JabFung Returns with Their Second Release, ‘In Real Life’

Toronto-born jazz project JabFung, led by bassist Julian Anderson-Bowes and drummer Anthony Fung, returns with their second release, In Real Life. Following their acclaimed debut, Epoch, the new album serves as a defiant celebration of human presence and real-time collaboration in an increasingly digital and cynical world.

Recorded immediately following a spring tour, In Real Life captures the quintet at its most instinctual. The core ensemble, featuring Cuban-Canadian standouts Luis Deniz and Rafael Zaldivar, is expanded for the first time with the addition of celebrated Brooklyn-based trumpeter Adam O’Farrill. The result is a deeply interactive and energetic recording rooted in trust, spontaneity, and shared musical history.

The album’s eight original compositions reflect a balanced compositional partnership between Fung and Anderson-Bowes, with Fung contributing five pieces and Anderson-Bowes three. Across the record, the chemistry between Deniz and O’Farrill stands out in particular, with the two horn players engaging in deeply searching and conversational improvisations that belie the fact that they had only two days together in the studio. O’Farrill’s appearance also marks a meaningful reunion with the leaders, who first connected with the trumpeter during their formative years in the Monterey Youth Big Band and at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.

The visual identity of In Real Life, designed by artist Klara Vanzella Yang, mirrors the album’s thematic concerns. Its holographic cityscape set against a sparse natural backdrop reflects the tension between modern hyper-connectivity and the isolation often hidden within it. Musically and conceptually, JabFung’s latest release is both timely and deeply human.

In Real Life Track Listing:

1. Changes – 8:04
2. Stronger Still – 7:36
3. Respite Piano Smash – 9:36
4. In Transit, Undefined – 4:56
5. Skander – 5:42
6. Methadone for Doomscrolling – 8:21
7. Future Tense – 4:53
8. Woven – 8:14

JabFung ‘In Real Life’ album artwork