Yesterday Tortoise shared North American tour dates, and today guitarist Jeff Parker is announcing a new jazz album with the ETA IVtet. Happy Today arrives in May, and a quarter of it is out now. The album is divided into two side-long tracks, "Like Swimwear" and "Happy Today." Along with the announcement, the IVtet have shared the first half of "Like Swimwear."
"2025 was a very difficult year for me and my family," Parker says in a statement, continuing:
Dealing with being displaced from the Eaton fires for eight months, and the kind of toll that instability took on my family’s mental health and general outlook, coupled with Donald Trump being back in office and basically making life miserable for everyone… There was a lot of sadness and despair. But feeling the sense of community that we created with our concert, and later hearing the recording, seeing the beautiful footage that had been shot and the photographs of such joy to be back in that space and to be making music again: It was a very happy moment. So I called the record Happy Today. It’s meant to be a statement of joy.
Happy Today was recorded and mixed at Lodge Room in Los Angeles on Aug. 20, 2025, and a concert film that captures the session will come out alongside the LP. The ETA IVtet consists of drummer Jay Bellerose, bassist Anna Butterss, and saxophonist Josh Johnson. Parker, Butterss, and Johnson also appear on Flea's newly released debut solo album, Honora. Hear "Like Swimwear (Part One)" below.
TRACKLIST:
01 "Like Swimwear"
02 "Happy Today"
TOUR DATES:
08/22 – Berkeley, CA @ The Freight
08/23 – Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room
08/24 – Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room
08/25 – Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room
Happy Today is out 5/15 via International Anthem/Nonesuch. Pre-order it here.
