This article originally appeared in PureHoney Magazine. Check them out here.
A new wave of jazz is forming in Miami as younger players embrace groove, funk, soul, and organ trio vibes without treating them like museum pieces. At the center of this movement is The Glades, whose self-titled debut on the Tiki Tumbao label feels less like a throwback than a continuation of a long, evolving South Florida musical lineage.
The Glades came together organically through sessions at Hammond organist Adam Scone’s local studio with two expats from Los Angeles, guitarist Addison Rifkind and percussionist Michael Duffy. What emerged wasn’t simply a band, but a songwriting project rooted in collaboration. “Every session we would do three songs,” Scone tells PureHoney. “One each.”
That democratic approach gives The Glades its distinct personality. The album moves fluidly through modern jazz, soul, groove, and funk while remaining remarkably unforced. “Our intention wasn’t ever to make a record that sounded like a different era or even make a ‘jazz’ record,” says Rifkind. “Just staying true to all of our individual musical personalities.”
That sensibility may explain why the record feels so alive. There are traces of classic organ trio records, think South Florida’s much-missed Lonnie Smith, and late-night soul-jazz sessions throughout, but also something undeniably contemporary; music shaped as much by instinct and chemistry as by tradition. Duffy describes the album as “gumbo,” informed by the trio’s varied musical backgrounds and collective trust in one another’s interpretations.
For South Florida, the timing feels significant. From the late ’60s through the mid-’70s, Miami sustained a vibrant jazz scene that gradually faded from prominence by the early 2000s. The Glades don’t present themselves as revivalists, but they are helping place Miami back into conversations surrounding groove-heavy modern jazz and organ trio music.
“There is also a great lineage of funk and soul music born here,” says Rifkind, “and I hope these records continue that history in some way.”
The Glades play a FREE SHOW Thursday, June 11 at Pomona in Lake Worth. They also play June 10 at Funky Biscuit, June 12 at Pilars, and June 13 at Dunedin Brewery. theglades.bandcamp.com/album/the-glades
