Old Adam on Turtle Island
Photo Sara Anke Morris
John Dikeman – saxophone
Marta Warelis – piano
Aaron Lumley – bass
Sun-Mi Hong – drums
“Dikeman’s two ambitious suites are masterful works of beauty, showcasing his skill not just as a saxophonist but as a composer and collaborator.”
— Mark Corroto, All About Jazz
“This collective quartet sounds bigger than its parts, intense and expansive, poetic and moving.”
— Eyal Hareuveni, Salt Peanuts
“A breathtaking spectacle that continually keeps you on the edge of your seat.”— Erno Elsinga, Jazzenzo
No. 6 in The Necessary Blues’ Top 50 New Jazz and Experimental Albums of 2025
Old Adam on Turtle Island brings together tenor saxophonist and composer John Dikeman, pianist Marta Warelis, double bassist Aaron Lumley and drummer Sun-Mi Hong. Initially an improvising ensemble formed in 2019, the quartet developed into a vehicle for Dikeman’s compositions while retaining a strong emphasis on the individual voices of its four musicians. Their music combines intense free improvisation, explorations of sound and fractured grooves, with deep emotion and close interaction.
The group takes its name from a cycle of compositions by Dikeman, released on the New York label Relative Pitch Records in 2025. “Old Adam” evokes the Christian idea of original sin, while “Turtle Island” refers to an Ojibwe creation story in which life begins again on the back of a turtle after a great flood. Placing these references together, the title brings the legacy of European colonisation into contact with the spiritual traditions of the land it sought to possess.
The quartet’s recent performances include KAAP in Ostend, Ha Concerts in Ghent, Rataplan in Antwerp and the BIMHUIS in Amsterdam as part of the Interlinie series in collaboration with Sound in Motion and Space is the Place. A Canadian tour is planned for June of 2027.