Since the release of his debut album, First Impressions, in 1988, guitarist Eric Essix has remained committed to documenting his musical journey—offering listeners an intimate look into both the artist and the man behind the music. As Eric often says, he has maintained consistency“by keeping my head down, moving forward, and focusing on the work.” Now, nearly four decades later, he will celebrate the release of his 30th album, Things Above, in 2027. Rooted deeply in faith, the project carries an inspirational, reflective, and spiritual tone throughout with nods to several different musical styles.

The album’s first single, “Streets Of Gold,” fulfills a collaboration Eric has envisioned for many years with renowned jazz saxophonist Marion Meadows. On the track, Meadows blends his signature soprano saxophone sound with a rare recorded performance on tenor sax, bringing both warmth and intensity to the song. “Before I even heard Marion’s track, he texted me and said, ‘You’re gonna be surprised,’ and he was right,” Eric recalls. “I’ve known and worked with him for a long time, but I had never heard him play tenor. For him to bring that sound to Streets Of Gold was such a treat.”

Joining Eric as the core ensemble on Things Above are longtime friend and collaborator, Grammy Award-winning producer and multi-instrumentalist Kelvin Wooten on piano and organ; fellow Berklee College of Music alumnus and legendary drummer Lil’ John Roberts; and acclaimed Atlanta bassist Joel Powell on upright acoustic bass. “With this milestone project, I wanted to introduce a new sound into my music through different players and instrumentation,” Eric says, “while intentionally channeling the Master Creator throughout the entire process.

Streets of Gold will release on July 17th!