine what a contemporary jazz ensemble can be. The group brings together pianist Chase Morrin, percussionist George Lernis, and cellist Naseem Alatrash, three musicians whose diverse backgrounds form the foundation of the trio’s distinctive sound.
Critics have already recognized the ensemble’s unique approach. Michael Ullman of Arts Fuse described the group as “exuberantly and deliberately international,” while Jazz Views praised Ize Trio for blending jazz and Middle Eastern traditions while promoting “a mission focused on social good.”
Recorded over sessions in 2023 and 2025, Global Prayer finds the trio embracing a more personal and spiritual perspective than its predecessor. Rather than focusing primarily on external social issues, the new album examines how individuals navigate an increasingly complex and uncertain world.
“A lot of the music is dedicated to our mentors or is more spiritually focused,” Morrin explains. “Thinking about how we exist within this crazy world right now.”
That spirit is immediately evident on the album’s opening track, “Flying,” a composition inspired by Turkish maqam Neveser and dedicated to pianist and educator Danilo Pérez, whose mentorship helped bring the trio together during their studies at the Berklee Global Jazz Institute. The piece reflects Pérez’s recollection of a transcendent, out-of-body musical experience while performing with the late Wayne Shorter. Through dynamic interplay and shifting textures, Ize Trio transforms that story into a meditation on both physical and spiritual journeys.
Shorter’s influence extends further with “From the Stars,” a composition inspired by the legendary saxophonist’s cosmic imagination, Buddhist philosophy, and lifelong fascination with astronomy and science fiction. Grammy-winning bassist John Patitucci, a longtime collaborator of both Pérez and Shorter, lends his voice to the recording, while saxophonist Lihi Haruvi channels the exploratory spirit that defined Shorter’s music.
The album’s guest roster significantly expands the trio’s already wide-ranging sonic palette. Alongside Patitucci and Haruvi, the recording features laouto virtuoso Vasilis Kostas, violinist Layth Sidiq, artistic director of the New York Arabic Orchestra, and bouzouki player Yaniv Yacoby. Their contributions help deepen the album’s multicultural character while reinforcing its themes of connection across traditions and borders.
One of the album’s most vivid compositions, “Snaefellsjokull,” takes its title from the glacier-capped Icelandic mountain where Morrin and his mother experienced a memorable and challenging journey. Drawing on Irish and Greek musical influences, the piece transforms that personal adventure into a broader metaphor for life’s unpredictable paths. The resulting composition is both exhilarating and contemplative, balancing wonder, uncertainty, beauty, and resilience.
The title track, “Global Prayer,” serves as the emotional centerpiece of the album. Quiet, spacious, and deeply moving, the composition captures both the burdens and hopes of a world searching for healing and understanding. Its stillness becomes one of the album’s most powerful statements.
The second half of the recording ventures further into spontaneity through a series of free improvisations. These brief explorations, culminating in the expansive “Jam for the End of the World,” showcase the trio’s remarkable chemistry and willingness to embrace risk. Despite its ominous title, the latter piece ultimately feels more defiant and life-affirming than apocalyptic.
The album closes with Morrin alone at the piano for “Epilogue,” a hushed and introspective conclusion that leaves listeners with a sense of reflection rather than resolution.
Throughout Global Prayer, Ize Trio demonstrates how deeply its collective language has evolved since its formation. The music remains rooted in jazz improvisation while drawing equally from classical forms, Middle Eastern traditions, and the personal histories of its members.
“We’re constantly digging deeper into how we all bring our influences and our different backgrounds to the table,” Morrin says. “We’ve been able to add so much freedom to the music that no piece is ever the same twice.”
That commitment to openness, curiosity, and cultural dialogue continues to define Ize Trio’s mission. Through original compositions and fearless collaboration, the ensemble seeks to build bridges between traditions and communities, demonstrating how music can foster understanding in an increasingly divided world.
With Global Prayer, Ize Trio delivers a compelling statement of artistic growth—an album that is simultaneously global and intimate, adventurous and meditative. It stands as a testament to the power of shared musical language and a hopeful reminder that connection often begins with listening.
Ize Trio will celebrate the album’s release with a concert at Regattabar in Cambridge, Massachusetts on June 14, 2026.
Global Prayer
Ize Trio
Self-Released
Recorded January 12–13, 2023, and May 24, 2025
Release Date: June 12, 2026
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