Grounded

Released in May 2024, Grounded represents a significant pivot in Terrace Martin's discography. Known primarily as a bridge between the worlds of jazz and hip-hop (notably for his work on Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly), Martin strips away the production layers for a purely acoustic, long-form jazz record. The album consists of six tracks, most exceeding eight minutes, with titles that suggest a roadmap for mental wellness: Balance, Focus, Release, Restore, Reflect, and Time. This thematic framing aligns the work with the spiritual jazz lineage of Alice Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders, focusing on modal structures and collective improvisation rather than traditional song forms. Recorded with a live-in-the-room feel, the album emphasizes dynamic range and the physical textures of the instruments. It was received by critics as a 'mature' and 'essential' entry in the modern LA jazz scene, showcasing Martin's prowess as a pure saxophonist and bandleader away from the studio consoles.