Atlantis Jazz Ensemble

Ed Lister, trumpet
Zakari Frantz, alto sax
Pierre Chrétien, electric piano
Chris Pond, double bass
Mike Essoudry, drums

Like the mythical Lost Continent that gave it its name, the Atlantis Jazz Ensemble's music lies somewhere between the shores of Africa, Europe, and the Americas, influenced by jazz currents stemming from both sides of the Atlantic.

The group was founded in 2013 by saxophonist Zakari Frantz and pianist Pierre Chrétien of the Souljazz Orchestra, both looking to explore new directions in modal, spiritual and esoteric jazz music. After spending a few years refining their signature sound, the Atlantis Jazz Ensemble released their debut LP in 2016, Oceanic Suite, a seven-part conceptual jazz album depicting the sea and other related themes.

Then, Atlantis rose up again in 2023 with Celestial Suite, a brilliant set of spiritual soul-jazz, with a righteous energy in the mode of some of the best work on independent labels such as Strata East or Tribe back in the day, though updated with enough modern elements to keep the vibe current and fresh. With the blend of electric piano, sax, trumpet, bass and percussion, the quintet perfected the searching, soaring quality of their sound, capturing to tape, over the course of two days in the studio, an inspired session worthy of the skybound promise of the album's title.