Ralph Alessi is a trumpeter, composer and ECM recording artist whose distinctive sound and approach to improvisation have made him a singular presence in contemporary jazz. Since moving to New York in 1991, he has worked across a broad spectrum of improvised music, performing and recording with artists including Fred Hersch, Steve Coleman, Ravi Coltrane, Jason Moran, Sam Rivers, Tim Berne, Uri Caine, Don Byron and Michael Formanek. As both a sideman and bandleader, Alessi has developed a musical language that balances intricate composition, lyricism, rhythmic invention and the freedom of spontaneous ensemble interaction.
Alessi first appeared on ECM in 1997 in a collaborative trio with pianist Michael Cain and saxophonist Peter Epstein. His work as a leader for the label began with Baida in 2013, followed by Quiver, Imaginary Friends, It’s Always Now and, in 2026, A Sun That Never Sets. Across these recordings, Alessi has continually reshaped his ensembles while maintaining a recognizable compositional and improvisational identity.
A Sun That Never Sets, Alessi’s fifth ECM album as a leader, expands his quartet with pianist Matt Mitchell, bassist John Hébert and drummer/vibraphonist Ches Smith through the addition of his brother Joseph Alessi, principal trombonist of the New York Philharmonic. The album’s eleven compositions move between contemplative spaces and angular, rhythmically charged structures, with trumpet and trombone adding a new chamber-like dimension to Alessi’s writing. The recording was produced by Ralph Alessi and Manfred Eicher and released by ECM in July 2026.
Alongside his performing and composing career, Alessi has maintained a long commitment to music education. He has taught at the Eastman School of Music, New England Conservatory, New York University, the University of Nevada-Reno and the Hochschule der Künste Bern, and is currently a visiting professor at the Accademia Nazionale del Jazz in Siena, Italy. His teaching encompasses trumpet, improvisation, composition and ensemble work, with a particular emphasis on listening, rhythmic development and the relationship between composition and improvisation.
In 2001, Alessi founded the School for Improvisational Music (SIM), an international workshop series based in Brooklyn, New York, and currently serves as its director. SIM has brought together established improvisers and developing musicians in an environment centered on creative exploration, ensemble playing and the practice of spontaneous music-making.
Alessi’s work has been recognized for both its technical command and its individuality. The New York Times has described his technique as “an astonishment of fluency,” while DownBeat has called him “an individualist, with a style and sound all his own.” His music continues to occupy a distinctive space between jazz tradition, contemporary composition and open improvisation.