Shift, Logan Richardson's Blue Note debut, fulfills the promise offered on the alto saxophonist's two previous albums. On 2007's Cerebral Flow and 2008's Ethos, he seemed more invested in compositional acumen than improvisational flow and was somewhat restrained. Not so here. Richardson surrounds himself with a heavyweight band that no doubt tested his mettle: drummer Nasheet Waits, Jason Moran on piano and Rhodes, bassist Harish Raghavan, and guitarist Pat Metheny – who makes a rare appearance in a sideman role.

Logan Richardson Reminds Us What Charlie Parker Was All About. On Sacred Garden, Logan Richardson proves that he remains one of the most essential artists in every conversation about jazz’s present and future.

Born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, saxophonist Logan Richardson hails from a city with a rich historical lineage of improvised music. By the age of 16 Richardson had begun performing professionally, and at 19 he left for Boston to attend the Berklee School of Music, followed by a move to New York City to attend the New School University.