“When you play music together, the most important thing is that you want the best for each other. I love playing with the wonderful musicians in our band and feel very privileged to do so.”

Saxophonist Jan Harbeck’s enthusiasm and faith in the quartet he’s led since 2007 is stronger than ever - and with good reason. They’re still developing and pushing the music forward together, as evidenced by their newest album, BALANCED, arriving in late 2022.

This new album consists exclusively of compositions by the saxophonist, bandleader, and ever-developing composer. As he puts it:

“We have a special sound together and when we play a song that no one has heard anywhere else, it has a unique chance to develop. It’s not supposed to sound quite like anything else and you should be able to hear that it’s us playing.” For the recording, the musicians all set up in

the same room - specifically, a space in a church that was chosen by Harbeck for its natural sound and intimacy. The concept was nothing new for Harbeck and his band, who also prefer to play acoustically at their live concerts: “... it just sounds better and more magical when the overtones of the instruments blend naturally in the room.”

As the saxophonist puts it: “Music is fantastic - it bypasses our intellect, and you don't have to explain a lot. The expression is strong enough in itself.”