Jon Regen Announces New Album HIGHER GROUND Out 10/4 via Ropeadope

On October 4, the New York-based singer, songwriter and acclaimed pianist Jon Regen returns with Higher Ground, his first album in nearly five years, via Ropeadope. The album was produced by Jamiroquai's Matt Johnson and includes musical performances by legends like Andy Summers of The Police, Benmont Tench of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Chuck Leavell of The Rolling Stones, Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran and more.

Today, Regen previews "Wide Awake," the first single from the forthcoming album that will be commercially released this Friday, July 12. Parade praised the "enthusiastic, optimistic track" with "smooth as silk vocals and a jazzy groove."

Listen to "Wide Awake" via YouTube:

"'Wide Awake' is about new beginnings," explains Regen. "When I became a parent, my touring and recording life was immediately put on hold. That was until I ran into Matt Johnson at a sold-out Jamiroquai show in New York City, on the same street my parents lived on in the 1960s. Soon after, we were crafting the song and an entire album together, all via email. So for me it's a song about taking chances and celebrating the now."

Following the birth of his first child, who makes a guest appearance on the album's title track, Regen had no plans to record an album between his work parenting, editing Keyboard Magazine, and his regular jazz gigs. After connecting with Johnson following Jamiroquai's inspiring performance, the pair wrote the song "Wide Awake" as a way of testing the waters - with Johnson in London and Regen at home in New York City. And despite the distance, the duo struck creative magic. "It was just this great marriage of Matt's studio wizardry and my songwriting and piano styles," Regen explains. "Funnily enough, that song would never have been born had I not bought an old Roland Juno-60 synthesizer and started fooling around with it on top of my Steinway grand piano. But once I did, I knew I was onto something fresh. It was a sound that was new to me, so I chased it."

Johnson says, "When he sent me his idea, I was struck by the rich quality of his voice. As the track progressed, I learned that Jon could also play great jazz piano. For me, this album shows off all the best in Jon - great songs, great piano and a truly distinctive voice."

Higher Ground follows Regen's 2015 release Stop Time that received acclaim from AllMusic, The Associated Press, NPR Music, Paste Magazine, The Wall Street Journaland more. The 11 tracks that comprise the new album were mixed by famed engineer Michael Brauer and mastered by 2019 Album of the Year Grammy Award-winner Greg Calbi (Kacey Musgraves). Other acclaimed guests on Higher Ground include bassists Larry Klein (Joni Mitchell) and Tim Lefebvre (David Bowie, Tedeschi Trucks Band), and drummers Keith Carlock (Steely Dan) and Jerry Marotta (Peter Gabriel). The entire album was recorded remotely, across different cities, oceans and countries.

Photo Credit: Anna Webber

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