Corcoran Holt - LYDIALIEBMAN.COM

Freedom Of Art
Release Date: February 20, 2026
Label: Holthouse Music LLC

Freedom of Art, the extraordinary sophomore album from bassist, composer, and arranger Corcoran Holt, stands as a testament to transformation, family, and the enduring principle that has defined jazz since its inception: freedom itself.

Throughout his career, Holt has worked alongside some of jazz's most celebrated artists, including an extended tenure with saxophonist Kenny Garrett. Freedom of Art represents a crystallization of those experiences, combined with the intimate journey of his own life since his 2018 debut The Mecca. The album features master musicians Stacy Dillard, Josh Evans, Benito Gonzalez, Kweku Sumbry, and Lewis Nash, alongside compelling contributions from Holt's family members.

The music on Freedom of Art emerged during the 2020 pandemic, when Holt began composing from lived experience: the loss of his father Ibrahim, whose values shaped him; the steadfast love of his mother Kathy English Holt; the support of his wife Raven Holt; and the joy of raising his children. As liner note writer Millard Southern observes, "What we hear in his music is personal testimony made real."

The album opens with "Theme for Ma," featuring the nurturing voice of Holt's mother over somber bass and tender piano. From there, the recording moves through compositions that reflect geographical and musical transitions, including "Breathe in Peace," which traces Holt's journey from New York to D.C. to Phoenix, where he currently serves as Assistant Professor of Jazz Bass at Arizona State University.

Several tracks pay tribute to the jazz lineage Holt honors. "Hello" revisits a beloved Milt Jackson composition from his college days, while "Rae Ray" acknowledges both the legendary Ray Brown and Holt's wife Raven. Kenny Garrett's "Kiss to the Skies" appears as a spiritual meditation on ancestors and loved ones who have transitioned, featuring Stacy Dillard's passionate soprano saxophone and Josh Evans's melancholy trumpet.

The album also includes contributions from Holt's family that underscore the project's central themes. "Affirmations" features the voices of his children reciting their daily affirmations, a practice of empowerment and self-love. The closing track, "To My Dear Ones," presents a poem written by Holt's late father and recited by Sharp Radway, preserving his spirit through words and sound.

Benito Gonzalez, Holt's longtime collaborator from the Kenny Garrett Quartet, brings his signature swing and clarity throughout the album. On "Flatbush," a composition by Gonzalez himself, the pianist and bassist celebrate their deep musical brotherhood forged through years of touring together. Stacy Dillard delivers consistently inventive solos across multiple tracks, while Josh Evans's virtuosic trumpet work adds flaring intensity to the ensemble.

As Southern writes in his liner notes, "This album offers more than notes and melodies. It presents a collective movement of artists who are serious, driven, passionate, and joyful. Freedom is made visible through expressions of love and timeless compositions that illuminate the path forward."

Freedom of Art invites listeners into a journey sustained by hope and shaped by the courage to transform sound into truth. It reminds us that with close family and friends by our side, we are never alone on the journey called life.