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One of the more exciting aspects of jazz and other improvised music is the drama in it's unpredictability. There have been sages in the music that mastered the art of surprise, providing decades of inspiration for aspiring performers and dedicated listeners. Ray Suhy and Lewis Porter have captured the fire of these sonic explorers, presenting their latest offerings on their new recording, a diverse collection of pieces that will keep listeners on the edge of their seats. The title, What Happens Next, is deliberately provocative and open-ended.

Guitarist Suhy was captured by the transcendental sounds of John Coltrane and Miles Davis during his early musical studies. Though he is perhaps best known as the lead guitarist in the death metal band Six Feet Under, Suhy has always remained tied to jazz as a vehicle for his self-expression. Porter has a devotion to the music as a pianist, performer and scholar. He was a longtime professor and director of the Rutgers-Newark University's Jazz History program and, now, publishes Playback with Lewis Porter on Substack.

The two were introduced by mutual friend and collaborator, saxophonist-composer Allen Lowe. The pair's instant connection was due to their affinity for the music of Coltrane and other boundary breakers of music. Since their meeting, Suhy and Porter have recorded three albums, collections of original music inspired by their broad musical inspirations and their brilliant collaborative bandmates.

Drummer Rudy Royston returns on What Happens Next. He is a perfectly creative timekeeper who Porter met while the drummer studied at Rutgers. He has become an instrumental part of Suhy and Porter's Quartet, as his crisp dynamism is only matched by his arranger's mentality. Sharing the same arranging brilliance, Joris Teepe returns to his bass role with his rounded, sonorous tone and singular soloist style.

For their new record, Suhy and Porter wanted to broaden their sound palette and present a program of music that honored other influences while expanding their range. When the Quartet entered Teaneck Sound on April 17, 2023, they came with a number of legends on their mind, including Thelonious Monk and the recently departed Wayne Shorter, whose work with the Miles Davis Quintet was a foundational inspiration to Suhy.

The partnership between Ray Suhy and Lewis Porter continues to evolve and expand as they delve further into the worlds of improvisation and jazz. Together they hope to excite and surprise, as they continue on their musical journey with their new recording, What Happens Next.