Description
Gretchen Parlato returns with The Wise Ones, a deeply personal collection that brings together songs written across more than two decades of her life and career. Fifteen years after In a Dream helped establish her as one of contemporary jazz's defining vocalists, Parlato reunites with an exceptional circle of musicians including Robert Glasper, Gerald Clayton, Mark Guiliana and longtime collaborator Alan Hampton. New compositions sit alongside earlier works, allowing the album to reflect both continuity and the artistic and personal evolution that has occurred between them.
Parlato's approach has long been distinguished by intimate tone, subtle phrasing and an unusually sophisticated relationship with rhythm, qualities that remain central to The Wise Ones. Spacious arrangements and understated grooves give her voice room to interact closely with the ensemble, favoring nuance and communication over vocal display. The songs explore memory, acceptance, gratitude and personal change, giving the album a reflective character shaped by the perspective of an artist revisiting ideas from different stages of her life.
A notable group of guests expands that conversation across generations. Becca Stevens and Alan Hampton join Parlato on "Mad World," Meshell Ndegeocello appears on "Never Come Down," Amber Navran is featured on the title track, and Robert Glasper contributes to "Already Gone." Josh Mease also participates in the album, while Hampton appears throughout the program. The repertoire includes "Capricorn," "Rainbow," "It's You," "Block the Sun" and "In My Bed," alongside interpretations of Stevie Wonder's "If It's Magic" and Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide."
Released by Edition Records, The Wise Ones balances Parlato's history with a clear sense of forward movement. By bringing longtime collaborators together with musicians from a younger generation influenced by her work, the album becomes both a reflection on what has come before and a contemporary statement from a vocalist whose understated approach has had a substantial impact on modern jazz singing.
Track Listing
- Capricorn (feat. Alan Hampton)
- Never Come Down (feat. Meshell Ndegeocello)
- Rainbow
- The Wise Ones (feat. Amber Navran)
- If It's Magic
- It's You (feat. Alan Hampton)
- Mad World (feat. Becca Stevens & Alan Hampton)
- Already Gone (feat. Robert Glasper)
- Block The Sun
- In My Bed (feat. Alan Hampton)
- Landslide (feat. Alan Hampton)
Additional Details
Label: Edition Records
Genre: Jazz
Language: English
Region: 0
Release Date: 09/11/26
UPC: 5060509793365