After a ten-year hiatus, Trombonist and composer John Yao presents the long-awaited return of his stellar big band, the 17-Piece Instrument. Points in Time, out July 11, 2025 via See Tao Recordings, celebrates memorable personal and musical moments from Yao’s two-decade experience in New York City. It’s been 20 years since trombonist, composer, arranger and bandleader John Yao arrived in New York City; 10 years have passed since the release of his first big band album, the exuberant Flip-Flop. He celebrates that tandem anniversary with Points in Time, the long-awaited follow-up by John Yao & His 17-Piece Instrument (JY-17). While the album arrives as a commemoration of those two significant dates, the music it contains is deeply informed by a number of professional and personal milestones that have marked that two-decade journey.

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
Points in Time by John Yao & His 17-piece Instrument

Best Jazz Performance
“Upside” — composed by John Yao

Best Instrumental Composition
“Triceratops Blues” – composed by John Yao

Best Instrumental Arrangement
“Finger Painting” (Herbie Hancock) – arranged by John Yao

Compositions, Conductor, Trombone: John Yao

Saxes: Billy Drewes, Hashem Assadullahi, Rich Perry, Tim Armacost, Carl Maraghi

Trumpet/Flugel: Nick Marchione, John Lake, David Neves, David Smith

Trombones: Matt McDonald,Nick Vayenas, Sam Blakeslee, Max Seigel

Rhythm Section: Hyuna Park. Robert Sabin, Andy Watson

Produced by John Yao

Co-produced by Mike Holober

Recorded at Oktaven Studios, Mount Vernon, NY

Engineered by Ryan Streiber

Mixed by Brian Montgomery

Mastered by Fred Kevorkian

What The Press Is saying

★★★★ “…a hard-swinging recording from an ace large ensemble led by a forward-thinking composer-arranger (and distinguished trombone voice).” — Ed Enright, DownBeat

★★★★ “… Yao, already a respected composer and arranger has taken a large step forward here. Flip-Flop, his first album leading the well-oiled 17-piece Instrument was impressive: Points in Time is even better and warmly recommended.” — Jack Bowers, All About Jazz

“An immersive musical experience. Each track offers both artistic sophistication and genuine emotional resonance…a triumphant return, an artist reclaiming his voice, his vision, and the wide open space of the big band format, and making it sing once more.” —Thierry De Clement, Paris Move

“Yao puts on full display why he’s a recently named Guggenheim Fellow.” — Craig Byrd, Cultural Attache

“Yao reminds us that big band jazz still has something to say and that sometimes, the biggest statements come from the most personal places.” — Tim Larsen, Jazz Views

“A fascinating work that shows how vibrant, exciting and innovative orchestral jazz can sound today.”— Jacek Burn, Jazz Fun

“This work is not just a big band recording but a meditation on growth, struggle and creative clarity.”— Pierre Giroux, All About Jazz

“It’s simply a lot of fun and will appeal to more than just dedicated big band fans.”—Christopher Giese, NRW Jazz