[Cover photo credit to Aaron Rice]
Saxophonist Steve Cole has announced that his new album, Without A Doubt, will be released on October 6, 2023 via Artistry Music/Mack Avenue Music Group. As his first work with Producer and songwriter partner Adam Hawley, the album finds Cole approaching his music “with the open mind of a beginner”.
Cole shares:
My mind is open. I’m looking more broadly at the world and appreciating what’s around me, unencumbered by negative feelings or doubts. I went into this recording feeling free, confident and humble and just tried to create something cool and fun.
Cole has played with the likes of Richard Patterson, Miles Davis, Boz Scaggs and David Sanborn, and draws on a wide array of influences to create contemporary Jazz.
Cole’s previous two albums arose from challenging circumstances. 2019’s Gratitude followed a health scare affecting the saxophonist’s family, while 2021’s Smoke and Mirrors was Cole’s version of a lockdown album. Cole also currently teaches the business of music at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Cole and Hawley co-wrote all ten tracks on Without a Doubt, most of them originating with Cole in what the saxophonist calls an unprecedented burst of creativity.
He says:
I went through a very prolific period where I came up with lots of really good ideas, but nothing was fully formed. I really liked the music that Adam was putting out, so I thought it would be fun to work with him. So I sent him my fragments and the ideas he sent back elevated them even more than I could have imagined. The whole process was a series of pleasant surprises.
The album also includes bassist Mel Brown, drummer Eric Valentine and additional synth player Carnell Harrell, with Hawley on synths, guitar, strings, organ, Fender Rhodes, programming and more. Caleb Middleton guests on Rhodes, synths, keyboard bass and programming on several tracks, with Trevor Neumann’s trumpet on two tracks. Cole’s longtime producer David Mann also returns.
Tour Dates:
August 18 – Burnsville, MN @ Ames Center
October 13 – Denver, CO @ Soiled Dove Underground
October 14 – Seal Beach, CA @ Spaghettini
October 31 – Mallorca, Spain @ Mallorca Smooth Jazz Festival
November 11 – Hampton, VA @ Jazz Legacy Foundation
