Kris Davis Trio to Release Second Album LOST IN GENEVA

Grammy Award-winning pianist Kris Davis will release the second album from her trio, Lost in Geneva, on September 25, 2026, via 4166 Records. The album follows the trio's acclaimed 2024 debut, Run the Gauntlet, and again features bassist Robert Hurst and drummer Johnathan Blake.

'We've been touring steadily for a few years now, and I feel a real clarity about who we are as a trio. I wanted to write music that highlights our strengths—grounded in groove and open enough to explore and engage with my compositional language,' Davis said, describing the process of composing for the trio.

Since the release of Run the Gauntlet in 2024, the three musicians have logged countless hours together on the road and on stage, a luxury Davis has rarely enjoyed with any other ensemble. A January 2025 concert at the Village Vanguard was hailed by critic Nate Chinen as the 'first jaw-droppingly great performance' of the year, citing the way Davis' 'stretchy provocations at the keys met with heavy ballast, but also a shared spirit of adventure' from her bandmates. The trio was awarded the 2026 Deutscher Jazz Preis (German Jazz Prize) as 'Live Act of the Year International.'

'After playing together so much and getting to know each other musically and otherwise, I've come to realize what makes this band shine,' Davis said. 'It's been fun to play the same music night after night and find a way to have a different experience every show. We're digging deeper all the time, and this trio has become focused on the smaller details within the structure of the pieces. It's all about those little discoveries and shaping the music together.'

Where Run the Gauntlet paid homage to six influential women pianists, Lost in Geneva draws its inspiration from within, sparked by the spirit of the trio itself. Hurst and Blake each contribute a composition to complement eight new or reimagined Davis originals, along with an interpretation of a piece by composer Morton Feldman. Lost in Geneva is a new imprint for Davis' music.

The album's title is drawn from a story earned through the ordeal of travel mishaps, one facet of the camaraderie forged through touring that may not be evident in a band's music but colors the chemistry they share. The namesake tune conjures the disorientation caused by jet lag and unfamiliar surroundings. Listeners may recognize the piece from the trio's recent NPR Tiny Desk Concert.

Lost in Geneva opens with a blur of piano crosstalk to introduce 'The Subtext,' alluding to a different sort of disorientation. 'Congestion Pricing,' introduced by Hurst's resonant solo, is likely the first ode to New York City's recent imposition of tolls on cars entering Lower Manhattan, with the music wading into increasingly hectic traffic before a barrage of Davis' percussive piano and Blake's drums.

The theme of navigating unknown terrain continues with 'Where Does That Tunnel Go,' originally recorded by Davis' trio with bassist John Hébert and drummer Tom Rainey on her 2010 album Good Citizen. 'The Ballerina' is a composition Davis has explored in a variety of settings, including in duos with Ingrid Laubrock and Craig Taborn, but had never before recorded in its entirety.

Hurst's 'The Bluesy Bird in Bob's Backyard' engages with Davis' long history of taking inspiration from birdsong, echoing the call of a visitor to the bassist's home. It's preceded by the group improvisation 'Mourning Dove,' one of two spontaneous introductions to Hurst's piece that grew into their own pieces on the album — the second, 'Northern Flicker,' closes the set. Davis' 'The Deer Fly' is a portrait of a bloodsucking insect known for diving at the heads of New England hikers.

Blake's 'Clues' was originally recorded on the drummer's 2012 debut, The Eleventh Hour, rendered here in a propulsive form. Davis also arranged Morton Feldman's 'Nature Piece 5' for the trio.

Kris Davis

Kris Davis is a Grammy award-winning pianist and composer described by the New York Times as a beacon for 'deciding where to hear jazz [in New York] on a given night.' Davis has released 26 recordings as a leader or co-leader and collaborated with artists such as Terri Lyne Carrington, Dave Holland, John Zorn, Craig Taborn, Ingrid Laubrock, Tyshawn Sorey and Esperanza Spalding. She was named a 2021 Doris Duke Artist alongside Wayne Shorter and Danilo Perez, Pianist of the Year by DownBeat magazine in 2025, 2022 and 2020, and Pianist and Composer of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association in 2021. In 2019, Davis' Diatom Ribbons was named jazz album of the year by both the New York Times and the NPR Music Jazz Critics Poll. Her trio with Robert Hurst and Johnathan Blake was awarded the 2026 Deutscher Jazz Preis (German Jazz Prize) as 'Live Act of the Year International.' Davis is the Associate Program Director of Creative Development at the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice, the founder of Pyroclastic Records and co-founder of the International Creators and Collaborators Workshop. Davis is a Steinway Artist.

Kris Davis Trio Performances

Kris Davis Trio with Johnathan Blake and Robert Hurst

Saturday, September 26 – Hyde Park Jazz Festival, Chicago, IL

Sunday, September 27 – Monterey Jazz Festival, Monterey, CA

October 19–30 Australian Album Release Tour: Kris Davis Trio with Johnathan Blake and Robert Hurst

Monday & Tuesday, October 19-20 – Melbourne International Jazz Festival, Melbourne, Australia

Friday, October 23 – Perth Jazz Festival, Perth, Australia

Saturday, October 24 – Sydney International Women's Jazz Festival, Sydney, Australia

Sunday, October 25-30 – Kris Davis Artist In Residence at Sydney Conservatorium

November 19-22: Kris Davis Trio European Tour with Robert Hurst and Jim Black

Thursday, November 19 – Kulturzentrum Gems – Singen, Germany

Friday, November 20 – Klaeng Festival Stadtgarten, Cologne, Germany

Saturday, November 21 – AMR, Geneva, Switzerland

Sunday, November 22 – Music im Pflegidach, Muri Switzerland

Kris Davis Trio with Johnathan Blake and Robert Hurst

Tuesday-Sunday, January 12–17, 2027 – Village Vanguard, New York City

Photo Credit: Adrián Ruiz Hierro