Saxophonist Steve Cole to Release New Album “Sleight of Hand” on June 5th, 2026 | LISTEN! Announces Tour Dates for 2026
Saxophonist Steve Cole Announces New Album Sleight of Hand
10 New Original Songs Produced by David Mann
Combining Smooth Jazz, Disco & the Sound of Minneapolis
Out June 5 via Mack Avenue Music Group / Artistry Music
Listen to the First Single “Knock Out”
Ahead of Its Release This Friday
UPDATE May 22nd, 2026: LISTEN to Second Single “Maceology” feat. Cory Wong” Below!
April 27, 2026: Today, saxophonist and composer Steve Cole announced his new album Sleight of Hand will be released June 5 via Mack Avenue Music Group / Artistry Music. Partnering with his longtime producer and co-writer David Mann for a collection of 10 new original songs, Cole combines the sounds of two cities, Chicago and Minneapolis, that have come to define his musical identity. The first single “Knock Out” will be released this Friday – an instant classic that leans into the soul of Teddy Pendergrass, you can listen to the song below.
The exhilarating sound that has made Steve Cole one of the most popular artists on today’s contemporary jazz scene was forged in two cities: his native Chicago and his longtime home of Minneapolis. “My whole musical foundation was built in Chicago,” Cole says. “It’s where I cut my teeth and it will always be my home. But I feel like I’ve come into my own in Minneapolis, and I’ve done my best work over the 17 years that I’ve lived here. I’ve been so inspired by the artistic community here and by the relationships I’ve formed with the brilliant musicians in the city. I don’t think I would be where I am today if I lived anywhere else.”
Sleight of Hand revels in the eclectic and beguiling funk and soul of the two cities that the saxophonist has called home. Cole brings together infectious grooves, sensual ballads and a thrilling energy with a captivatingly layered production, a tricky proposition that suggests the illusory misdirection of the title.
The musicians that breathe such vivid life into Sleight of Hand represent Cole’s local community as well as the extended network of collaborators that he has met through his travels across the globe. They include guitarist Bernd Schoenhart (Cher, Marc Anthony); trumpeter Trevor Neumann (The Eagles, Jeff Lorber); bassists Mel Brown (Stevie Wonder, The Temptations) and Will Lee (Paul Shaffer, The Brecker Brothers); and drummers Brian Dunne (Hall and Oates, Ariana Grande) and Eric Valentine (Joe Satriani, Erykah Badu).
Cole’s first call upon relocating to Minneapolis was organist Ricky Peterson, who enjoyed a two-decade collaboration with David Sanborn and worked with Prince as both a producer and a keyboardist at various times throughout the Purple One’s legendary career. For the single “Maceology,” a raucous, funky tribute to the great James Brown/P-Funk saxophonist Maceo Parker, Cole called on the most in-demand funk guitarist in music today, Cory Wong (Vulfpeck, Fearless Flyers) – a longtime acquaintance who had joined Cole’s band for one memorable night at Dakota Jazz Club early in Wong’s meteoric rise to fame.
Sleight of Hand is a joyous and celebratory affair, showcasing the love and reverence that Cole maintains for his two musical homes, their bold spirits and their breathtakingly diverse sounds.
Photo Credit: Aaron Rice
Tour Dates
May 2: Milford, CT – Smooth Jazz for Scholars at Parsons Complex
May 12: Albufeira, Portugal – Algarve Smooth Jazz Festival 2026 at Pine Cliffs Resort
May 23: Minneapolis, MN – Dakota (Record Release Show)
Aug 13: Oakland, CA – Yoshi’s
Aug 14: Seal Beach, CA – Spaghettini
Aug 15: Phoenix, AZ – Musical Instrument Museum
Oct 16: London, UK – Indigo at The O₂ (with Dave Koz, Marc Antoine & Rebecca Jade)
Nov 22: Chicago, IL – Smooth Jazz Chicago at Loews Hotel Chicago O’Hare
Follow Steve Cole:
Official Website – Instagram – Facebook
Missing Piece Group