| 1 CD |
€ 14.95
|
Preorder |
| Label Double Moon Records |
UPC 0608917148220 |
Catalogue number DMCHR 71482 |
Release date 25 September 2026 |
With Traces of Light, saxophonist and composer Jan Prax presents a deeply expressive and spiritually charged new album. Known as one of Europe’s most distinctive saxophonists and a protégé of David Sanborn, Prax draws from jazz tradition, improvisation, and a broad musical imagination to create a sound that is vibrant, soulful, and unmistakably his own.
Joined by Carl-Henri Morisset on piano, Riccardo Del Fra on double bass, and Zhitong Xu on drums, Prax leads a quartet built on trust, intuition, and shared musical purpose. Across nine original compositions, the album moves through tension, stillness, searching energy, and lyrical release. From the opening lift of “Elevation” and the smouldering intensity of “Cold Flame” to the reflective beauty of “Hope in Bloom,” “Reverie,” and the title track, the music breathes, expands, and glows with emotional clarity.
At its heart, Traces of Light is an album about connection, compassion, and presence. It is music shaped by fire and finesse, but also by openness and vulnerability and a journey toward light, shared by kindred spirits.
Mit Traces of Light präsentiert der Saxophonist und Komponist Jan Prax ein zutiefst ausdrucksstarkes und spirituell aufgeladenes neues Album. Prax, der als einer der markantesten Saxophonisten Europas und als Protegé von David Sanborn gilt, schöpft aus der Jazztradition, der Improvisation und einer weitreichenden musikalischen Vorstellungskraft. So entsteht ein Klang, der lebendig, beseelt und unverkennbar sein eigener ist.
Gemeinsam mit Carl-Henri Morisset am Klavier, Riccardo Del Fra am Kontrabass und Zhitong Xu am Schlagzeug führt Prax ein Quartett, dessen Zusammenspiel auf Vertrauen, Intuition und einer gemeinsamen musikalischen Vision beruht. In neun Originalkompositionen bewegt sich das Album durch Spannung, Stille, suchende Energie und lyrische Befreiung. Vom erhebenden Auftakt „Elevation“ und der schwelenden Intensität von „Cold Flame“ bis zur nachdenklichen Schönheit von „Hope in Bloom“, „Reverie“ und dem Titelstück atmet, wächst und leuchtet diese Musik mit großer emotionaler Klarheit.
Im Kern ist Traces of Light ein Album über Verbundenheit, Mitgefühl und Gegenwärtigkeit. Es ist Musik, geprägt von Feuer und Finesse, aber ebenso von Offenheit und Verletzlichkeit eine von verwandten Seelen geteilte Reise hin zum Licht.
Jan Prax is one of Europe’s most distinctive and versatile saxophonists. Born into a German-Polish family of musicians, he began playing piano at age three before discovering jazz saxophone as a teenager. He studied with renowned teachers and received scholarships from the Baden Conservatory, the German Academic Scholarship Foundation, and the Baden-Württemberg Art Foundation. Prax earned his bachelor’s degree with top honors from the University of Music Nuremberg and completed his master’s degree at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich in 2019.
He has received numerous awards, including the Future Sounds Jazz Prize (Leverkusen Jazz Days), the Sparda Jazz Award, the Czech Jazz Contest, and the Made in New York Jazz Competition, judged by Joe Lovano, Randy Brecker, and Lenny White, as well as several classical prizes. He has also appeared as a classical soloist with orchestras such as the Westdeutsche Sinfonia, performing Alexander Glazunov’s Saxophone Concerto in E-flat major, op. 109.
Jan Prax performs internationally across Europe, the USA, Asia, North Africa, and Latin America. Recent highlights include tours in China (2023) and Colombia (2024), performances at Blue Note Beijing and Jazz à Juan Festival, and appearances as opening act for Diana Krall, Steve Gadd, Cindy Blackman Santana, and Klaus Doldinger’s Passport. He has collaborated with artists such as Kurt Rosenwinkel, Randy Brecker, David Sanborn, and Riccardo del Fra, and has worked across a wide range of contexts including orchestral projects, modern jazz, pop, and hip-hop collaborations with Max Mutzke, Dexter, Xatar, and the Heavytones.
His critically acclaimed albums Keepin’ A Style Alive (ACT), Ascending (Challenge Records), and Head To The Sky (Double Moon) reflect a personal sound rooted in jazz tradition and shaped by modern, cross-genre influences. He also appears on Riccardo del Fra’s award-winning album Moving People and is currently working on a new quartet album with Carl-Henri Morisset, Zhitong Xu, and del Fra.
Jan Prax is one of Europe’s most distinctive and versatile saxophonists. Born into a German-Polish family of musicians, he began playing piano at age three before discovering jazz saxophone as a teenager. He studied with renowned teachers and received scholarships from the Baden Conservatory, the German Academic Scholarship Foundation, and the Baden-Württemberg Art Foundation. Prax earned his bachelor’s degree with top honors from the University of Music Nuremberg and completed his master’s degree at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich in 2019.
He has received numerous awards, including the Future Sounds Jazz Prize (Leverkusen Jazz Days), the Sparda Jazz Award, the Czech Jazz Contest, and the Made in New York Jazz Competition, judged by Joe Lovano, Randy Brecker, and Lenny White, as well as several classical prizes. He has also appeared as a classical soloist with orchestras such as the Westdeutsche Sinfonia, performing Alexander Glazunov’s Saxophone Concerto in E-flat major, op. 109.
Jan Prax performs internationally across Europe, the USA, Asia, North Africa, and Latin America. Recent highlights include tours in China (2023) and Colombia (2024), performances at Blue Note Beijing and Jazz à Juan Festival, and appearances as opening act for Diana Krall, Steve Gadd, Cindy Blackman Santana, and Klaus Doldinger’s Passport. He has collaborated with artists such as Kurt Rosenwinkel, Randy Brecker, David Sanborn, and Riccardo del Fra, and has worked across a wide range of contexts including orchestral projects, modern jazz, pop, and hip-hop collaborations with Max Mutzke, Dexter, Xatar, and the Heavytones.
His critically acclaimed albums Keepin’ A Style Alive (ACT), Ascending (Challenge Records), and Head To The Sky (Double Moon) reflect a personal sound rooted in jazz tradition and shaped by modern, cross-genre influences. He also appears on Riccardo del Fra’s award-winning album Moving People and is currently working on a new quartet album with Carl-Henri Morisset, Zhitong Xu, and del Fra.
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