Okonski ft. Cochemea – Flying
Okonski are a soul-jazz trio built around Steve Okonski on keys, Aaron Frazer on drums, and Michael Montgomery on bass — all members of Durand Jones & The Indications. “Flying” is their second single of 2026, following February’s “Easy”, and arrives via Colemine Records ahead of a forthcoming EP. It’s also the first Okonski track to feature a guest instrumentalist.
That guest is Cochemea, whose tenor sax turns the trio into a quartet. He’s best known for his work with Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings on the Daptone roster, and carries a reputation as a solo artist and bandleader in his own right. What stands out here is how he fits into the arrangement rather than announcing himself — his lines thread through and around the trio’s playing, always present but never dominating. It’s only in the closing stretch that he and Frazer open up, trading off in a sax and drum solo that brings the track home.
The trio’s approach has always leaned contemplative and patient, and “Flying” stays true to that. What catches my ear is how much space they leave in the arrangement — Cochemea’s sax feels like it’s floating on top of that stillness rather than filling it. There’s a John Klemmer reference in the source material and it’s not a bad one: spiritual playing that earns its emotional weight without spelling it out.
