Tomás Martínez - In Good Company

In Good Company marks the debut of Argentine alto saxophonist Tomás Martínez on the storied Danish label SteepleChase Records — a house that has long championed straight-ahead jazz of the highest order. At just 26, Martínez arrives fully formed: his tone is rich and centred, his bebop phrasing agile and deeply schooled, and his command of the jazz tradition well beyond his years. Trained at the Conservatorio Superior de Música Manuel de Falla in Buenos Aires and the Tribeca Jazz Institute in New York, and having studied with masters including Charles McPherson, George Coleman, Bob Mover, and Grant Stewart, he brings a lineage that speaks for itself.

The album unfolds across two distinct sessions. The first was captured at the iconic Rudy Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, where Martínez leads a New York quartet alongside pianist Michael Weiss, bassist David Wong, and drummer Kenny Washington — three pillars of the contemporary mainstream. The second session, recorded in Buenos Aires, finds him in a more intimate trio setting with bassist Paul Sikivie and drummer Teo Pérez. The programme moves fluidly between standards, bebop lines, and originals, paying tribute to mentors such as Charlie Parker, Barry Harris, and Charles McPherson, while leaving no doubt that Martínez possesses a voice entirely his own. Produced by Chris Byars, In Good Company is a confident, swinging statement of intent.