Josh Lawrence : Still We Dream Review

by Steven Miller

Josh Lawrence’s Still We Dream, released on August 15, 2025, bridges the structural angularity of Thelonious Monk with the lyrical depth of Frédéric Chopin. The twelve songs bring these two composers together through careful arranging and inspired improvisation. The music finds the common thread of form, melody, and risk.

With Diego Rivera on saxophones, Art Hirahara on piano, Boris Kozlov on bass, Rudy Royston on drums, and Mason Bryant joining on guitar for two tracks, Lawrence has surrounded himself with musicians who understand the weight of history and the joy of invention.

The album makes its case immediately with Monk’s “Evidence,” a performance that demonstrates both precision and freedom. The ensemble nails the syncopated staccato head with unity and bite before opening into an up-tempo swing that sets the perfect stage for Lawrence’s style. His solo lines unfold in long streams of eighth notes, outlining harmony with clarity while avoiding cliché. The rhythm section’s responsiveness is reflected in how Kozlov and Royston shadow his ideas with agility. Hirahara’s comping injects fresh angles as he connects the soloist to the bass and drums.

Chopin’s “Op. 35: Funeral March from Piano Sonata No. 2.” is recast in a modal and jazz ballad setting. The music transforms without losing its gravitas. Rivera’s saxophone carries the melody with warmth, his tone vocal in timbre, before trading phrases with Lawrence in a dialogue that brings jazz color to the solemn theme. The second pass through the form sees the horns blending into lush harmonies, creating a sonic richness that Chopin’s voice leading creates. In the middle section, the march becomes a jazz ballad, give another perspective. Hirahara’s piano solo has harmonic colors that toy with tension and release.

Equally striking is the arrangement of the Arabian folk song “Kradoudja,” which carries an overtly global jazz gesture. The rhythmic undercurrent shifts between rhythmic patterns, creating a groove that feels grounded and exotic. Lawrence’s muted trumpet solo is lyrical, elegant, and shaped by the shifting rhythms beneath him. Kozlov’s arco solo takes the track into fresh sonic territory, his agile phrasing drawing a line between East and West with remarkable sonority.

The title track, “Still We Dream,” brings the album’s vision into sharp relief. Here, Monk’s wit and Chopin’s lyricism converge in a relaxed ballad, reflective and deeply human. The melody nods toward Monk’s “Ask Me Now,” while the harmonic voice-leading leans unmistakably toward Chopin’s Romanticism. Lawrence’s trumpet solo captures the essence of the project: warm, melodic, and suffused with bebop colors, yet modern in its sense of space and restraint. Royston’s drumming provides the forward motion that keeps the ballad alivel.

Taken as a whole, Still We Dream is a clever juxtaposition of Monk and Chopin. It is an album about continuity of structures, past and present, and European lyricism and American swing. Lawrence does not force these elements together; he allows them to breathe, to recognize their differences, and still find commonality. With his ensemble, he crafts a sound that is elegant and enjoyable. This is jazz that embodies timeless craftsmanship, speaking to listeners through its deep roots in the tradition. It delivers the kind of solid, satisfying artistry that keeps jazz vital.