Joel Ross Quartet

One of the most distinctive vibraphonists of his generation, Joel Ross returns with his acclaimed ensemble. Combining rhythmic sophistication, lyrical improvisation and remarkable collective interplay, Ross presents music from his latest album Gospel Music alongside highlights from a catalogue that has established him as one of the leading voices in contemporary jazz.

Since his Edison Award-winning Blue Note Records debut KingMaker in 2019, Ross has built an internationally acclaimed body of work including Who Are You?, The Parable of the Poet and Gospel Music. Praised for treating improvisation as conversation and composition as storytelling, his music draws on the traditions of jazz, blues and gospel while creating space for fearless interaction between the musicians. As The New York Times wrote, his music "speaks to a new level of group cohesion... more sharing, more possibility."

His latest album, Gospel Music, explores the spiritual and communal traditions of the Black church in Chicago through layered harmony, collective improvisation and deeply expressive compositions. Recorded with his core ensemble Good Vibes and an expanded line-up of guest musicians, it is Ross' most direct and personal statement to date, balancing technical ambition with warmth, clarity and emotional depth.

Alongside his work as a bandleader, Ross has collaborated with artists including Makaya McCraven, Brandee Younger, Immanuel Wilkins, Melissa Aldana, Walter Smith III and Wynton Marsalis. Widely recognised as one of the defining musicians of his generation, his live performances combine exceptional musicianship with a rare sense of communication, trust and collective purpose.

“A strong emotional charge and creative depth, as Ross and his excellent band blend subtle harmonies, soulful melodies and numerous variations of meter.”
— Jazzwise

“The knowing smile as he approached his instrument, the subtle twirl of a mallet before he struck its tone bars, the bell-like resonance he coaxed from those bars. All of which served a musical sermon so finely wrought and fiercely argued that even skeptics in the pluralistic crowd became converts to the Church of Ross.”
— DownBeat