The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra released its newest recording, Harlem Renaissance, conducted by John Morris Russell, with the complete album available on all major streaming platforms as of March 13, 2026. The recording celebrates the Harlem Renaissance as one of the defining artistic movements in American history and the jazz traditions it produced.
The album features pianist Marcus Roberts performing his arrangement of James P. Johnson’s 1927 composition Yamekraw, a work grounded in the historically Black cultural landscape of Savannah, Georgia. Also included is Duke Ellington’s jazz tone poem Harlem and the debut commercial recording of Carlos Simon’s 2024 work Hellfighters’ Blues. Vocalists Mykal Kilgore and Tatiana Mayfield perform arrangements by Rob Mounsey, drawing on compositions by Kurt Weill, Langston Hughes, Moisés Simons, and Cab Calloway.
“The album captures the nuance, power and virtuosity of the Cincinnati Pops,” said Russell, noting the contributions of modern jazz musicians and Roberts’ trio throughout the recording. Seven-time Grammy-winning producer Elaine Martone oversaw the project, continuing her long-standing collaboration with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.
Harlem Renaissance is the eighth album released under Russell’s direction of the Cincinnati Pops, continuing the orchestra’s recording legacy. The album is available on streaming services including Spotify, Apple Music, and others.
Source: CincyMusic