Thirteen-piece jazz-classical fusion outfit James McGowan Ensemble recently released the follow-up to their 2023 album, Reaching In. Entitled Reaching Out, the new long player consists of three quartets: Ottawa-based Modasaurus, Quebec’s Quatuor Despax, and a four-piece brass section made up of Petr Cancura (tenor sax), Mike Tremblay (tenor and soprano saxophones), Mark Ferguson (trombone), and the JUNO-award winning Ed Lister (trumpet). McGowan says, “Reaching Out tells my story through words and music of moving past grief to find strength in community. I truly think that everyone will be able to relate to it and find personal resonance in this journey.” Entry points on Reaching Out include the title track, travelling on a bright jazz melody highlighted by big, braying horn layers, an emo...