Blue Earth Sound - The St. Louis Sessions 10" Vinyl LP

Following the release of his debut album 'Cicero Nights', multi-instrumentalist and composer James Weir returns with a collection of recordings documenting a spontaneous creative moment shared with friends and collaborators in St. Louis. The sessions took place in the living room of long-time artistic collaborator Austin LeMoine, where Weir brought a handful of demos down from Chicago to explore in LeMoine’s newly built home studio.

What followed was a relaxed but inspired session that pulled in players from the local St. Louis jazz scene. Saxophonist Jawaad Spaan and trumpeter Josiah Burton joined the group, and after bonding over drinks and shared musical taste, the musicians recorded horn takes live together over Weir’s skeletal demos.

Across the EP, deep bass grooves, clean guitar lines, Wurlitzer textures and expressive horn arrangements move fluidly between improvisation and careful post-production. Lead single ‘Chartreuse’ emerged as the group were learning the ins and outs of the new studio set-up, built around a hypnotic rhythm section and drifting guitar lines before being reshaped in post into a hazy, layered groove. Follow-up single ‘Japanese Green’ leans into the influence of Japanese jazz and 90s R&B, pairing swinging Wurlitzer chords with tightly unified horn melodies and a low end that pushes the track forward with a warm, cruising energy.

The EP’s focus track, ‘Fresh Air’, captures the collaborative spirit of the sessions at its most free-flowing. Built around a guitar demo that was later harmonised and expanded with horns and a groove inspired by classic J Dilla samples, the track was constructed in reverse, with horn parts recorded first before the rest of the arrangement was built around them, giving the piece its open, breathing feel.

Together, the recordings capture the warmth and spontaneity of musicians sharing a room and following instinct, balancing hypnotic grooves with moments of late-night reflection. Where 'Cicero Nights' introduced Blue Earth Sound’s cinematic world of psychedelic jazz and instrumental soul, ‘The St. Louis Sessions’ offers a more intimate snapshot of the project in motion.

Blue Earth Sound is the instrumental project of Chicago-based multi-instrumentalist and composer James Weir, blending cinematic jazz, soul and psychedelic instrumental textures into richly atmospheric soundscapes. Named after his roots in Blue Earth County, Minnesota, the project reflects both a sense of place and Weir’s collaborative approach to music-making. His debut album 'Cicero Nights', released via Root Records, introduced the project through eight immersive instrumentals inspired by late-night city wanderings, recorded with a cast of Chicago collaborators including International Anthem engineer Dave Vettraino and Resavoir trumpeter Will Miller.

Since its release, Blue Earth Sound has gathered international support across tastemaker radio, including BBC Radio 3, BBC 6 Music via Huey Morgan, and KEXP, establishing the project as a rising voice within the new wave of cinematic, groove-driven instrumental music emerging from Chicago and beyond.