Walking Distance

Exploration and improvisation are the eternal hallmarks of jazz, with each new performer adding his individual stamp to the library of the genre. Bring four fiercely individual players together, and a shared musical vocabulary emerges. This is exactly the dynamic of Walking Distance, the New York collective of Caleb Curtis (alto saxophone), Kenny Pexton (tenor saxophone), Adam Coté (double bass) and Shawn Baltazor (drums).

Neighborhood is the band’s debut release; a visceral and sincere celebration of finding home and a sense of belonging wherever you are. Two saxophonists intertwine in sound and concept, often blending seamlessly and engaging in a spirited interplay with the drums and bass. The band revels in a wide range of possibilities; from melodic swing and grooving rock, to free bop and soulful ballads, with a dash of terror-inducing chaos. The album features entirely original compositions with the exception of one American Songbook standard – a radically re-imagined “I Could Have Danced All Night” from My Fair Lady.

Neighborhood was self produced by the band, recorded by Shawn Baltazor, and mixed by the Grammy Nominated Ben Rubin at the House of Cha Cha in New York. It’s a wild ride through territory that jazz masters can call home, while remaining evocative and inspiring to the new listener. This is powerful, intoxicating jazz, not just for the sake of the art form but for the purpose of communicating with the world.

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