The greatest players in the world already know Jeremy Green. Mike Stern knows. So do Will Lee, Keith Carlock, Oz Noy, Tim Lefebvre and Jimmy Haslip, all of whom lined up to play on his new album. The charts know too. Now it’s time for the rest of Canada to discover what they’ve heard.
‘In Motion,’ the second full length album from the Toronto guitarist, composer and producer, has hit #1 on the Roots Music Report Jazz Fusion chart and #3 on its overall Jazz chart, earning critical praise for its energy, musicianship and “improv forward” spirit. Led by the single “The 55,” it’s a thrilling, groove packed instrumental record that turns contemporary fusion into storytelling, tracing a personal map of return, memory, place, family, pressure, joy and loss across eight original compositions. Fans can hear it live when Green plays Toronto’s Jazz Bistro on November 14.
That makes two #1 albums in a row. His 2021 debut, ‘Standing Eight,’ topped the Roots Music Report Top 50 Fusion Albums chart, reached #5 on its Top 50 Jazz Albums chart, landed on JazzWeek’s Most Added list and was named one of the Top 10 Jazz/Prog Rock records of 2021 by Sea of Tranquility. His music has been played on JazzFM in Canada and on radio around the world, and he’s been featured in Guitar Player magazine.
Green writes from the heart. ‘In Motion’ came after a stretch away from composing, and it captures the joy of getting back to it with a more expansive, improvisation driven approach. He builds every track around groove, tone and spontaneous interaction, and he chooses his collaborators the way a composer chooses instruments, for the specific energy, feel and emotional role each one brings.
That approach shines on “The 55,” his love letter to New York’s 55 Bar, the legendary, now closed Greenwich Village room where he soaked up the playing of Mike Stern and Tim Lefebvre. Both appear on the track, giving it a direct line back to that scene, while Chase Baird’s saxophone carries its New York swagger. It’s a celebration of the small, storied rooms that shape musicians, and of how their influence lives on long after the doors close.
Keith Carlock plays drums on all eight tracks, anchoring a rotating cast of stars. The opener, “In Motion,” marks Green’s joyful return to writing, with Will Lee on bass, Mark Levron’s horn arrangement and a second guitar voice from Mark Lettieri. “He’s Grinding,” written with Carlock’s power in mind, is a fast, restless portrait of the daily grind and the drive it can unlock.
The album also opens up the personal side of his story. “Where the Sun Shines the Brightest,” written more than two decades ago, is set in three time for his three children and named after a drawing by his daughter of the family under a big yellow sun. His longtime friend Rich Brown carries the melody on bass, a gorgeous, dreamlike choice, and Mike Stern returns to lend his unmistakable guitar.
Green’s rhythmic fingerprint takes centre stage on “And Ah WHAT?,” named for the offbeat “ands” and “ahs” where his phrasing loves to live, with Allen Hinds on guitar and Haslip on bass. “Queen West” is a joyful ride down Toronto’s liveliest street, with Jared James Nichols on guitar and Moto Fukushima on bass. “Tee Shot” is pure feel-good confidence, featuring an adventurous Oz Noy solo, Haslip on bass and Baird on sax.
The album closes with “Sir Robin,” a moving tribute to Green’s lifelong friend Rob White. Baird’s saxophone outro lets the music drift on past the final note, keeping his friend’s memory alive.
Green produced ‘In Motion’ himself, and Nashville’s Jerry Guidroz mixed and mastered it, giving the record a punchy, immediate sound with plenty of room to breathe. Across his career, Green has also worked with Robben Ford, Victor Wooten, Billy Sheehan, Michel Cusson and Paul DeLong. He sees instrumental music as a living, evolving form where composition, improvisation and real-life meet, and he’s an official D’Addario and VegaTrem artist.
The world’s finest players have been in on the secret for years, and now the charts are too. With ‘In Motion,’ Jeremy Green is ready for his own country to cheer just as loudly, starting November 14 at the Jazz Bistro.
‘In Motion’ Track Listing:
“In Motion”
“He’s Grinding”
“The 55”
“Where the Sun Shines the Brightest”
“And Ah WHAT?”
“Queen West”
“Tee Shot”
“Sir Robin”
Album Release:
November 14 Toronto, ON @ Jazz Bistro
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