BloodLines by Rico Jones

Rico Jones — Bloodlines
Giant Step Arts | GSA 17 | Recorded June 1–2, 2024 | Released July 25, 2025

Bloodlines is more than a debut; it is a statement of purpose, a spiritual declaration, and a generational bridge. Recorded live during the day at Ornithology in Brooklyn on June 1–2, 2024, this collection of original music introduces tenor saxophonist and composer Rico Jones as one of the most emotionally articulate and thematically intentional young voices in jazz today. Backed by a formidable trio—guitarist Max Light, bassist Joe Martin, and drummer Nasheet Waits—Jones offers a body of work that honors lineage while searching for transcendence in the present moment.

At the core of the album lies Bloodlines: Suite of the Omnipotent and Eternal Spirit, a five-part opening suite that lays bare Jones’s worldview: that sound is a conduit for prayer, ancestry, and vision. These pieces are not dedicated to the divine, but written of the divine—an important distinction, as Jones considers each movement a living fragment of a larger, omnipresent whole. The opening “Invocation,” a group improvisation, acts as a spiritual summons—calling upon higher forces before the compositional narrative unfolds. From there, the suite moves through celestial landscapes, reflecting on timelessness (“Across Time”), presence (“The Moment”), and revelation (“The Voice of God Shines Brightly On My Heart”).

Drawing from his Indigenous and Latino heritage, Jones views music as a form of cultural memory and sacred storytelling. His ancestry traces back to the Manso people, whose lands once spanned from present-day New Mexico to Juárez, Mexico. Raised in Colorado and now based in Harlem, he came of age performing weekly and creating deep bonds with the congregation at a predominantly Black Catholic church, Cure d'Ars - experiences that gave him deep exposure to the spiritual and communal elements of Black American music. These roots are not worn as aesthetic gestures but infused at the cellular level of his sound: richly hued, historically aware, and emotionally searching.

The album continues with original pieces that speak to personal love, loss, and the quiet heroes of family lineage. “Lone Wolf” is a requiem for a departed friend—tender, melodic, and searching. “Queen Isabelle” honors Jones’s great-grandmother, a matriarch whose dignity and strength resonate through the stately pacing and composure of the composition. These tributes are rendered not as eulogies but as living documents—music as continuation rather than closure.

Throughout the recording, Jones’s playing reveals a maturity beyond his years: his tone is round and centered, never forced, always rooted in breath and intention. He resists flash in favor of focus, leaving space where others might crowd. His phrasing reflects an intuitive understanding of silence, of timing, of when to speak and when to listen. His influences—Wayne Shorter, Joe Henderson, Lester Young, Wardell Gray—are present, but never imitated. They form part of a broader conversation that Jones enters with his own lived vocabulary.

The ensemble, curated with care, elevates this vision. Max Light brings harmonic depth and a painter’s ear to every interaction—his voicings stretch and blur with cinematic touch, while his solos are full of curiosity and risk. Joe Martin, a veteran of countless major sessions, offers grounding and lyricism in equal measure, his bass lines at once architectural and melodic. Nasheet Waits brings spiritual gravity and wide-open sensitivity, responding not only to what is played, but to what is felt. Together, the quartet functions as a collective organism—alert, reverent, and deeply attuned.

The live daytime setting at Ornithology allowed for rawness and spontaneity, which Giant Step Arts captured with signature clarity. Free of commercial pressures, this recording is the result of an artist-first ethos that empowers musicians to fully realize their vision. The project was produced by Jimmy Katz and Giant Step Arts donors, recorded by Jimmy Katz and James Kogan, and mixed and mastered by Jimmy Katz and Dave Darlington. Album photography and design are by Jimmy and Dena Katz.

All compositions by Rico Jones.

Special thanks to Giant Step Arts, a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded by Jimmy and Dena Katz, whose mission is to support the artistic freedom and visibility of modern jazz musicians. This recording was made possible through the generosity of its donors.

Bloodlines is part of Giant Step Arts’ Modern Masters and New Horizons series, curated by Jason Palmer and Nasheet Waits, a series dedicated to both the preservation and evolution of jazz through the voices shaping its future. In this spirit, Jones delivers not just a collection of songs, but a spiritual and artistic milestone: an invocation of the past, a prayer for the future, and a living expression of the creative soul.

Rico Jones is a Harlem-based saxophonist, composer, and educator known for his powerful sound, original voice, and deep connection to the jazz tradition. He has performed with renowned artists, led ensembles across the U.S. and abroad, and released critically acclaimed original work. His music bridges generations, blending fearless innovation with cultural and historical depth rooted in community.

ricojonesmusician.com