Will Miller, a trumpet player who has long been a cornerstone of Chicago’s music scene, tracing his contributions to pivotal 2010s releases by Chance The Rapper, Whitney, and Twin Peaks, and expanding his scope beyond the Windy City with collaborations alongside SZA and Mavis Staples. For many years now, he has led Resavoir, a Chicago jazz ensemble known for its shifting lineup and its prior recordings for the city’s prestigious International Anthem label.
In March, Resavoir released the spare, airy record The Sleepytime Record: Themes For Dreams, a collection widely regarded as stunningly beautiful. Now Miller is back with news of a fresh LP and a stream of its leading single. Despite the embrace of a tranquil title, Resavoir’s second album of 2026, Above The Clouds, continues to dwell in a transient sonic realm, though it carries a touch more rhythmic momentum than Themes For Dreams.
Above The Clouds pairs Miller with longtime collaborators Lane Beckstrom (bass) and Jeremy Cunningham (drums) and welcomes newcomer Kenneth Leftridge Jr. (woodwinds). The performers largely swapped their usual apparatus for electronic tools; Miller himself abandons his trumpet in favor of a Steiner Crumar EVI, an “electronic wind analog synthesizer” dating from the 1970s.
On the lead single “4th Cloud,” featuring guitarist Gregory Uhlmann (SML), listeners are treated to a blend of soothing, exploratory textures. Listen below, and you can also hear Themes For Dreams in full.
TRACK LIST:
01 “Cirrus”
02 “Altostratus”
03 “Stratosphere”
04 “Terrarium”
05 “Earth From Above”
06 “In Motion” (Feat. Knox Fortune)
07 “Cumulonimbus”
08 “Cirrostratus”
09 “Stratus”
10 “Caught Up In A Cloud”
11 “Fog”
12 “4th Cloud” (Feat. Gregory Uhlmann)
13 “Above The Clouds”
“Above The Clouds” is slated for release on 10/9 via L’Univers. Pre-order is available here.
