Cindy Blackman-Santana’s new record is called Coherence. It’s her biggest and most ambitious record yet. Coherence includes special guests like Carlos Santana, John McLaughlin, bassist Matthew Garrison, keyboardist Ray Angry, and string arrangements from Dave Eggar. But it is Cindy’s new band that steals the show on Coherence. Her new band features saxophonist Emilio Modeste, pianist Zaccai Curtis, guitarist Aurelien Budynek, and bassist Felix Pastorius. They are on tour right now, and as you will hear on the new record, they are tearing it up! As a well recorded and creative bandleader with 11 records as a leader, Modern Drummer is always excited to hear what Cindy has up her musical sleeves. So we sat down to talk with Cindy about what makes this record different, her new band, her love of melody, and to learn about the process, concept, and inspiration behind each track. Photo by Alex Kluft MD: […]

October 2026 Issue