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For those unaware, when trombonist and composer Eli Howell set out to record his debut album, Steps Taken (releasing April 10th, 2026 on D Clef Records), he imagined a celebratory capstone to his years at Michigan State University. Instead, he woke to find Lansing ripped apart by a tornado.

Lightning had struck Troubadour Recording Studios — the space booked for a full-band sextet date — leaving it unusable overnight. With musicians already in town, postponement wasn’t an option, so Howell, producer (and modern trombone leader) Michael Dease, and engineer Corey DeRushia improvised a solution: they built a makeshift, all-in-one-room studio at MSU.

The music also reflects a deeper personal arc. In the fall of 2023, Howell — now based in Harlem — developed focal dystonia (a neurological movement disorder causing sustained muscle contractions or spasms) that forced him to stop playing for a year. “It happened over like two weeks,” he says. “I just started to lose the ability to play.”

The long rehabilitation reshaped his practice and perspective. “Coming back from that really made me find a lot of joy in playing again,” he continues. “Getting up and playing scales in the morning didn’t feel like checking something off — it was like, wow, I’m actually excited to do this now.”

Thus many of the album’s originals were written during that uncertain period, marking his path toward recovery and renewed purpose.

1. Matchmaker
2. I Remember Al
3. For Garrison
4. A Clear Sky
5. One For Steve
6. Reimagined
7. Alone Together
8. Say When
9. Dear Helen
10. A Vontade Mesmo

Marking the arrival of a young trombonist deeply rooted in tradition, sharpened by adversity, and lifted by the community around him, Howell opens his new recording on the ___________ of Matchmaker and then we are gifted the ____________ of I Remember Al, the __________ of For Garrison, before the ____________ of A Clear Day (itself inspired by a winter morning in Maine) and the ___________ of One For Steve (which pays tribute to trombonist Steve Davis) are both brought forth.

Along next is the _______________ of Reimagined and the _________ of Alone Together and they are in turn backed seamlessly by the __________ of Say When and the ______________ of Dear Helen (dedicated to Howell’s great-grandmother, a silent-film-era organist), the whole new set coming to an all-too-soon close on the _____________ of Raul de Souza’s A Vontade Mesmo.

The personnel on Steps Taken — rooted in Howell’s admiration for the three-horn language of the Jazz Messengers and One for All — represent the mentors who guided him. Trumpeter Brian Lynch, whose tenure with Art Blakey helped inspire Howell’s sextet concept, brings blistering precision; saxophonist Sharel Cassity, an early influence, adds fire and lyricism.

The rhythm section features pianist Xavier Davis, bassist Rodney Whitaker, and drummer Ulysses Owens Jr., each a crucial shaping force in Howell’s development. Trombone great Wycliffe Gordon and producer Michael Dease appear as featured guests. “It meant a lot that they trusted me enough to say yes to this,” Howell says. “Some of them hadn’t even really heard my music. They wanted to help and be part of my journey.”

Eli Howell @ Facebook