Drummer, composer, and bandleader Willy Rodriguez returns with In The Unknown (I Will Find You), a profound exploration of loss, memory, and spiritual connection. The album, his sophomore release following the widely acclaimed Seeing Sounds, arrives March 13, 2026 via Sunnyside Records. Recorded at the legendary Rudy Van Gelder Studio, the album features an adventurous bass-free trio with saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock and pianist Leo Genovese, with spoken word contributions from Allan Harris.

Rodriguez has established himself as a versatile voice within contemporary music, with recognition spanning multiple genres. In 2022, he joined the drum chair of progressive rock ensemble The Mars Volta for their reunion album, while maintaining an active presence in the creative jazz community. His debut, Seeing Sounds, drew critical praise for its genre-defying approach and willingness to embrace the unpredictable territories of open improvisation.

"He's like a sonic astronaut, comfortable jamming on genres that are as far apart as Mars' fiery plains are from the Moon's cool, cratered landscape." - Ken Micallef, DownBeat Magazine

"Seeing Sounds catapults listeners into a mesmerizing realm that pushes the boundaries of traditional structures and embraces the risky yet often brilliant edges of open and free improvisation." - Pierre Giroux, The New York City Jazz Record

In The Unknown (I Will Find You) emerged from Rodriguez's experience of losing his mother to cancer — a period that transformed his relationship to both grief and creativity. "The emotions and limitations I faced during that time led me on a deeply nostalgic journey … one that allowed me to grow in ways I had never anticipated," Rodriguez reflects. The album's title addresses the paradox of reunion and the certainty of an eventual meeting coupled with the absence of a specific place or time. For Rodriguez, music became that meeting place, a spiritual link where he could draw closer to his mother's memory.

The album's unusual bass-free trio instrumentation was a deliberate choice, designed to create freedom without stylistic constraints. "I wanted freedom without limits," Rodriguez explains. "The harmonic freedom is multidirectional, and the improvisations can go anywhere." The album unfolds programmatically, with each composition serving as a distinct chapter within a unified context.