Listen to My Debut Album!

On September 8th, 2023, Ridgeway Records releases Seven Shades of Violet (Rebiralost), the stunning debut jazz album from San Francisco based pianist, keyboardist, and composer, Michael Echaniz, in the wake of a successful fight against stage four lymphoma cancer. Well over an hour in length, this epic conceptual work features the core contributions of producer, bassist, and vocalist Jeff Denson, drummer and percussionist Dillon Vado, and primary vocalists Danielle Wertz and Molly Pease with an array of special guests, including features from saxophonist Dann Zinn, percussionist Silvestre Martinez, and the strings of Friction Quartet. Symmetrically constructed, the nine original compositions and two arrangements feature a wide variety of synesthetic moods and acoustic-electric textures, drawing inspiration from mathematics, history, Basque heritage, and existential crisis. Accessibly melodic, rhythmically complex, melancholic, introspective, cathartic, often maximalist, Seven Shades of Violet presents a bold contribution to the futurist, contemporary jazz scene.

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Seven Shades of Violet (Rebiralost) is made possible through the Musical Grant Program, which is administered by InterMusic SF, and supported by the Clarence E. Heller Charitable Foundation, and the Hewlett Foundation; and was supported by New Music USA’s Creator Development Fund in 2022- 23.

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★★★★ "This is simply great, challenging music."

– Brian Morton, DownBeat

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"Seven Shades of Violet is not just a collection of individual compositions; it’s an intricately constructed and musically complex masterpiece."

– Steven James, Jazz in Europe

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“Positively bone-chilling”

– Stephen Smoliar, The Rehearsal Studio

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"A complex, perfectionistic, demanding album, with terrific playing

by Echaniz ('Fantaisie 73') and with an almost magical progression.”

– Phontas Troussas, Vinylmine