(October 3, 2026) — Contemporary jazz favorite Brian Culbertson is marking a major career milestone with the announcement of his 30th album, The Midnight Tapes, due February 5, 2027.
For the new project, Culbertson took a decidedly hands-on approach, playing every instrument himself — 44 in all — including piano, bass, drums, guitar, trumpet, trombone, Fender Rhodes, Hammond B3 and an array of percussion. The album was written, recorded and mixed in just three months, with Culbertson also handling production, arrangements and engineering.
“This album was kind of an accident, as I never planned to play everything myself,” Culbertson says. What began as a test of a vintage 1970s drum kit soon grew into a full recording after friends Nicholas Cole and Adrian Crutchfield encouraged him to keep going.
The Midnight Tapes blends Culbertson’s familiar mix of jazz, funk and soul with a vintage late-night feel. The nine-song set also includes his take on Bootsy Collins’ classic “I’d Rather Be With You,” which received an enthusiastic thumbs-up from Collins himself.
The album’s first single, the funky “’76 Monte Carlo,” premieres October 5 on SiriusXM Watercolors, ahead of its November 27 digital release.
The Midnight Tapes track listing: “’76 Monte Carlo,” “Before We Kiss,” “Cool With Me,” “I’d Rather Be With You,” “You Got It,” “Can’t Stop Love,” “Let’s Talk About It,” “In Your Arms” and “Shared Memories.”
