Pack Animals, the long-awaited debut album from tenor saxophonist, composer, and educator Jeff  Walton, has dropped today. Recorded at The Bunker in Brooklyn, the album presents eight original compositions brought vividly to life by a like-minded quartet of collaborators: pianist Santiago Leibson, bassist Eli Heath, and drummer Chase Elodia.

A native of Massachusetts and longtime Brooklyn educator, Walton is a late bloomer by design, taking an unconventional path to arrive at this moment. After studying jazz at the University of Michigan under luminaries like Donald Walden and Geri Allen, Walton built a career as a public school teacher and program founder. All the while, Walton was composing his own music, playing gigs around town as a bandleader and with his peers in the New York City music scene. His tireless dedication to the music and constant practice has resulted in Pack Animals: a richly layered artistic statement that reflects not only Walton’s deep roots in the jazz tradition, but also his explorations in choral music, contemporary classical, and collective improvisation. “As I’ve gotten older, my musical interests have fanned out more than focused in. Singing in choirs and composing for other wind instruments have deepened my interest in the sonic possibilities of my horn,” says Walton.

“I’ve come to see music not as a career, but as a long conversation that I am lucky to be a part of. On this album I’m speaking with my influences, teachers, students, and audience—as well as with my past selves. There are pieces on Pack Animals that trace back to my time singing in choirs, studying Italian opera, writing short fiction, and teaching drill beats in middle schools. But most of all, this album reflects the musical community I’ve built—first in Brooklyn, and now in Los Angeles. This is the sound of that shared history.”

Photo Courtesy: Eileen Meny