A Distant Land is Rich Halley’s new recording, featuring his quartet with trombonist Michael Vlatkovich, bassist Andrew Jones, and drummer Carson Halley. Recorded in Portland in July 2025, A Distant Land is the eighth release by the Rich Halley 4. It features five incisive new Halley compositions plus three spontaneous improvisations that together showcase the power, depth and intuitive interaction.
Rich Halley has released 27 recordings as a leader. A Distant Land follows Halley’s critically acclaimed recordings Fire Within and The Shape of Things (with Matthew Shipp), Dusk and Dawn, The Outlier and Crossing the Passes.
“One of the major tenor saxophonists of our time.” – Tom Hull, tomhull.com
“Heartland American jazz of the very highest order.” – Brian Morton, Point of Departure
“Oregon-based saxophonist Rich Halley has been turning out smart, brawny music for a couple of decades.” – James Hale, DownBeat
Rich Halley is a tenor saxophonist and composer based in Portland, Oregon. He is known for his fiery playing and imaginative compositions. Rich has released 27 critically acclaimed recordings as a leader and has recorded over 120 original compositions. His latest album, “A Distant Land”, features his quartet with trombonist Michael Vlatkovich, bassist Andrew Jones and drummer Carson Halley.
Halley’s release “Fire Within”, with Mathew Shipp, Michael Bisio and Newman Taylor Baker was on a number of lists of the best jazz albums of 2023. All About Jazz describes his music as:“Uncluttered, bold and powerful” and Tom Hull calls him “One of the major tenor saxophonists of our time.” DownBeat said: “Oregon-based saxophonist Rich Halley has been turning out smart, brawny music for a couple of decades.”
Rich currently leads the Rich Halley 4, a group which has released eight albums of original music. Rich was also the leader of The Lizard Brothers, a four horn sextet, and The Outside Music Ensemble, a horns and percussion group that did unamplified outdoor performances. He has performed with Matthew Shipp, Tony Malaby, Vinny Golia, Bobby Bradford, Nels Cline, Julius Hemphill, Oliver Lake and Andrew Hill.
For 26 years Rich was the artistic director of the Penofin Jazz Festival, a small festival in Northern California that presented many of the leading figures in creative jazz. He was a founder of Oregon’s Creative Music Guild. Rich was educated as a field biologist, and his lifelong interest in nature has informed his music and led him on many trips into wilderness regions around the world.