Many a music project was derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, but Colorado-based pianist, composer, and educator Bob Schlesinger's Falling From Earth (Self-Produced, 2025) has had a longer gestation and more interesting rebirth than most. With funding from the Pathways to Jazz fund, part of the Boulder County Arts Alliance, Schelsinger initially planned for his first release as a leader to be a trio album with legendary Bill Evans bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Billy Drummond, whose expansive career with many of jazz's greatest artists encompasses an astonishing 350 recordings, including his own New York Times Best Jazz Album of the year, Dubai (Criss Cross, 1995). Feeling some tunes needed a second solo voice, Schlesinger brought in another heavy friend, perennial poll winner, frequent Grammy nominee, and former Miles Davis band member Mike Stern on guitar. Seven tunes, three by Schelsinger, two by Stern, one by Thad Jones, and one by Bob Dylan, were recorded at NYC's Sear Sound by the quartet in 2018. Since then, four more tunes were added to the tracklist: two recorded in Boulder with Stern, electric bassist Kevin Axt, and Dean Oldencott or Karl Latham on drums; and two more pieced together and remixed from studio jams, with Steve Hass on drums. As convoluted as its path to release was, Falling From Earth (available on streaming platforms and as a double LP, a CD, or a digital download) feels cohesive, with the pianist's sensitive playing and Stern's unmistakable tone and jazz fusion chops at the fore of every track.

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Included Debut Album: Falling from Earth!

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Included in this list is "It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)" from Falling from Earth.

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Once again, I just couldn't stop at ten.

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This tasty double LP set features some innovative and enticing new Jazz compositions along with a few novel covers of some classics. While I am not familiar with Bob Schlesinger’s work personally, his skill as a piano player and a composer/bandleader is more than readily apparent here. The supporting musicians include guitar virtuoso Mike Stern, Eddie Gomez (yes, he who performed extensively with the late Bill Evans) on acoustic bass, and Billy Drummond on drums.

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Seldom does an album deliver such stylistic and emotional diversity. The long wait for Schlesinger to release an album of his own was indeed worth it.

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Mike Stern-powered debut albums, pastoral projects, and a J.J. Cale-tinged antidote to worry make up a playlist well worth your time.

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It’s been seven long years since pianist Bob Schlesinger first began working on his long-anticipated debut as a leader, Falling From Earth.

But in early August, the toil paid off when this astonishing album, featuring an all-star lineup featuring legendary guitarist Mike Stern, former Bill Evans bassist Eddie Gomez, in-demand drummer Billy Drummond, as well as bassist Kevin Axt, drummer Steve Hass and others, was released to the public (though still not available on Spotify).

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For those not in the know, pianist and composer Bob Schlesinger has just unveiled his highly anticipated debut album as a leader, Falling From Earth.

A project that began in 2018 and was nearly sidelined by the pandemic, the album now emerges as a fully realized statement featuring an all-star lineup: legendary guitarist Mike Stern, former Bill Evans bassist Eddie Gomez, in-demand drummer Billy Drummond, as well as bassist Kevin Axt, drummer Steve Hass, and others.

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Early last month, pianist Bob Schlesinger released his debut album as a band leader, Falling From Earth.  Spanning 11 tracks, the 79-minute record is a mostly successful first outing for Schlesinger and his fellow musicians.  If any one thing can be noted to the negative about the album, it is that like far too many jazz (and instrumental albums) there is no real background on the inspiration behind the compositions.  That is not enough to doom the album, though.  Knowing this, the album’s production rounds out its most important elements.  Each item noted plays its own important part to the whole of the presentation.  All things considered they make Falling From Earth a record that modern jazz fans will find worth hearing at least once.

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