For those unaware, Philadelphia trumpeter, composer and bandleader John Vanore is finally releasing Easter Island Suite, a cinematic and long-awaited album nearly four decades in the making.

Arriving February 6th, 2026 via his Acoustical Concepts label, the project features Vanore’s distinctive ensemble Abstract Truth and brings to life the awe, mystery and cultural resonance of Easter Island and its iconic moai.

Long praised as “Philadelphia’s greatest big band leader and also its best-kept secret” (Jerry Gordon, WPRB-FM) and an artist who pushes “expressive possibilities in the realm of big band culture” (Josef Woodard, DownBeat), Vanore has spent more than 40 years nurturing the ideas that culminate in this sweeping four-movement suite.

Mvt. 1 - Discovery [12:43]
Mvt. 2 - Gods and Devils [7:12]
Mvt. 3 - The Secret Caves [10:54]
Mvt. 4 - Rano Raraku (Journey to the Lake) [15:33]

Despite spanning 35 years of recording dates, Easter Island Suite feels remarkably unified, something that shines through immediately on the very first track, the near thirteen minute Discovery (a low-lying work, at first, latterly a gently spirited endeavor that sets the tone for the set), and then comes the uproariously New Orleans-esque; albeit in a more disjointed form Gods and Devils, which is in turn backed by the ten minute The Secret Caves (which brings forth a resoundingly ominous tone), the set coming to a close on the fifteen minute opus Rano Raraku (Journey to the Lake) (a work that features peaks and valleys, expressive crescendos and lulls in such a way that it is hard to not allow yourself the fifteen minutes to wallow within it).

A veteran performer, educator and producer, Vanore has shaped Philadelphia’s jazz landscape since his early days studying with Dennis Sandole and touring with Woody Herman. His ensemble Abstract Truth continues to evolve while honoring the lineage of bold, large-ensemble jazz. Easter Island Suite stands as his most ambitious statement yet: beautiful, haunting and deeply human.

www.johnvanore.net