Vinyl - Nick Finzer - Cast of Characters - Numbered edition

An improviser with a gorgeously rich, expressive sound, the trombonist, composer, producer and educator Nick Finzer has long been recognized as an expert musical storyteller. But with his new sextet album, Cast of Characters, available February 28th, 2019 through his label Outside in Music, he’s crafted his most profound narrative yet, an exploration of the formative figures we meet throughout our lives and how their impact changes over time. “Each of us responds and develops on our journey with the influence of the people we meet,” he says. “We follow, we depart, we react and we grow in myriad ways based on the experiences we encounter.”

Cast of Characters is much more than a tribute project or an homage to musical mentors; rather,
it’s a probe into the nature of influence, containing a strong message of self-empowerment. As the title of the album’s final track puts it, “We’re more than the sum of our influences.”

“I want the listener to project their own
experiences onto this storyline, creating their own unique narrative with the music.” In the end, the listener will also absorb and reflect on the cast of characters that is Finzer himself: a searching player with a trademark timbre; a creative educator given to using emerging technology; a bandleader with an ability to choose and elevate great talent; and a generous entrepreneur dedicated to his artists’ best interests. To say it more directly, he’s a quintessential jazz artist for our time.