Building on the significant success of their sixth release, Sleight of Hand (Whirlwind, 2017), the New York Standards Quartet presents another coruscating showcase of reimagined, classic songs on their new album Heaven Steps to Seven. Saxophonist Tim Armacost, pianist David Berkman and drummer Gene Jackson present individual arrangements full of characteristic inventiveness; and, for the first time in the studio, they are delighted to document bassist Ugonna Okegwo’s relationship with the band, a regular on their US tours.

The NYSQ have come a long way in their thirteen years to date, Tim Armacost warmly acknowledging the closeness of the collaboration: “We all contribute suggestions for classic songs (also known as jazz ‘standards’) to reinterpret, and the music we conceive taps into the important values of the band – our longevity, our deep friendship. Sometimes we bring pretty much completed arrangements, others just evolve on the bandstand as we play.”

Such a musical affinity, reaped from the vastness of their respective experiences in many different projects, is distilled into a recording of remarkable finesse, once again refracting kaleidoscopic colors across old favorites and less-familiar treasures from the jazz heritage. Having played together for so long, Armacost highlights two key facets: “One is to discover a beautiful standard you haven’t heard before; the other is finding something well known, then portraying it differently. So we honor the tradition of this music, representing it authentically, but also creating environments which feel new.”