Article Contributed by Gratefulweb
Published on 2026-08-26
NYC-based genre-bending alto saxophonist Connor Sobieri has released “STNFRD,” the second single from his debut album, First Steps, out October 21. Co-written with Archish Arun, the track fuses hip-hop, R&B and rock n’ roll to pay tribute to Arun transferring colleges.
Fresh off announcing the project on viral social media platform Track Star, the 23-year-old musician’s upcoming release combines the jazz tradition with the rock, R&B and hip-hop that defined his upbringing. With many of the tunes written while in recovery from Crohn’s disease, Sobieri will also be donating 10% of all album proceeds to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.
When asked about the release, the saxophonist said, “‘STNFRD’ was written as a farewell to one of my best friends, Archish Arun (of the viral ‘The Simple Pleasures’ track). While I was recovering from a small bowel obstruction due to Crohn's Disease, left unable to play saxophone for nearly 6 months, he left New York City for San Francisco to pursue a different educational path. This was intended to be a light-hearted hip-hop infused diss track against where he ended up, and knowing that, it was only right to ask him to help write it!”
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A musician born in an era with every type of music only a click away, Connor Sobieri’s music has long defied categorization. Drawing from artists across a spectrum of genres, from jazz legends such as Charlie Parker & John Coltrane, to modern-day jazz trailblazers such as Ben Wendel and Donny McCaslin, to the works of ’70s and ’80s psychedelic rock artists, as well as genre-bending music of Kiefer, J. Dilla, Braxton Cook, and more, his music combines the tradition with the diverse music of his upbringing.
Written over the span of five years, each of the alto saxophonist’s compositions depicts a different period of his life, whether that be a turning point, medical trauma, or a triumph. From graduating college to becoming an independent adult post-graduation, the music portrays his personal development, drawing from his youth existentialism to create what he calls “Existential Jazz-Rock.” As a sufferer of Crohn’s disease, a number of the tracks were written in the hospital and/or in recovery from a medical procedure in 2022, a life-threatening situation that left him unable to play his instrument for six months. Instead of letting the pain overcome him when he couldn’t make music with his horn, he wrote music.
Featuring NYC emerging virtuosos Dylan K. Smith, Erika Toda, Archish Arun, Gavin Gray, Wesley Lewis and Chidiebere Joseph Emmanuel, Sobieri’s record came together over two years of experimenting in live performance. Making NYC’s NuBlu their home, the band performed and developed the tracks over a span of months and years, leading to an album that was first written on paper, torn in half by the band’s immense chemistry, and then recorded in only two days at New Haven’s Firehouse 12.
Tracklist:
1. Lost Ones
2. STNFRD - Connor Sobieri, Archish Arun
3. Falling
4. Convalescence (Song For Healing)
5. Loaded Gun (feat. Wesley Lewis)
6. Kintsugi - Connor Sobieri, Archish Arun
7. It's You
About Connor Sobieri:
Born in Greenwich, CT, Connor Sobieri is a genre-bending saxophonist, composer, and bandleader whose music combines the jazz tradition with the rock, R&B and hip-hop he grew up on. Graduating from New York University with a Bachelor of Music (BM) in Jazz Studies in May of 2025, Connor has had the opportunity to perform alongside such names as Alan Ferber, Melissa Aldana, Ryoma Takenaga, and Linda May Han Oh at prestigious venues such as Dizzy’s Club, Birdland, The Appel Room, NuBlu and has toured and recorded internationally.
Since moving to New York in 2021, he has studied with prominent NYC musicians such as Dave Pietro, Tivon Pennicott, Chris Potter, Remy Le Boeuf, Alan Ferber, and Michael Attias among others. He is also a winner of the 2025 John Deak First Music Competition, which culminated with a performance at Dizzy’s Club by the NYYS Jazz Ensemble led by GRAMMY-winning saxophonist Michael Thomas.
