Ars Nova Workshop presents the fiery tenor saxophonist James Brandon Lewis and his remarkable Quartet at Solar Myth on Monday, June 9, 2025.

One of the most exciting voices on the modern jazz landscape, tenor saxophonist James Brandon Lewis possesses “one of the fiercest sounds in jazz today,” according to The Guardian. He has released four venturesome albums with his superb quartet, which features pianist Aruán Ortiz, bassist Brad Jones, and drummer Chad Taylor. The group’s intense, fevered navigation of Lewis’ angular yet thoughtful compositions stands in contrast to the punk-jazz explosions of his work with The Messthetics and as a member of Mendoza Hoff Revels, or the ecstatic, socially conscious meditations of his Red Lily Quintet. The four exceptional musicians, each with personalities of their own, create an urgent ensemble sound, moving through a broad palette of sound-colours, rhythms and moods, charged with energy. With a profound sense for lyrical melodies, tonal concision and dynamics, the quartet develop a spirited interplay, reacting to the tiniest atmospheric oscillations on the sound and groove level.