The Game Changer, Brandon Sanders' latest Savant recording, finds the drummer doing what he does best: setting the pace, creating opportunities, and elevating everyone around him. Joining the ensemble for this outing are Stacy Dillard, with his uniquely exciting saxophone sound, and the imaginative pianist William Hill III, alongside longtime collaborators Warren Wolf and Eric Wheeler. With special guest artists vocalist Briana Swann, who brings "a little grit, a dash of soul, and a whole lot of midnight in her voice," and trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, of whom Nat Hentoff wrote "It is the beat of Pelt's heart... that underscores the future of jazz," Sanders has assembled a band that brings both seasoned authority and youthful energy to a program of originals and carefully chosen favorites. Rooted in the hard-bop tradition, The Game Changer draws on a wide variety of musical genres and influences, which Sanders enhances and expands, reflecting his broad musical vision and his belief that it's all just music.
