Melissa Aldana is nothing short of a sensation. This saxophonist and composer has it all: an unparalleled sound, captivating melody lines, intriguing time signatures, as well as offering a completely unique interpretation of the jazz idiom. She was born in Chile, but ended up in Boston through a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music, and went on to settle in New York once she’d finished her education. In 2013, she won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition. The late Wayne Shorter was on the jury, and would go on to become a main influence, as would Sonny Rollins, to whom she is sometimes compared. In 2016, Aldana released her debut album Back Home, and three years later she performed at the North Sea Jazz Festival for the first time. Last year, her first album on Blue Note, Echoes Of The Inner Prophet was released, marking a new highlight in her career. The title song is an ode to Shorter and his talent for storytelling.
