[Cover photo credit to David Brown]
Saxophonist, composer, multi-instrumentalist and bandleader Isaiah Collier returns with Joy, a 5-track EP that considers the emotion of joy to be “a devotional grounding and political act.” Joy will be released on Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Recordings on July 31, 2026. Collier has also shared the lead single “Joy.”
Throughout the album’s five tracks, Collier “positions joy as a guiding light during challenging times, an expression of challenging yourself to utilize your gifts, an affirmation of love and discovery, and as an affirmative source of reassurance.”
Collier shares:
We are in a paradoxical time, where so much is being revealed to us. Everything feels political from every scope… our collective hearts feel the heaviness in the air. Yet I say to you all—don’t despair. For right now, the most political thing we can do is share joy.
Collier conceived the title track around three years ago, reflecting on a time where “many people in his life were experiencing loss of family and friends and experiencing profound life transitions.”
He comments:
Everything just felt like it was falling apart with no aim in sight. Yet, there is a light at the end of it all.
Working on the track, Collier seemed to feel the vibration of “yellow” in the piece and the only word Collier could hear was “joy.” In addition to Collier at the helm singing and playing piano and tenor sax on the track, it features an expansive 11-piece ensemble with a full horn and string section.
| ISAIAH COLLIER 2026 TOUR DATES |
| May 22: Teatro Comunale (TEMA) – Vicenza, Italy |
| May 23: Südhaus – Tübingen, Germany |
| May 25: Jazz Middelheim – Middelheim, Germany |
| May 29: Stadtgarten – Cologne, Germany |
| May 30: Domicil – Dortmund, Germany |
| May 31: XJAZZ – Berlin, Germany |
| June 1: Porgy & Bess – Vienna, Austria |
| June 3: Nattjazz – Bergen, Norway |
| June 5: Jazz à Valrose – Valrose, France |
| June 16-17: Blue Note Jazz Festival – New York, NY |
| June 22: Toronto Jazz Festival – Toronto, Canada |
| June 23: Calgary Jazz Festival – Calgary, Canada |
| June 24: Jazz Victoria – Victoria, Canada |
| June 25: Edmonton Jazz Festival – Edmonton, Canada |
| June 26: JAW 20 Family Reunion – Berlin, Germany |
| July 1: Vancouver Jazz Festival – Vancouver, Canada |
| July 3: Montreal Jazz Festival – Montreal, Canada ^ |
| July 5: Saskatoon Jazz Festival – Saskatoon, Canada |
| July 21: Ronnie Scott’s – London, UK |
| September 5: DC Jazz Festival – Washington D.C. |
| September 26: Monterey Jazz Festival, Monterey, CA |
| September 29-30: Jazz Alley – Seattle, WA |
| October 3: Segerstorm Center for the Arts – Costa Mesa, CA |
