From Dawn to Dusk: Flutist Itai Kriss Chronicles a Single Day on Daybreak, out June 27, 2025 via Jojo Records

Jojo Records announces the June 27, 2025 release of Daybreak, the latest album from New York-based flutist Itai Kriss. This new collection showcases Kriss’s distinctive approach to the instrument, blending jazz, gospel, and Brazilian influences to create a thematic journey that follows the natural progression of a day. Drawing on his musical roots from Israel and his deep appreciation for American jazz traditions, Kriss presents eight original compositions highlighting the flute’s expressive range and versatility, inviting listeners to experience the instrument in a bold new light.

Daybreak features an array of top collaborators including Adam Birnbaum on piano, Luke Sellick on bass, and the late Anthony Pinciotti on drums, with special guests Benny Benack III on trumpet and Yotam Silberstein on guitar. Together, this group brings Kriss’s compositions to life with sensitivity, groove, and virtuosity. This album is also a dedication to Pinciotti, who passed away shortly after this recording, making Daybreak one of  his last documented performances. 

At the heart of Daybreak lies Kriss’s mission to elevate the flute’s presence in modern jazz, reimagining it not as a background or ornamental instrument but as a commanding, expressive lead voice. “Some people think of the flute as airy and ephemeral—a whimsical presence,” writes author T.J. English in the album’s liner notes. “But in the hands of Itai Kriss, the instrument is emphatic.”

This emphatic quality pulses through each track, as Kriss crafts a sonic narrative that follows the natural rhythm of a day. Drawing from his Israeli roots and a deep reverence for American musical traditions—bebop, blues, gospel, and spirituals—Kriss also embraces Brazilian and Afro-Caribbean influences, merging them into a cohesive whole. The result is a vibrant, genre-defying journey that feels both personal and universal.

Author T.J. English summarized the arc of Daybreak within his detailed liner notes:

The cycle begins with the opening tune, the title track, which reflects the peacefulness of dawn, flowers blooming in photosynthetic glory, the morning taking on other sounds of a band starting their day, moving from old time signatures to advanced harmonies, riding on one persistent bass note from Sellick. “Drivin“ brings us into Art Blakey territory, where the morning rush hour has begun. The trumpet is assertive, and the flute is no longer there to soothe but to inspire. “O Jardim” is a simple flute and bass duet riding on a gentle samba melody, evoking a stroll through Rio de Janeiro’s glorious Jardim Botanico, with the tropical vegetation in full bloom. “Uphill” is a different mood altogether, opening as a percussive funeral dirge courtesy of Pinciotti on drums giving way to the melancholy, soulful piano of Birnbaum.

“Upfront” is in the realm of post-Bop, up-tempo, energetic, with a driving bass, a no-nonsense piano, and a drum solo that rolls and rumbles its way into the afternoon sunlight. Holding it all together is the flute, which, in this case, establishes order in a rambunctious universe. “Sunday Lemonade” comes straight from the Gospel church, with a mellow intro that starts like a prayer and evolves into a revival meeting between Benack on trumpet and Kriss on flute. The result is transcendent. “Beleza” captures the moment when the sun breaks through the clouds and transforms the day. The rhythm is a robust Brazilian samba, with the entire ensemble — Pinciotti kicking it off on drums, Birnbaum’s piano, Sellick on bass, and Silberstein’s guitar — laying down a fresh bed of soil for Kriss to reach full flower, with a melody that shines and fills the landscape with bright colors. The album closes with “In the Light,” a spirited finale steeped in African American gospel tradition. Birnbaum delivers a rousing, revivalist piano solo, while Kriss anchors the track with a soulful, declarative theme. “It will have you walking in the hand of the Lord,” English writes, capturing the powerful emotional arc of the piece.

Kriss composed the music for Daybreak with the intention of reflecting a life’s worth of musical discovery—spanning continents, styles, and emotional states. “There is a spiritual element to playing with other people—the vibrations of creativity,” he says. “I feel the power of that connection. Music can heal the soul. I don’t take that lightly.”

Daybreak is a statement of purpose—an affirmation of the flute as a central, soul-stirring voice in the jazz tradition and beyond. It’s also a reminder of music’s unique ability to mirror the rhythms of daily life and elevate the ordinary into something sacred. As T.J. English concludes: “All you must do is open your ears and your heart, and trust that wherever the day takes you, it will be enhanced by the harmonies, melodies, and flat-out virtuosity of this brilliant collection of instrumentalists at the top of their game.”

from https://lydialiebman.com