Stone Jump

Stone Jump presents multi‑reedist Michael Marcus in a richly textured free‑jazz setting, drawing on his wide palette of instruments—soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, octavin, A‑clarinet, and tárogató—to create a sonically varied and exploratory session. The album was recorded at Eastside Sound Recording Studio in New York City across multiple sessions in April–May 2019 and October 2020, and released by Not Two Records in 2021. Marcus leads a seasoned ensemble featuring Tyler Mitchell on acoustic bass, Warren Smith on drums and percussion, John Austria on Fender Rhodes, Denton Darien on piano, and Lawrence Feldman on alto flute. The instrumentation shifts from track to track, giving the album a dynamic, ever‑changing character.

The music moves fluidly between modal structures, spiritual‑leaning themes, and open improvisation. Tracks like “Stone Jump” and “Fusion Anatomy” highlight Marcus’s bright soprano tone against the shimmering Rhodes, while pieces such as “Dawn at Qumran” and “Foreverness” explore deeper, more contemplative spaces. The closing track, “Where Flamingos Dance,” featuring Marcus on tárogató, adds a distinctive timbral color rarely heard in contemporary jazz.

Overall, Stone Jump stands as a vivid document of Marcus’s multi‑instrumental artistry and his ensemble’s ability to navigate both structure and freedom with equal conviction.