Blue Note Records has announced the July 11 release of Openness Trio, the debut album by a unique collective comprised of guitarist and producer Nate Mercereau, saxophonist Josh Johnson, and percussionist Carlos Niño. Free-thinking creators who bring a depth of experience from wide-ranging collaborations with the likes of André 3000, Meshell Ndegeocello, Kamasi Washington, Shabaka, Jeff Parker, Makaya McCraven, and many more, the trio presents a profound musical offering.

The album is five recordings from five different sessions all around Los Angeles and Ventura County – outdoors in the hills of Ojai with a view of the Topatopa Mountains, an intimate living room setting in Elysian Park, in an Oak Tree Cathedral at the Churchill Orchard in Ojai, a Garden of Electronics in the courtyard of an Echo Park home, and a recording session under a pepper tree at Elsewhere in Topanga Canyon. Listen to the lead track “Hawk Dreams.”

“Openness Trio is a title that could easily be the name of this group,” says Mercereau. “‘Openness’ is the ideal word and description for what is happening here. Listening, Immersive Emoting, Deep Communication, Discovery, Trust, Exploration, and arriving to the moment to witness and share where we are, where we are going, and where we’ve been – these are all things that allow our music to happen in the way that it does.”

“It is very rare to feel so able to trust anyone so much, it expands your trust and awareness of yourself, and your sense of being trustworthy,” says Niño. “My favorite thing about playing with this Trio is in the Title: Openness. The totally psychic communication, connection that we have together is electric and deeply nourishing, invigorating… It is Open.”

“The trio’s title speaks to the music and so much more,” says Johnson. “The trio and its members have expanded my perceptions in and outside the music. For me, it’s reinforced prioritizing beauty and deep care of the music. I remember so fondly being together and playing in the Ojai orchard in early 2021. It was the first time I’d played music with people in a long time, and I remember feeling so so connected. The trio became 3D to me that day – soaring from the start.”