Jeff Parker's jazz quartet ETA IVtet will release a new album titled Happy Today on May 15 via International Anthem. The LP features two songs exceeding 20 minutes each and serves as a follow-up to the group's 2024 release The Way Out of Easy. Parker described it as a statement of joy amid personal challenges.
ETA IVtet recorded Happy Today live at the Lodge Room in Los Angeles. The album includes tracks titled Like Swimwear and Happy Today. A concert film capturing the recording session will premiere at venues in Chicago's The Land School on May 3, Los Angeles' Vidiots on April 26, and Portland's Mono Space on April 30 and May 1, with an official release on May 29. The band has scheduled performances, including a show at The Freight in Berkeley, California, on August 22, followed by three nights at the Lodge Room in Los Angeles on August 23, 24, and 25. Parker shared in a press statement that the album reflects optimism after a tough year. He noted, “2025 was a very difficult year for me and my family. Dealing with being displaced from the Eaton fires for eight months, and the kind of toll that instability took on my family’s mental health and general outlook, coupled with Donald Trump being back in office and basically making life miserable for everyone.” Reviewing the concert footage brought a positive shift, as he explained: “It was a very happy moment. So I called the record Happy Today.”
