In this duo setting, two unique artists come together. On one hand, there is Sam Gendel, born in California in 1987, who caught an interest in jazz as a child through his father’s record collection—an inspiration that led him not only to learn the alto saxophone but also to teach himself to play the piano and guitar. Gendel represents a young generation of musicians for whom jazz is by no means a fixed genre. Quite the contrary: when you listen to his music, you may wonder whether what you’re hearing can even still be identified as jazz.
On the other hand, there is Sam Amidon, born in 1981 to folk-music parents, also a multi-instrumentalist who plays guitar, banjo, fiddle, and sings. Aesthetically, he is rooted in the roots music of both white and Black American heritage. Yet even for him, this is no dogma. He is open to the avant-garde of improvised and composed music; he enjoys experimenting with the sonic possibilities that arise from it. The two know each other already; Gendel, for example, was a guest on Amidon’s 2020 Nonesuch album.