Earthwise welcomes Adam O’Farrill’s Elephant

"He's quickly established himself as one of the most important musicians of the 21st Century" —NPR Fresh Air

"Elegant, exploratory, and emotionally dynamic." —Qobuz

“Even with heady expectations going in, I wasn’t prepared for this. ELEPHANT is a wealth of sit-up-and-take-notice moments.”
—Bandcamp, Best Jazz March 2026

“He moves from muted melody to frenetic rhythm, showcasing his capacity to embrace avant-garde experimentalism as much as group groove. A remarkably confident debut.” —The Observer

9/10 “Elephant is O’Farrill’s most engaging and impressive recording to date. The album pops and jabs, hops and slithers. It has all the moves.” —PopMatters

“ELEPHANT is a band to watch.” —Stereogum

****1/2 “Adam O'Farrill leaves a deep sonic footprint on 2026's ELEPHANT.” —AllMusic

***** “Making for an astonishing listen, O’Farrill’s ELEPHANT is a sensational, revolutionary, and incredibly thoughtful work; a masterpiece of contemporary jazz that should not be missed.”
—JazzTrail

**** "O'Farrill's latest is a beguiling blend of minimalist repetition, lively soloing, and rooted groove. A deeply engaging interplay."
—DownBeat

"This superb band stretch time into abstraction as easily as they can generate dance rhythms- sometimes doing both within the space of a few bars. In fact, their creative core revolves around such contrasts, less as a conceptual framework than simply because it sounds good." —The Wire

"There’s a directness to Elephant, an unabashed commitment to clarity, that I think will carry its message to a wider audience than O’Farrill has engaged thus far. If that sounds like qualified praise, let me be clear: I also consider it one of the most artistically compelling statements of his career." —The Gig

"ELEPHANT is a highwater mark in O’Farrill’s burgeoning career. With its blend of rhythmic invention, textural detail, and imaginative integration of disparate influences, the album captures a young, masterful ensemble honoring the jazz tradition while pushing beyond it, sounding both of its moment and the future." —Point of Departure

ADAM O'FARRILL - TRUMPET

YVONNE ROGERS - PIANO

WALTER STINSON - BASS

RUSSELL HOLZMAN - DRUMS

Acclaimed trumpeter and composer Adam O’Farrill introduces ELEPHANT, his first quartet as the sole horn voice, with a self-titled debut released March 20, 2026 via Out of Your Head Records on CD, LP, hi-res download, and streaming. Widely regarded as one of the most vital musicians of his generation, O’Farrill has been hailed by The New York Times as “among the leading trumpeters in jazz” and “perhaps the music’s next major improviser.” At just 31, he has earned deep respect across the jazz community for his staggering technique, emotional insight, and cultural breadth. His name on a record signifies integrity, surprise, and excellence—qualities reinforced by a remarkable run of recent projects. In 2025 alone, O’Farrill appeared on acclaimed recordings including Mary Halvorson’s About Ghosts, Hiromi’s Out There, Tarun Balani’s Kadahin Milandaasin, and his own OOYH octet release For These Streets. His résumé includes collaborations with Rudresh Mahanthappa, Vijay Iyer, Tyshawn Sorey, Anna Webber, Mulatu Astatke, Mali Obomsawin, Micah Thomas, and many others, placing him firmly among the most critically lauded artists shaping 21st-century improvised music.

Despite this visibility, O’Farrill waited deliberately before leading a quartet without a second horn, having built his reputation in bands defined by frontline interplay and collective chemistry. That changed through years of touring and recording experience—most notably as the lone horn in Hiromi’s quartet Sonicwonder—and through the discovery of collaborators who could support a broader, more expansive vision. ELEPHANT brings together three rising New York–based musicians: pianist Yvonne Rogers, bassist Walter Stinson, and drummer Russell Holzman. Rogers combines deep study with fearless spontaneity; Stinson balances consummate fundamentals with elastic, expressive musicianship; and Holzman—an old friend from LaGuardia High School—melds natural swing with high-precision, electronic-rooted rhythms and a finely tuned sense of dynamics. Together, the quartet achieves a controlled intensity that feels both muscular and intimate, equally grounded in jazz tradition and contemporary sound worlds.

Musically, ELEPHANT draws from a wide constellation of influences—post-bop, electronic music, classical minimalism, Radiohead, Jonny Greenwood’s film scores, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and more—absorbed organically rather than as overt crossover gestures. The album’s centerpiece, The Sea Triptych, reflects water’s comfort and mystery across three pieces, from the crashing textures of “Along the Malecon” to the ambient meditation “The Three of Us, Floating,” and the percussive, groove-driven “Iris Murdoch.” Elsewhere, “Herkimer Diamond” exemplifies O’Farrill’s pursuit of balance between density and clarity, while the quartet’s striking reinvention of Sakamoto’s “Bibo No Aozora” replaces strings with trumpet, delay, and electronic harmony without sacrificing the instrument’s essential voice. Throughout, ELEPHANT captures an artist fully inhabiting his moment—confident, curious, and unafraid to let contemporary influences reshape the language of modern jazz on his own terms.

O’Farrill voted in 74th Annual DownBeat International Critics Poll:

#1 Rising Star Artist
#1 Rising Star Trumpet
#1 Rising Star Arranger
#2 Trumpeter of the Year
#21 Album of the Year

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=E-Qs90tbKYI&list=RDE-Qs90tbKYI&start_radio=1&pp=ygUWYWRhbSBvJ2ZhcnJpbGwgdHJ1bXBldKAHAdIHCQmjCwGHKiGM7w%3D%3D&ra=m