JD Allen – SÖWT (2026)

Veteran tenor saxophonist JD Allen embarks on a profound musical journey with his 2026 album SÖWT, a project that delves deeply into the spiritual and cultural heritage of North African Gnawa music. This release marks Allen’s fifteenth collaboration with the Savant label and reflects a long-standing commitment to expanding jazz’s expressive boundaries through cross-cultural engagement.

Allen’s inspiration for SÖWT is rooted in the legacy of pianist-composer Randy Weston, an NEA Jazz Master known for his exploration of African musical traditions and their links to African American jazz and blues. Weston’s influence on Allen’s work is significant, especially regarding the Gnawa brotherhood’s music, which Weston described as a powerful spiritual kinship connecting North African and African American diasporas. Allen’s familiarity with this tradition traces back to his upbringing in Detroit, where mentors introduced him to Weston’s research and the historical ties between Gnawa rhythms and American blues.

Rather than approaching Gnawa music solely through academic study, Allen immersed himself in the culture firsthand, spending considerable time in Morocco. There, he engaged with local Gnawa musicians, sharing conversations about the music’s healing qualities and its broader diasporic resonance. This experiential approach informs the album’s sound, which respects and reflects the spiritual dimensions of Gnawa while integrating modern jazz elements.

The ensemble on SÖWT is a global assembly of musicians who bring diverse cultural backgrounds to the project, reinforcing its diasporic themes. Pianist Leonardo Montana, with roots in Bolivia and Colombia, contributes compelling solos that anchor the harmonic framework. Drummer Ruy Adrian Lopez-Nussa, a Cuban-born artist based in France, provides rhythmic textures that complement the album’s North African influences. Moroccan rhythm sections feature prominently, with Hamza Souissi on bass guitar and Yazid El Alaoui on guembri, a distinct three-stringed lute central to Gnawa music.

Allen highlights the dynamic interplay between the guembri and electric bass as a defining feature of the album. Their interaction shifts between contrapuntal dialogue and role reversals, with the guembri occasionally assuming melodic leadership while the bass explores freer territory. This sonic relationship creates a vivid contrast evoking elemental forces and contributes to the album’s unique soundscape.

Recorded in Rabat at Söwt Studios, the album’s seven original compositions showcase Allen’s dedication to capturing the essence of Gnawa music beyond surface-level appropriation. Opening track “Kin” establishes a dialogic exchange between Allen’s robust tenor saxophone and the guembri’s insistent rhythmic motifs, evoking a journey through desert landscapes. The inclusion of vocal chants adds another layer of authenticity and spiritual resonance.

“Moussayé” and “Solid” further develop the trance-inducing qualities associated with Gnawa music, with Montana’s piano work standing out for its intensity and lyricism. “Lil Lullaby” offers a more introspective moment, highlighting the guembri’s haunting timbre alongside Allen’s melodic phrasing. The closing piece, “Samawi,” encapsulates the album’s meditative and mystical spirit, combining voice and instrumentation to evoke the ambiance of Moroccan medinas.

SÖWT represents a notable addition to JD Allen’s discography, illustrating his ongoing pursuit of musical innovation through cultural synthesis. By weaving together the ancient spiritual traditions of the Gnawa with contemporary jazz idioms and a multinational cast of musicians, Allen creates a recording that is both rooted and forward-looking. The album stands as a testament to the enduring connections between African diasporic communities and the evolving language of jazz.

While detailed production credits and additional session information remain limited, the album’s conceptual depth and sonic richness are clear. SÖWT is poised to resonate with listeners interested in jazz’s global intersections and the exploration of music as a vehicle for cultural continuity and healing.