We’ve featured Rachel Eckroth and John Hadfield separately in the past, but the two artists have teamed up to produce great music together as a duo. Adding a large dose of electronics to jazz, they have created something special with Speaking in Tongues. Contemporary Fusion hails the record’s “inventive, imaginative, inspiring improvisations” while All About Jazz calls out “Phase and Libration Part 1 and ‘Part 2 are triumphs of the collaborative spirit. Without a vestige of doubt, an early best-of-2025 contender.”

The duo employs an impressive array of instruments between them. Vocalist / keyboardist Eckroth plays piano, electric piano, synths and mellotron. Percussionist Hadfield uses traditional drums, as well as machines, tape loops, drums, kalimbaa, crotales, Morfbeats, Gamelan Strips, and Myanmar Bells.

As a leader, Eckroth has released eight albums and played with a wide variety of artists, including St, Vincent, KT Tunstall, Chris Botti, and Rufus Wainwright. Hadfield has released several albums and singles as a leader of various collectives and performed with Ron Blake, Yo Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble, Kinan Azmeh, and Kenny Werner, among others.