Pat Bianchi | Confluence | February 6, 2026
Grammy-nominated organist Pat Bianchi returns with Confluence, a high-energy trio recording that captures the raw immediacy of three musicians pushing themselves to the edge. Accompanied by two of New York City’s finest in Troy Roberts on saxophone and Colin Stranahan on drums, the album channels the intensity of a live concert – unfiltered, spontaneous and full of the forward-moving creativity that has come to define Bianchi’s work.
Confluence is set for release on February 6th, 2026.
Widely regarded as one of the leading organists of his generation, Bianchi blends deep respect for the jazz organ tradition with a modern sensibility rooted in harmonic invention, rhythmic drive and a refusal to fit neatly into stylistic boxes. His sound reflects the teachings of mentors Dr. Lonnie Smith and Joey DeFrancesco, yet carves out a path that is unmistakably his own. This individuality has earned him the DownBeat Rising Star Award (2016), the NYC Hot House Award (2019), and a 2024 Jazz Journalists Association nomination for Keyboardist of the Year.
Confluence reflects Bianchi’s ongoing mission to push beyond the clichés often associated with “organ jazz.” While rooted in the lineage of the great Hammond players, the album opens new territory through contemporary rhythmic ideas, expansive improvisation and unexpected conceptual angles. His 7/4 arrangement of “Jitterbug Waltz” reframes a classic through a modern rhythmic lens, while “It Was a Very Good Year” takes on a searching, Coltrane-inspired character that stretches the song’s emotional core. A spirited reading of “The Song Is You” channels the legacy of Joey DeFrancesco, and the session’s final take—an unrehearsed, single pass through Coltrane’s “Wise One”—captures the trio at its most open and instinctive.
Born into a musical family in Rochester, New York, Bianchi began playing organ at seven and was performing professionally by eleven. His career spans touring with Steely Dan, extensive work with icons such as Pat Martino and Lou Donaldson, and collaborations with artists including George Coleman, Joe Locke, Terell Stafford, Ralph Peterson Jr., Tim Warfield, and many others. Today, with nine albums as a leader and more than thirty-five sideman credits, he stands among the foremost exponents of the jazz organ, carrying the tradition forward while expanding its possibilities.
Confluence is a testament to that vision—an album that not only honours the instrument’s rich history but insists on its future.
Line up
Pat Bianchi | Organ/Keys
Troy Roberts | Saxophone
Colin Stranahan | Drums
Track Listing
It Was A Very Good Year
Jitterbug Waltz
I Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Up To Dry
The Song Is You
Confluence
Come Rain or Come Shine
Wise One
PR Quotes
Stereophile Magazine (USA)
“he uses the organ to do what it is famous for: kicking your ass””
Paris-move (FR)
“it stands as a quiet manifesto for the future of the jazz organ trio: a reminder that innovation does not require abandoning tradition, but rather reimagining it with courage and intelligence.”
La Jazz Scene (USA)
“With Troy Roberts contributing muscular post bop tenor solos and drummer Colin Stranahan playing stimulating ideas in support of the soloists, Pat Bianchi is heard throughout in prime form”
JazzNu (NL)
“one of the standard-bearers of the tradition of the fat Hammond organ sound”
Esensja (PL)
“The ensemble plays the selected jazz standards with such richness that they sound as if they were contemporary works”
Making a Scene (USA)
“a testament to the continued popularity and importance of the jazz organ trio.”
Downbeat (USA)
“The freest playing you’ll have heard from an organ trio of this kind.“
The Times (UK)
“Best albums of the month – ★★★★★”
Jazz Journal (UK)
“Mutually inspiring, Bianchi and Roberts put the pedal to the metal, equally creative partners in a Hammond combo of note”
Jazz Views (UK)
“Instead of relying on the usual organ-jazz playbook—locked-in bass lines, set vamps, and grooves that stay put—Bianchi treats the Hammond like a moving target.”
Salt-peanuts (DK)
“the whole way it swings like pure hell!”
La Habitacion del Jazz (ES)
“‘Confluence’ conveys the intensity and freshness of a live concert. It is an exhilarating work; Bianchi demonstrates that the organ trio, in expert hands, remains one of the most energetic formats in jazz”
Cuttings
