ISAIAH COLLIER RELEASES NEW SINGLE “GOD’S BY YOUR SIDE” OFF OF FORTHCOMING EP ‘JOY’ COMING OUT JULY 30 VIA BROWNSWOOD RECORDINGS

In a world currently defined by unrest, uncertainty, and cultural fracture, acclaimed saxophonist, composer, multi-instrumentalist and bandleader Isaiah Collier returns with Joy, a 5-track EP that reframes one of humanity’s most nuanced emotions both as a devotional grounding and political act. Joy will be released on Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Recordings on July 30, 2026.

Today, Collier has released the second single “God’s By Your Side,” an original composition steeped in gospel flavor and direct influence from both D’Angelo’s vocal and instrumental arrangements. Reflecting on perseverance and artistic legacy tipping its hat to D’Angelo, whose life’s work was a huge part of Collier’s upbringing growing up in the late 90s and early 00s, the track speaks to resilience and persistence in the face of obstacles—an affirmation of source and reassurance. “And what’s better than having God by your side, right?” asserts Collier.

Listen to “God’s By Your Side” | Watch Official Video | Pre-Save & Pre-Order Joy

The single is accompanied by a live studio video featuring Collier on vocals & percussion, his brother Jeremiah Collier on drums, Richard Gibbs III on piano & keyboards, and Gerald Crawford on bass recorded at SHIRK Studios in Chicago, Illinois by videographer Michael Gaether.

Collier’s deeply personal compositions present joy as an act that isn’t rooted in escapism or abstraction, but rather, as something hard-won rooted in lived experience, shaped by transformation, and sustained through connection. Throughout the album’s five compositions, Collier positions joy as a guiding light during challenging times, an expression of challenging yourself to utilize your gifts, an affirmation of love and discovery, and as an affirmative source of reassurance.

“We are in a paradoxical time, where so much is being revealed to us,” Collier shares. “Everything feels political from every scope… our collective hearts feel the heaviness in the air. Yet I say to you all—don’t despair. For right now, the most political thing we can do is share joy.”

That ethos was made clear in the lead single and title track “Joy.” A pulsing rhythmic motif anchors the melody with a sense of both searching and certainty. Collier conceived the piece around 3 years ago reflecting on a time where many people in his life were experiencing loss of family and friends and experiencing profound life transitions. “Everything just felt like it was falling apart with no aim in sight,” he reflects. “Yet, there is a light at the end of it all.”

As he played the chords with a sense of urgency, he could feel the vibration of yellow in the piece. That initial triplet motif serves as the guiding light on the piano and the only word Collier could hear was Joy. In addition to Collier at the helm singing and playing piano and tenor sax on the track, it features an expansive 11-piece ensemble with a full horn and string section allowing Collier’s propensity for composition and arrangement to shine with an eclectic sonic palette.

Joy is a through-and-through expression of the arc of joy in its truest form. Joy transcends fleeting happiness and is conscious gratitude shaped by taking chances, leaning into your gifts, fostering community, and lived experiences.

“Joy is partially happiness,” Collier explains. “But to me it means happily being grateful for family, friends, lovers, teachers, and good times. These are the things that anchor us.”

The release of Joy comes off the heels of significant momentum for Collier, whose work continues to garner accolades and resonate across cultural spheres. He was featured on the cover of DownBeat’s April 2025 issue, where he was named “The Next Sax Giant,” and profiled on NPR’s Jazz Night in America for his ambitious 13-movement interdisciplinary suite The Story of 400 Years, that traces 400 years of Black American History. He released two full-length albums in 2024 with The World Is on Fire highlighted in The New York Times’ Fall Arts Preview and The Almighty named among the publication’s Best Jazz Albums of the year.

Beyond performance and recoding, Collier’s influence is recognized in broader cultural and intellectual spaces as he was the recipient of the Jazz Journalists Association’s 2025 Up and Coming Artist of the Year Award, the 2024 Chicagoan of the Year in Jazz, and was named a Steve Jobs Archive Fellow joining an elite cohort of the next generation of artistic visionaries through a yearlong program.

In addition to the release of Joy, Collier is touring his “Collier Plays Coltrane” program throughout 2026 in honor of John Coltrane’s centennial. Rather than presenting Coltrane’s expansive catalog as repertory, Collier approaches this music as something living, reshaping it in real-time with a sense of space and improvisational dialog reflecting both reverence to the past and present times.

For more information on Isaiah Collier’s Joy, please visit ic-joy.com

ISAIAH COLLIER 2026 TOUR DATES

June 25: Edmonton Jazz Festival – Edmonton, Canada

June 26: JAW 20 Family Reunion – Berlin, Germany

July 1: Vancouver Jazz Festival – Vancouver, Canada

July 3: Montreal Jazz Festival – Montreal, Canada

July 5: Saskatoon Jazz Festival – Saskatoon, Canada

July 21: Ronnie Scott’s – London, UK

August 9: LA Jazz Festival – Los Angeles, CA

September 5: DC Jazz Festival – Washington D.C.

September 6: Chicago Jazz Festival – Chicago, IL

September 26: Monterey Jazz Festival, Monterey, CA

September 30: Jazz Alley – Seattle, WA

October 3: Segerstorm Center for the Arts – Costa Mesa, CA