Grammy Award-Winning
Drummer/Composer/Producer/Educator
ADONIS ROSE Presents
Unusual Suspects
Featuring Vocalist PHILLIP MANUEL
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Grammy Award-Winning Drummer/Composer/Producer/Educator
ADONIS ROSE Presents Unusual Suspects Featuring Vocalist PHILLIP MANUEL
Street Date is February 27, 2026 on Moocha Music
The Players: Adonis Rose – Drums/Producer, Max Moran – Bass, Seth Finch - Piano/Fender Rhodes, Steve Masakowski – Guitar, Ricardo Pascal - Tenor/Soprano Saxophones, Stephen Lands – Trumpet, Phillip Manuel - Vocals
Grammy Award-Winning Drummer/Composer/Producer/Educator ADONIS ROSE Presents Unusual Suspects featuring vocalist Phillip Manuel. From the first note it’s clear that we are experiencing a standout addition to this year’s collection of new jazz projects. Rose and acclaimed vocalist Phillip Manuel deliver a recording that is a virtual masterclass in musical craftsmanship. The production is immersive, allowing every nuance of the performances to shine. The arrangements, by Manuel’s longtime writing partner and Musical Director, Michael Pellera are carefully curated to complement each song’s emotional weight. The balance between vocals and instrumentation is exceptional, highlighting Phillip’s signature timbre and phrasing while also leaving ample space for his fellow musicians to shine. Manuel’s voice is beyond rich, possessing a depth of emotion, humanity and truth, that brings to mind Johnny Hartman, and Andy Bey . . . but that’s just for reference, as Phillip Manuel is as singular and purely himself as an artist could be. Regarding the sextet on this disc, they are at the very top of their games and deliver astounding contributions to the music.
The majority of the songs on Unusual Suspects, recorded in the summer of 2025 at Artisound Studios in New Orleans, are former instrumentals and jazz standards that now feature original lyrics by Manuel, including Lee Morgan’s Party Time and The Unusual Suspects by pianist Peter Martin.
Steve Masakowski’s Sixth Ward Strut gets a vocal treatment, as does The Road Less Traveled and I’ll Love You by Joe Sample. Manuel and long-time writing partner Michael Pellera add three compositions to the mix. Rounding out the project is a swinging version of Michael Jackson’s classic, Thriller and Bill Withers’ much covered classic, Hello Like Before.
Lest the idea runs rampant that music of this caliber comes out of nowhere, let’s contemplate the fact that the sun has risen and set in New Orleans thousands of times over many decades while a member of Adonis Rose’s family was getting ready for a gig in a club, a performance in a theater, a second line parade, a festival appearance or a big multi-city tour, and that continues to this day. For Rose, music is life, life is music and was as much a part of his upbringing as learning how to walk and talk. Music filled his house, and was part of everyday life. Every note he plays comes from New Orleans, from his father’s guidance and instruction, the street, the food, the people, and the sights and sounds of everyday life. He hails from two previous generations of New Orleans drummers, his grandfather is Wilfred “Crip” Severin Jr., and his father is Vernon Severin, both first-call, influential drummers from the Crescent City. Rose’s uncle is bassist Chris Severin, also an ubiquitous musician on the NOLA scene.
From this lineage, Adonis Rose launched a career that has seen him become a Grammy-Award winning artist (with the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra for Best Large Ensemble) who has performed and recorded with the biggest names in jazz, including Terence Blanchard, Betty Carter, Dianne Reeves, Marcus Roberts, Harry Connick, Jr., and Wynton Marsalis, and has performed on the most renowned stages in the world such as Carnegie Hall, Olympia in Paris, North Sea Jazz Festival, Umbria, Birdland, Apollo Theater, Newport Jazz Festival, and Jazz at Lincoln Center, to name a few. Rose has over fifty recordings to his credit (five as a leader), including six with trumpeter Nicholas Payton. In January 2017, Rose was named Artistic Director of the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra (NOJO).
He has been instrumental in the organization's success by developing educational and community programs, leading performances, and developing partnerships associated with The Jazz Market, a 350-seat performance venue in the New Orleans’ Central City neighborhood which is home to the Orchestra.
A native of New Orleans, and hailing from a musical family, including a father whose voice would stop people in their tracks, vocalist Phillip Manuel has been a mainstay at clubs and festivals worldwide, performing with such greats at Terence Blanchard and Bill Summers. His recorded music career is known for classic interpretations of the Nat “King” Cole songbook as well as tackling intimate takes on James Taylor’s “Fire and Rain” alongside Ellington and Gershwin compositions.
Rose and Manuel have worked together for years. Manuel has been featured at some of NOJO’s live performances at the Jazz Market and he recorded with NOJO on the orchestra’s Allen Toussaint tribute recording. As well, Rose plays on two of Manuel’s recordings. “Phillip is a gifted vocalist and a hell of lyricist who keeps getting better with age,” Rose said. In fact, Manuel was considering retiring from performing and recording but Rose talked him out of it. Manuel simply says that he’s glad he didn’t retire. So are we . . . !
Portions of this press release can be attributed to the writings of Phillip Manuel and Rob Lloyd (KROBJazz.com)
One Sheet
A one-page overview of Unusual Suspects with album bio, tracklist, credits, and contact information for media and presenters.
Album Assets
