The Cosmic Tones Research Trio

Based in Portland, Oregon, the Cosmic Tones Research Trio – Roman Norfleet, Harlan Silverman and Kennedy Verrett – channel a deep, meditative strain of spiritual jazz on their second self-titled release. Across pieces like ‘Sankofa’ and ‘Ba Hi Yah’, the group weave cello, alto sax, piano and hand percussion into a sound that feels devotional yet untethered – balancing stillness with rhythmic gravity. It’s less about solos, more about collective breath: melodies coil and disperse with rhythms flickering in and out of focus and space itself becomes part of the composition. ‘Photosynthesis’ moves like slow light through glass, while ‘Invocation’ rises in quiet ceremony. The result is music that feels like a study in spiritual motion.