Music

Released in June of 2024, In Situ was heralded by All About Jazz as an "ear and eye opening" album with “inquisitive gusto” that is “full of grand histories.” It was included on Couleurs Jazz Radio’s “best releases of the month” curation and featured in prestigious media outlets like Strings Magazine and Women in Jazz Media. It has been played across airwaves in the USA and Europe such as NPR (USA), Coulers Jazz Radio (France), and Jazzkultura (Poland).

In situ is an archaeological term which refers to the original position of an artifact found in place. When she was 21, Torres spent five weeks excavating Maya ruins in the Belizean jungle. When she found her first artifact, she felt a sense of awe and temporal connection, that she drew on years later when recording In Situ. This sense of temporal connection is reflected in the album’s  textures, improvisational languages, and inclusion of both original compositions and arrangements of jazz standards.

In July of 2022, Alexa set out on a one-year trip to interview and collaborate with jazz violinists across Belgium, France, and Poland. She recorded In Situ in preparation for this journey, to internally reflect on the places and experiences that influence her personal musical positionality before turning her gaze externally to new soundscapes. Intertwining Latinx rhythms, devices stemming from modern jazz, and improvisation, In Situ reflects an intimate engagement with the jazz tradition and Torres’s Latinx heritage.

Alexa’s violin is supported by a rhythm section of talented musicians: Mario Wellmann on guitar, Josh Newburry on bass, and Jordan Proffer on drums. Weaving an aural landscape that is both historically and personally grounded, In Situ sculpts a sonic bridge between the past and present, between tradition and innovation, and between musical idioms and cultures.