feature photo: Jen Squires
Shirantha Beddage – one of Canada’s foremost baritone saxophonists – is back with a new band, new music and a tantalizing sneak peek into both.
Beddage’s fourth long-player Departures (October 16 2026, Rhea Records) is a document of graceful modern jazz and bop performed with soul and precise execution. For this occasion, he assembled a whole new ensemble made up of Canadians from different provinces: bassist Jodi Proznick, drummer Jim Doxas and pianist Florian Hoefner.
In the video debuting above, we watch Beddage and his band perform the Depatures selection “Musaladi Vannama,” which means “The Hare” in the Sinhala language of Sri Lanka. Beddage is of Sri Lanan descent and in exploring his heritage, he discovered centuries-old Sri Lankan songs and was struck but their evocative and elegiac melodies. One of two such tunes adapted for this album, “Musaladi Vannama,” is given a thoroughly modern treatment but it remains easy to detect the ancient but enduring qualities of the strain.
Another feature of this track is the presence of guest trumpet player Kevin Turcotte, and his horn is just what’s needed in harmonizing the melody. Hoefner follows Beddage in providing an introspective solo and Turcotte himself acquits himself well in his aside, too.
Pick up the track “Musaladi Vannama” from Bandcamp.
- Shirantha Beddage, “Musaladi Vannama” from ‘Departures’ (2026): Video Premiere - October 9, 2026
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- JabFung, “Respite Piano Smash” from ‘In Real Life’ (2026): Video premiere - May 29, 2026
