In February 2025, Aidan and I were talking about the future.  As seniors in college, we were preparing for life beyond the University of Miami, both in terms of our careers and our personal lives.  At the time, neither of us had a clue where we would end up post-undergrad, but wanted to make the most of our remaining time and opportunities. I brought up how I would love to record music together in Miami one more time.  That comment sparked the idea…

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Aidan suggested the idea of co-leading an album, and we both were instantly invested in this budding vision.  In that brief moment we started dreaming of a lineup with some of the musicians that had inspired us the most in their musicianship and passion for artistry.  Some of the first artists which came to mind included Dr. Melvin Butler, Dr. Renato Diz, and Jacob Smith.  Each of these musicians inspire genuine artistry and exemplify creativity and empathy in their playing, which is just an extension of their kind and cordial spirits.  We were ecstatic when they all agreed to join us on a recording session that May.

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A lot of life happened between our initial conversation and the session.  Four of us in the group graduated, a few of us prepared to move to the Northeast (with Ben’s car being stuffed with belongings from his dorm, and Aidan, Jacob, and Renato moving to the jazz capital - New York City).  Despite the chaotic time of year, we wanted this recording session to be fun and lighthearted.  None of the music coming into the session was particularly arranged or rehearsed.  We just wanted to capture the joy, imagination and energy of this blossoming group.

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For Aidan and I, this passion project was the last box on our checklist from Miami, and we are incredibly excited to share the music that was made Before We Go.