[Cover photo credit to Kevin Alexander]
Pianist, composer, and bandleader Emmet Cohen has released “I. Eternal Glimpse,” the second single from his upcoming album, Universal Truth, out May 29, 2026, via Mack Avenue Records. “I. Eternal Glimpse” kicks off the album’s centerpiece, the “Universal Truth Suite,” a three-part original composition that is very personal.
Recorded in celebration of the 2026 centennial year of Miles Davis and John Coltrane, Universal Truth honors the pianist’s forebears by “carrying forward their spirit of personal and spiritual discovery in his own distinctive style.” The release of “I. Eternal Glimpse” comes alongside an in-studio performance video.
From Cohen’s collection of Masters Legacy Series recordings, featuring icons including Jimmy Cobb, Benny Golson, Albert “Tootie” Heath, and Houston Person, to his livestream series, Live From Emmet’s Place, Cohen consistently emphasizes connection across generations and audiences.
Universal Truth features classic tunes associated with the album’s twin inspirations of Miles Davis and John Coltrane. For the album’s rendition of “My Funny Valentine,” Cohen brought together bassist Ron Carter and tenor saxophonist George Coleman for a poignant reunion, more than sixty years after they performed on the Miles Davis album of the same name at Lincoln Center’s Philharmonic Hall.
The rhythm section for the album is Cohen’s trio with bassist Yasushi Nakamura and drummer Joe Farnsworth, who kick off the proceedings with Davis and Bud Powell’s “Budo” from The Birth of the Cool. The album concludes with Coltrane’s “Blue Trane,” with the twin tenors of Coleman and Tivon Pennicott joining Pelt and the trio for the landmark tune.
Cohen says:
In all my research and study into John Coltrane, one phrase always stuck out. ‘Universal Truth.’ When Trane talked about his artistry and his calling, his intention was always to seek that universal truth. I interpret that to mean his higher power, his version of God, his connection to the source that connects and calls to every living thing on Earth.
With Universal Truth, Emmet Cohen celebrates the great discoveries of past masters by “making his own search for the endless revelations contained within those simple, profound, vast universal truths.”
Tracklisting:
1. Budo
2. Well You Needn’t
3. My Funny Valentine
4. Gingerbread Boy
5. I. Eternal Glimpse
6. II. Compassion
7. III. Universal Truth
8. Blue Trane
Tour Dates
May 8: Miami, FL – Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts
May 17: Buffalo, NY – Kleinhans Music Hall
May 25: Livestream – Live From Emmet’s Place (Universal Truth Release Show)
May 28: Los Angeles, CA – The Wallis with the Pacific Jazz Orchestra
Jun 11: Cincinnati, OH – Caffe Vivace
Jun 12: Lakeside, OH – Hoover Auditorium
Jun 14: Boone, NC – Appalachian Theatre of the High Country
Jun 22: Livestream – Live From Emmet’s Place (featuring Chris Potter)
Jul 8-12: New York, NY – Smoke Jazz Club
July 25: Katonah, NY – Caramoor
Sept 5-6: Washington, DC – DC Jazz Fest
Sept 8-12: New York, NY – Birdland NYC
Sept 18-25: Botti @ Sea
Oct 9: Provo, UT – BYU
Oct 11: Berkeley, CA – Freight and Salvage
Jan 12-17: David Foster at Sea
Jan 17-24: The Jazz Cruise
Jan 24-31: Journey of Jazz Cruise
Feb 12: Boston, MA – Berklee Performance Center
Feb 19-21: Northridge, CA – Cal State Northridge
