People Talk marks my sixth self-produced album and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have collaborated with two of the most dynamic performers in the world, pianist Takana Miyamoto and percussionist Keita Ogawa. As most of my performances around the world utilize a quartet or quintet configuration, I wanted to explore a new approach both sonically and compositionally. I found myself writing arrangements specifically for this unique trio’s instrumentation but also for the players themselves. The album embraces sounds from around the world incorporating a traditional jazz approach with South American and Asian influences.

My original composition, La Lucha Duro ( “The Hard Fight”), was inspired by watching UFC fighter Cain Velesquez in a recent bout against Fabricio Werdum. You can hear the battle between the two fighters, a moment when a landed punch sends Cain to the mat, and then back up again to finish the fight. I wrote People Talk after hearing friend and pianist Vinnie Falcon play me an obscure Bill Evans