With his American Roots Project, saxophonist / composer Owen Broder explores the weft and weave of American roots music – from Appalachian folk to early blues, spirituals to bluegrass – through bold and inspired new interpretations envisioned through the perspective of another distinctly American musical tradition: jazz.

On the band’s debut album, Heritage, Broder combines several of modern jazz’s most acclaimed composers and arrangers with an outstanding ensemble of gifted musicians to create a striking blend of tradition and innovation. It is at once an inheritance and a new link in a continually growing chain. “Fans of large-ensemble music might notice the sturdy artistic thread that connects bandleaders Maria Schneider, Ryan Truesdell and Owen Broder,” [Bobby Reed, DownBeat Magazine]. A featured project on ArtistShare®, Heritage works in conjunction with the American Folk Art Museum (NYC) in a multi-disciplinary collaboration, using selected related images from their permanent collection as visual companions.