Jim Lewis: trumpet
Peter Lutek: tenor and soprano saxophones
Tom Richards: trombone
Avi Granite: guitar, compositions
Neal Davis: bass
Ted Warren: drums

Months after the release of his widely celebrated album In Good Hands, seasoned NYC based improviser, composer, and guitarist Avi Granite has delivered another adventurous album of original music, this time with his mainstay Toronto-based project Avi Granite 6. A follow up to their critically acclaimed 2018 release Orbit, the group presents their most succinct and focussed studio recording to date: Operator. 

Operator is about perseverance in the face of disruption. It’s about connectivity, communication, otherness, and what brings people together. 

The group navigates Granite’s compositions with a fine tuned sensitivity, finding improvisational launchpads at every turn, while retaining a clarity of ensemble unity. From the energetic opener Crushing Beans, to the soaring ballad My Sunken Ship; from the funky Ubiquitous Miles to the grind of The Long Tomorrow, Operator takes the listener on an expansive journey through the group’s thematic explorations. 

The recording finds the 6 in top form, as they recorded Operator fresh off of a tour in Nov. 2019. Stunted by the pandemic, the album will finally see the light of day in February 2023. The release will be accompanied by a tour across Canada this winter. 

“If ever there was a launchpad to immerse oneself in Canada’s creative jazz and vibrant scene, Toronto guitarist and composer Avi Granite is the ideal place to start… The results are truly a revelation…”

Brad Cohan, JazzTimes Magazine

avigranite6.com

Release Date: Friday, February 24th 2023