The Way Out of Easy, the new album from guitarist Jeff Parker and his long-running ETA IVtet—saxophonist Josh Johnson (SML, Meshell Ndegeocello, Leon Bridges), bassist Anna Butterss (SML, Jason Isbell, Phoebe Bridgers), and drummer Jay Bellerose (Robert Plant, Allen Toussaint, Joe Henry)—is now available on all streaming platforms via International Anthem/Nonesuch Records. Upon the album's physical release last month, it debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Current Contemporary Jazz Albums chart, and Pitchfork named it Best New Music. You can get The Way Out of Easy and hear it here.

"The vibe is laid-back, but it rewards rapt attention," says Pitchfork's Best New Music review. "This exceptional record fixes your attention on the present moment." The New York Times says: "There’s no rush, no showing off, just a shared curiosity." The Observer calls it "a testament to the power of live jazz—a mercurial form that captivates when in the right hands." Paste exclaims: "A believably brilliant measurement of craft ... the ETA IVtet sprawl beautifully through contrasts and collisions."

The Way Out of Easy comprises recordings from Los Angeles creative music outpost ETA—a venue where Parker and this ensemble held a weekly residency from 2016 until it closed in December of 2023. Over seven years of working in that space, the ETA IVtet evolved from a band that played mostly standards into a group known for its transcendent, long-form journeys into innovative, groove-oriented minimalist and mantric improvised music. All four tracks on The Way Out of Easy come from a single night in 2023, providing an unfiltered view of the ensemble, fully in their element, embarking in linear improvisations that unfold across eighty minutes of music recorded and mixed live by engineer Bryce Gonzales.

Gonzales—who is known for the high-end audio gear he builds as Highland Dynamics, and even designed a custom mixer to be able to record this band at ETA—also wrote liner notes for The Way Out of Easy. In his notes, he writes: "For this band, the most important thing to consider is: not doing anything to get in the way of what they are saying to each other.” He also describes the simple schematic he created to capture the recordings—"basically only 4 level controls for one microphone per player"—which is evident in the vivid, clear, and transparent sound on The Way Out of Easy.

On Monday December 16 and Tuesday December 17, the band will play at Zebulon in Los Angeles. In March 2025, Jeff Parker and ETA IVtet will perform at Big Ears Festival in Knoxville. For details and tickets, visit nonesuch.com/on-tour.