Moment and the Message

Moment and the Message is the long-awaited debut from Jonathan Finlayson, one of the most sought-after young trumpeters in jazz. A member of alto saxophonist Steve Coleman s groundbreaking band Five Elements since 2000 (when he was still a teenager), Finlayson is widely admired for his ability to tackle cutting-edge musical concepts. In the last four years, his playing has been featured on an astonishing three albums that were named #1 Album of the Year by the New York Times. His band Sicilian Defense, named after the popular chess move, is made up of some of the brightest young musicians on the jazz scene today. It s a name befitting an outfit that is superbly suited to helping Finlayson carry out his complex, ever-shifting compositional strategies.