For those unaware, Contemporary jazz guitarist Les Sabler has spent the last two years building toward his milestone tenth album by releasing a series of singles crafted with GRAMMY®‑winning and Billboard chart‑topping producers. The aptly titled Ten arrives October 9th, 2026.

Sabler began the project in 2024 with hitmaker Greg Manning, cowriting and producing three tracks that now anchor the album. Their first single, the funk‑charged “Hot Chicken,” is slathered in spicy horn section parts. It was followed by Sabler’s first Billboard No. 1 hit, “Patches’ Groove,” featuring trumpeter Michael “Patches” Stewart — a sultry, sophisticated cut that became Billboard’s No. 2 Smooth Jazz Song of the Year in 2025. The brisk and buoyant “Drive” completed the trio also climbed the charts.

A fourth Sabler–Manning collaboration, “Boomerang,” emerged from a second session shortly after the prolific run that produced “Hot Chicken,” “Patches’ Groove,” and “Drive.”

“Greg and I came up with this song which started out with a completely different vibe,” said Sabler. “I left it alone for an extended time before revisiting it and came up with a different concept which Greg expanded on. We successfully reimagined the song, and it really came to life after Eric Valentine (drums), Mel Brown (bass), and Luis Conte (percussion) added their parts,” said Sabler.

Sabler then reunited with two‑time GRAMMY® winner Paul Brown (Boney James, Al Jarreau, Norman Brown), who produced his Tranquility (2021) and Flying High (2023) albums. Together with GRAMMY® nominee Brian Bromberg and Jeffrey Smith, they wrote “Café On The Square,” the mid‑tempo single that has already spent over six months on the charts, along with two additional tracks on Ten: “Once In A Lifetime” and the soulful R&B‑pop standout “Fly Away.”

To expand the album’s soundscape, Sabler sought fresh creative energy from Nelson Braxton, who has landed Billboard No. 1 singles as half of the Braxton Brothers.

“Expanding the sonic palette through a collaboration with Nelson added a brilliant new dimension to the project,” said Sabler, who cowrote “Corner Pocket” and “Sunset Comfort” with Braxton, who produced. Sabler reunites with pianist Allon Sams on “Corner Pocket” who appeared on his Bridge The Gap album.

The album closes with “Serengeti,” which Sabler reimagined to pay tribute to legendary Canadian guitarist Sonny Greenwich, who he first saw perform in the late 70s.

“Completing this project with a tribute to Sonny Greenwich brings my journey full circle, as his music had a profound influence in my youth and continues to inspire my creative path today. I wanted to pay homage to Sonny for decades of inspiration, encouragement, and friendship,” said Sabler, who produced the track with Braxton (keyboards) and is joined by GRAMMY®-winning drummer Gregg Bissonette, upright bassist Brian Allen, pianist David Garfield, and Conte on percussion.

1. “Drive”
2. “Boomerang”
3. “Corner Pocket”
4. “Hot Chicken”
5. “Patches’ Groove”
6. “Once In A Lifetime”
7. “Café On The Square”
8. “Sunset Comfort”
9. “Fly Away”
10. “Serengeti”

Playing his electric guitar with fervor, ripping runs and riffs with dexterity and alacrity, Les opens his new album on the rhythmically melodious Drive and the delightfully carefree Boomerang and then brings us the top down, window leaning, summer’s breeze gem Corner Pocket, the funky Hot Chicken and then comes the ornately supple Patches’ Groove.

Along next is the resplendent fare of Once In A Lifetime which is itself backed seamlessly by some effortlessly sculped musical majesties within Café On The Square, the veritable gossamer of Sunset Comfort, the new set rounding out on a dutifully decadent Fly Away, coming to a close on the affecting beauty within the cinematically-hued Serengeti.

Official Purchase Link

www.lessabler.net/music