Lauded arranger and pianist Ben Markley releases Tuesday Morning Feeling, an album presenting his original music and celebrating the big band as a conduit for both composer and performer – out May 1, 2026 via OA2 Records
Pianist and arranger Ben Markley is rightly heralded as one of the top contemporary big band writers, applauded by Downbeat Magazine for his arrangements ranking in the “Best Albums of 2022” with Ari’s Fun House, featuring the music of drummer Ari Hoenig. Markley’s expertise extends further, with him widely regarded as one of the foremost experts on the life, legacy, and works of Cedar Walton, seen through his album Clockwise: The Music of Cedar Walton and publication, Cedar: The Life and Music of Cedar Walton. Now, after dedicating his passion and expertise to artfully arranging and articulating the musical legacy of others, the Ben Markley Big Band presents Tuesday Morning Feeling, a new release that collects his own original work, all wrapped up neatly through the presentation of an all-star cast. Written with the voices of both Markley’s staple ensemble and those of his esteemed guests in mind, Tuesday Morning Feeling simultaneously showcases Markley’s writing and the stylings of contemporary icons such as Terell Stafford, Steve Davis, Steve Nelson, David Wong, Kyle Swan, and Bijon Watson.
The album’s title, Tuesday Morning Feeling, aptly captures the overall atmosphere and ethos of the album. Uplifting, hopeful, and downright fun, the album embodies the sound of “starting the day with some optimism and little groove in step with the belief that there is good in the world.” Markley elaborates on this spirited approach: “It’s a nod to embracing the positive and embracing the generosity of the human spirit,” he says.
Practically, Markley captures this Tuesday Morning Feeling with a series of musical choices. Firstly, each piece was composed and/or arranged with a specific person (or people) in mind. Having worked with the majority of these musicians steadily since 2017, Markley is well acquainted with each person’s musical personality and stylings, allowing him to cherry pick each person to perfectly evoke each emotion and gesture. Secondly, this album is musically centered around how Markley perceives and defines the modern big band: “swinging hard, grounded firmly in the tradition, and centered around giving the musicians space to be themselves.”
Tuesday Morning Feeling opens dramatically with “Tell The Truth,” a piece that speaks to the classic power and sound of the big band while showcasing the stellar prowess of its individual constituents. The piece opens with double stops from bassist David Wong, evolving into a hard-grooving walking bassline which captures the groove and feel and informs the audience that this piece means to swing. The band comes in and frames the melody in the beloved big band tradition before launching a sendoff for a fiery vibraphone solo from Steve Nelson. Nelson passes the baton back to the band, who creatively restate the melody before Markley enters with his piano solo. Continuing the spirit of the tradition, the piano and band have back-and-forth dialogue, leading to a saxophone soli, before hitting the final climactic solo brought forth by trumpeter Terrell Stafford.
Markley’s writing continues to impress with “Snowy Range Blues,” a second-line blues with a swing section thrown into the mix. The piece showcases a duet with drums and horns before catapulting into a trifecta of solos from Steve Nelson, Steve Davis, and Terrell Stafford. “Steve Nelson’s solo on this one is just incredible. I can still remember looking around the room as we were playing and everyone in the room being in awe,” Markley shares. “After we finished the take, Nelson opened his recording booth door and the entire band gave him a round of applause!”
Other highlights of the album include “JIFE,” entitled after a “running joke of sorts” taken from combining the words “jazz life.” The piece is a blues in ¾ time with an Afro-Cuban groove and features standout solos by Remy Le Boeuf and Kyle Swan. Markley’s arrangement of the Willard Robison standard “Old Folks” features and was arranged specifically for Terrell Stafford. The ballad is a piece that Markley and Stafford have performed together on many occasions and Markley scored this for big band as an ode to their camaraderie and to create a platform that truly spotlights Stafford’s prowess.
A seminal part of Markley’s genius is a mark shared by many of music’s greatest composers: he wrote and arranged each piece with these specific musicians in mind. True to form, the ensemble and guests delivered marvelously. Ben Markley’s Big Band on Tuesday Morning Feeling comprises: Wil Swindler, Remy Le Boeuf, Peter Sommer, Jared Cathey, and Sam Williams (saxophones); Darren Kramer, Steve Davis, Stafford Hunter, and Jon Gauer (trombones); Bijon Watson, Dawn Kramer, Terell Stafford, and Gabriel Mervine (trumpets); Ben Markley (piano), Steve Kovalcheck (guitar), David Wong (bass), Kyle Swan (drums), and Steve Nelson (vibraphone).
With Tuesday Morning Feeling, Markley successfully achieves his vision of clearly creating an oeuvre of work that encapsulates the sound of his writing and the personality of his ensemble. Beyond that, the audience can clearly tell that not only has Markley achieved this goal, but that he loves every moment of it. For Markley, this album is the culmination of “my tunes, my arrangements, me playing piano – all with my favorite people to play music with,” and the album exudes Markley’s joy in this regard every step of the way.
Tuesday Morning Feeling releases May 1, 2026 via OA2 Records.