Award-winning Howl Quartet return with their third album, Night Song, a rich collection of original music shaped by storytelling, improvisation and musical connection. Named after Allen Ginsberg’s seminal poem Howl, the quartet features long-time collaborators Dan Smith (alto saxophone), Harry Brunt (tenor saxophone), Pete Komor (double bass) and Matt Parkinson (drums).
With Night Song scheduled for release later this month, we asked the quartet to pick their top ten favourite albums.
Pete Komer:
Season of Changes – Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band
The blend of jazz, gospel and folk in the writing and performance of “Season of Changes” by Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band has had a profound influence on my musical taste. As with many of Blade’s albums, it is a perfect example of how music can convey raw emotion without needing to be overly complex. There is a real beauty in patience, in space, and in letting the tracks unfold naturally. I aim to take this on board in my own writing, using color and restraint, as well as emotion, to add to the whole.
Chill Morn He Climb Jenny – John McNeil, Bill McHenry
This album was a turning point for me with how I think about improvisation and interplay. Chill Morn He Climb Jenny is a conversational, organic lesson in freedom musically despite its track listing of familiar compositions. It places Improvisation front and centre of the creative process and the result is raw, bare-bones sound that embraces looseness and chaos. It has influenced how I both play and write.
Filtros – Guillermo Klein
Klein’s unique fusion of jazz with Argentine folk music was an eye-opener for me when I first heard it around 10 years ago. The main takeaway for me was his ability to make complex, unconventional arrangements and time signatures sound completely organic and effortless. Many tracks are easy to hum along with but infuriatingly difficult to transcribe, which inspired me to think more ambitiously about form and structure in my own composition.
Harry Brunt:
Endangered Blood – Endangered Blood
This band consisting of Jim Black, Trevor Dunn, Oscar Noriega & Chris Speed has inspired me enormously when approaching my own compositions for Howl Quartet. All three of Endangered Blood’s albums are incredible, but this first one really speaks to me. From the raw ‘Plunge’ & ‘Andrew’s Ditty Variation One’, to the knotty ‘Elvin Lisbon’, and to the more reflective ‘K’ and the almost 21st century Tristano-line-esq ‘Uri Bird’, this is such a great record. I have taken so much inspiration (and continue to do so) from how this band navigates the two saxophone fronted quartet in such a creative manner.
The Bad Plus – The Bad Plus
This album has been really important to me since its release in 2022. There is an amazing meeting of avant-garde and rock that really resonates with me. I was lucky enough to catch their show at Ronnie Scott’s when they toured in 2023 and it was incredible. I’m really into the recorded sound of this album and the atmosphere’s that are created from piece to piece. It sounds like everyone on this record is fully IN 100% of the time and playing exactly what is necessary for that moment, which is something to aspire to. Almost as much as I love the music, I love how this band has been making beautiful albums for 25 years, constantly reinventing itself and finding new ways to surprise a listener.
John Coltrane – Newport ’63
Emotion. The Greatest.
Dan Smith:
Yam Yam – Mark Turner
Whenever I’m introduced to an artist or discover an artist I want to find their discography and go back to the beginning and work my way through chronologically. Therefore the ‘debut’ as a leader from Mark Turner was the first album of his that I got really stuck in to. It was also the first time I heard the Brad Mehldau trio with a saxophone player out front (plus Kurt of course!). I think my favourite thing about the album is that they are all early so early in their careers. Mark is 30 and Brad is 25 and I love how their individual voices are so prominent at that stage of their playing careers. Having an individual and true voice is something musicians aspire too and knowing the progression of these musicians’ career whilst listening to this is very inspiring.
Dick Oatts – Standard Issue
I think I was obsessed with this album for a good 6months to a year. It was an almost daily play along with YouTube videos and other Dick Oatts records. When finding alto players other than the jazz legends and founders there was something about Dick Oatts playing that really hit me. It’s extremely expressive, he is always going for a really strong vibe, feel and affect with each phrase and sometimes each note! It’s so playful and I think he opened up an idea of what was possible on the saxophone to me. All this whilst still being extremely accessible to the listener. The chordless trio is a favourite set up of mine to perform standards in and largely down to the freedom that Oatts shows in this record.
Matt Parkinson:
Invisible Cinema – Aaron Parks
Invisible Cinema was pivotal in my early development as a musician—I listened to it constantly during my early college years, when I was striving to gain a deeper understanding of contemporary jazz. It draws heavily on stylistic elements from other genres I already loved and was more familiar with at the time, reimagining them through the lens of modern jazz. It taught me not to put things in a box and to remain open to all forms of inspiration, musical or otherwise.
I love how personal and heartfelt each composition is, and how bold and fearless the improvisation feels. I’ve really enjoyed seeing how Aaron Parks has revisited this aesthetic and lineup in recent years with the group Little Big. I was also stunned recently learnt that drummer Eric Harland recorded the entire Invisible Cinema session with a broken thumb—which is staggering, given how phenomenal his performance is!
Gently Disturbed – Avishai Cohen
Gently Disturbed was another hugely influential record in my formative years—particularly in terms of the deep rhythmic language and sophistication that Avishai Cohen employs so brilliantly.
I love how dynamic this trio is, especially the way drummer Mark Guiliana navigates the dense rhythmic content with such fire and freedom. Their creative use of forms and textures helps the arrangements feel like they are constantly evolving.
I especially love how beautiful and lyrical the melodies are. Listening to this record over the years has taught me that no matter how developed the rhythmic content is, a piece still needs a strong, memorable melody—otherwise, it won’t be impactful.
Several years ago, I was fortunate enough to see this trio reunite and perform the entire album live, which was a powerful reminder of just how much this music has resonated with me.
Night Song by the Howl Quartet Album is released (CD & digital) on Friday 24 October 2025
Live Dates
30 October – Saarbrucken, Die Brass
1 November – Bremen, Chameleo
2 November – Antwerp, Jazz Café De Muse
9 November – Ashburton Arts Centre
10 November – Appledore, The Beaver Inn (North Devon Jazz)
11 November – Cardiff, Flute & Tankard
12 November – Guildford, Growlers & Cans
13 November – Dublin, Arthur’s
14 November – Belfast, Scott’s
15 November – Derry, Bennigan’s
18 November – London, PizzaExpress Jazz Club, Soho (album launch at EFG LJF)
20 November – Bristol, Bebop Club
22 November – Southend-on-Sea, The Jazz Centre
For more information visit howlquartet.com
