Co Streiff Russ Johnson Quartet - Oracle Co Streiff Russ Johnson Quartet

The musical friendship between Swiss saxophonist Co Streiff and American trumpeter Russ Johnson, which has developed through various musical collaborations, dates back to 2004. Their experiences—Streiff as the bandleader of various groups and through her work with pianist Irène Schweizer; Johnson, who has played with just about everyone in New York—are the best aspects of intercultural exchange.

"In 2012 the quartet released its stellar debut In Circles, capturing a shared aesthetic for keyboard-less quartets stretching back to Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker, and especially Ornette Coleman and Don Cherry. Several annual European tours followed for several years, followed by a long hiatus. The musicians reunited in 2019, with Gerry Hemingway stepping in on drums, and as heard on Oracle, recorded on different stops along the group’s 2023 tour, the rejiggered line-up had hit its stride", writes Peter Margasak in the liner notes.

For such musical heights to be possible, a common ground is needed—and here, that basis has been strengthened by more than 20 years of continuous collaboration.