Vibraphonist Joel Ross has spent the past several years confirming what his 2019 debut KingMaker announced: he is the most significant new voice on his instrument in a generation. The Chicago-born, Brooklyn-based composer released his fifth Blue Note album, “Gospel Music,” in January 2026, an expanded Good Vibes program tracing the arc of the biblical narrative and the fulfillment of a musical upbringing rooted in the church.

The recording features saxophonists Josh Johnson and Maria Grand alongside the band’s longtime core of pianist Jeremy Corren, bassist Kanoa Mendenhall, and drummer Jeremy Dutton, musicians Ross has played with since his teens; critics have described their connection as telepathic, able to shift tempo or key without a glance. Ross deliberately plays with two mallets rather than four, prioritizing melody and sustain over display, and he leads from within the ensemble rather than in front of it.

Good Vibes has evolved across “The Parable of the Poet” and nublues toward music that keeps its intricacy while opening up emotionally; the new material offers meditative space as much as virtuosity. Beyond his own band, Ross remains ubiquitous, from Makaya McCraven’s projects to the Jazz Gallery All-Stars and Blue Note’s all-star quintet OUT OF/INTO.