Co Streiff on alto saxophone, Russ Johnson on trumpet, Christian Weber on double bass, and Gerry Hemingway on drums bring serious history to Oracle. Streiff and Johnson’s musical friendship goes back to 2004, shaped by wide-ranging collaborations in Europe and New York.

Streiff’s work as a bandleader and with pianist Irène Schweizer, alongside Johnson’s deep New York experience, gives this quartet a real sense of shared language. Their 2012 debut, In Circles, drew on the open, keyboard-less tradition of Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker, and especially Ornette Coleman and Don Cherry.

After years of annual European tours and a long break, the group reunited in 2019 with Hemingway joining on drums. As Peter Margasak notes, Oracle, recorded across stops on the 2023 tour, finds this reworked line-up fully locked in after more than 20 years of connection.