PAPATAMUS REDUX

GIANT STEP ARTS (RELEASED JUNE 19, 2026)

Professor Harold Hill ‘s tip to traveling salespeople in the The Music Man was simple — “You gotta’ know the territory.” Without a doubt, the members of The Phoenix Trio (saxophonist Mark Turner, bassist Joe Martin and drummer Marcus Gilmore) know the territory they are exploring on “Tomorrow is Today.”  That territory is what jazz musicians refer to as “The Big Room” — a term used to describe the disciplined freedom that comes from playing without limits while still maintaining deep rhythmic and harmonic awareness. Turner, Martin and Gilmore walk into five different “big rooms” on Tomorrow is Today with the same approach. Turner fills each room with his warm and cerebral sound. His solos grow and flow as Martin’s bass lines shape the contour of the space and Gilmore explores the nooks and crannies with his ever-changing sense of rhythm. Although some of the five selections have appeared on earlier dates or been played by the group in a different setting, the trio revisits the material, constantly finding new ways to decorate this musical space. According to Martin, the trio trusted the musical connection they have built up over the years working in combination with one another as well as with people such as Chris Potter and Gilad Hekselman, This collaborative approach is evident from the opening bass groove of Martin’s “Fencer” to the post-bop swing of Turner’s “1946,”  the closing drum vamps on Martin’s “Lioness” to the hypnotic mood of Gilmore’s “Harvest,” the intensity of Martin’s “Safe” to the symbiotic soundscapes that holds your interest during the fifteen minute long title track. Although Turner, Martin and Gilmore have all headlined their own groups in New York City’s finest venues, Tomorrow is Today is their debut recording as a working ensemble. It works for one simple reason — they know the territory!

BOTTOM LINE: Fans of modern jazz will want to check out the coming together of three masters of that genre — saxophonist Mark Turner, bassist Joe Martin and drummer Marcus Gilmore. They merge their individual voices into a cohesive sound that soars, glides and dives, much like the bird they adopted for the name of the ensemble – The Phoenix Trio.