When you stick to tradition in jazz, it can be a trap. If your style is hard bop, bebop, and/or swing, the way can become narrow, the options thin, and the next thing you know you’re playing like it’s 1963 all over again. To carve your own trail from the rock of (over)reverence, self-expression beyond your support for heritage is key. Joined by trumpeter Mike Sailors, pianist Andy Langham, bassist Ryan Hagler, and drummer Daniel Dufour, saxophonist/composer Elias Haslanger finds that sweet spot on Legacy by paying tribute to the mentors and inspirations that ignited his 30-plus-year career. The ballad “Gentle Giant,” for example, nods to late jazz great Wayne Shorter, while also incorporating Haslanger’s feelings for local legend Dr. James Polk. The hard bop ramble “Faith in Family” gets more personal by leaning into the joy Haslanger absorbs with his wife Amy Atchley and their two daughters. “Swingin’ at Monks” bebops its way through a tribute to the titular club, while “A View of the City!” – an exceptionally melodic piece of no fixed style – paints an aural portrait of the town the leader has called home nearly all of his life. Focusing less on Haslanger’s musical influences and more on his spiritual and emotional ones, the melodic, tightly arranged Legacy explores not only what sparks his music, but why he makes it.
This article appears in August 21 • 2026.
