New Release: Keep Holding On from Leigh Pilzer

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New Release:  Keep Holding On from Leigh Pilzer
Label:  Strange Woman Records 010
Release Date:  June 19, 2026
Website:  www.leighpilzer.com

Leigh Pilzer's dexterity on the baritone saxophone will inspire audiences to remember the hard-bop extemporizing of iconic saxophonists like Dexter Gordon and Zoot Sims.  Her 2026 endeavor Keep Holding On blends traditional jazz precepts with contemporary sensibilities  A bulk of the compositions are original material written by Pilzer, crisscrossing between the freestyle call and respond conversations of her original work "Swinging at the Station" and the fluid riffs of her tuneful "When It's Gone."  Her interplay with trombonists Jen Krupa and Joe Jackson, trumpet players Kenny Rittenhouse and Ally Hany Albrecht, and Hammond B3 organist Paul Bratcher is spicy, bold and expressive.  The tracks are tweaked by the fiery and combustible playing of drummer Greg Holloway, who make every track pop and crackle in the listener's ears.  The grooving rhythm of Bratcher's work "Zingamomma" is sauteed in blues and soul flavors, turning to a lulling nocturne through "Just Another Pretty Song," as the instrumentation threads a slow burning simmer.  "East Coast Andy" is blanketed in the nuanced shades of Bratcher's Hammond, and the festive atmosphere of "Sideburns" is sheath in swinging curls and charming big band motifs.  The arrangements are the result of collaborative teamwork, integrating multiple voices into a vibrant chorus, generating an environment of animated interplay and strong rapport.

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