EPK

Approved promotional materials

Ensemble Bio

With his American Roots Project, saxophonist / composer Owen Broder explores the weft and weave of American roots music – from Appalachian folk to early blues, spirituals to bluegrass – through bold and inspired new interpretations envisioned through the perspective of another distinctly American musical tradition: jazz.

On the band’s debut album, Heritage, Broder combines several of modern jazz’s most acclaimed composers and arrangers with an outstanding ensemble of gifted musicians to create a striking blend of tradition and innovation. It is at once an inheritance and a new link in a continually growing chain. “Fans of large-ensemble music might notice the sturdy artistic thread that connects bandleaders Maria Schneider, Ryan Truesdell and Owen Broder,” [Bobby Reed, DownBeat Magazine]. A featured project on ArtistShare®, Heritage works in conjunction with the American Folk Art Museum (NYC) in a multi-disciplinary collaboration, using selected related images from their permanent collection as visual companions.

Personnel

Press Quotes, Honors & Awards

"A transcendent work of art."
Bobby Reed, DownBeat Magazine

"Highly enjoyable, as well as impressive."
★★★★
Brian Priestly, Jazzwise Magazine

"Owen Broder has hit the musical jackpot with his exploration of American roots genres blending bluegrass, blues, folk, and spiritual idioms with a jazz swing feel."
Jeff Krow, Audiophile Audition

"The ultimate representation of the marrow, majesty, and malleability of American roots music. In imbuing wide swaths of the country with a jazz sensibility, Broder puts the “heart” in “heartland.”
Dan Bilawsky, Senior Contributor, JazzTimes

"Owen Broder and his crew examine the various sonic styles to emerge over the country’s history through a jazz lens — and the results are bracing."
Michael Roberts, Jazziz Magazine

Best Music of 2018 – Best New Releases, NPR Critics Polls
#5, Francis Davis
#7, Jerome Wilson
Editor's Pick, DownBeat Magazine
10 New Albums You Need to Know About (March 2018), Jazziz Magazine
2018 Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer’s Award – “Goin’ Up Home” (opening track)

Heritage 

Album Booklet

Press Photos

(click image for download link)

Contacts

Social Links