Northern Spy is pleased to announce Passing Fires, the new album from Jeremy Cunningham, out on October 2nd, 2026.
On Passing Fires, Cunningham expands that collaborative spirit in a striking new direction. Produced by Cunningham alongside Paul Bryan and Josh Johnson, the album transforms intimate piano sketches, family-room recordings, and richly layered studio performances into a vivid meditation on memory, love, and change. Joined by an extraordinary cast—including Jeff Parker, Josh Johnson, Sen Morimoto, Paul Bryan, Makaya McCraven, Lia Kohl, Dustin Laurenzi, Greg Uhlmann, Matt Gold, Lane Beckstrom, Will Miller, and Bob Parlier—Cunningham crafts music that moves effortlessly between hypnotic grooves, psychedelic textures, and tender poetic ballads. The result is his most expansive work to date: an album rooted in friendship, shaped by years of collective music-making, and animated by the quiet beauty found in everyday moments.
Photo by Alexa Vicius
About Jeremy Cunningham
Jeremy Cunningham is a composer, drummer, and producer whose music is shaped through improvisation, storytelling, and a deep connection to Chicago’s creative music community. Long-standing creative relationships and a belief in collective music-making have become the foundation of his practice, where fragments of piano sketches, lines of poetry, field recordings, and rhythmic ideas are transformed into richly layered works that blur the boundaries between jazz, experimental music, and song.
Originally from Cincinnati, Cunningham relocated to Chicago in 2009, where he became an integral part of the city’s vibrant creative music scene. Over the past fifteen years he has performed and collaborated with an expansive community of artists including Jeff Parker, Josh Johnson, Marquis Hill, Greg Ward, Jason Stein, Dave Rempis, Resavoir, Josh Berman, Katie Ernst, Nick Mazzarella, and many others. His ongoing projects include performances with Resavoir, the Josh Berman/Jason Stein Quartet, Christian Dillingham, Greg Ward, Laurenzi/Bryan/Cunningham, and his own ensemble featuring Jeff Parker, Josh Johnson, Sen Morimoto, and Paul Bryan.
His 2020 debut as a leader, The Weather Up There, earned widespread critical acclaim from Pitchfork, TIME, Bandcamp, the Chicago Tribune, Dusted, and others, with Josh Terry calling it “one of the most affecting jazz albums in recent memory.” A deeply personal meditation on the life and loss of Cunningham’s brother Andrew, the album wove together family interviews, improvised performances, and compositions produced alongside longtime collaborators Jeff Parker and Paul Bryan into a work of uncommon emotional depth.
On Passing Fires, Cunningham expands that collaborative spirit in a striking new direction. Produced by Cunningham alongside Paul Bryan and Josh Johnson, the album transforms intimate piano sketches, family-room recordings, and richly layered studio performances into a vivid meditation on memory, love, and change. Joined by an extraordinary cast—including Jeff Parker, Josh Johnson, Sen Morimoto, Paul Bryan, Makaya McCraven, Lia Kohl, Dustin Laurenzi, Greg Uhlmann, Matt Gold, Lane Beckstrom, and Will Miller—Cunningham crafts music that moves effortlessly between hypnotic grooves, psychedelic textures, and tender poetic ballads. The result is his most expansive work to date: an album rooted in friendship, shaped by years of collective music-making, and animated by the quiet beauty found in everyday moments.
“I’ve had the pleasure of watching Jeremy grow into one of the most visionary composer/bandleaders on the scene today. It was truly an honor for me to work with him on The Weather Up There.”
“Jeremy Cunningham’s upcoming record is a testament to his commitment to sound,
feel and creativity that sets him apart from other drummers. I am inspired by his
vulnerable and honest approach to music both as a drummer and composer.”
