Cowboys & Frenchmen

The post-bop jazz ensemble Cowboys & Frenchmen, distinguished by its dual alto saxophone frontline, merges inventive expression with technical mastery and broad appeal. In 2015 the group issued its first recording, Rodeo, and followed that effort two years later with Bluer Than You Think, which garnered similar acclaim. A live recording from New York City captured in 2019 combined a concert film with their third album, Our Highway, which appeared in early 2021. The band’s moniker derives from David Lynch’s short film The Cowboy and The Frenchmen. Saxophonists Ethan Helm and Owen Broder helm Cowboys & Frenchmen, with pianist Addison Frei, bassist Ethan O’Reilly, and drummer Matt Honor completing the ensemble. Their initial album, Rodeo—produced by Levi Saelua—came out via Outside In Music toward the end of 2015. The subsequent year brought a concert and educational tour across Texas, including their role as presenters at the 2016 North American Saxophone Alliance Conference. Downbeat Magazine awarded their second effort, 2017’s Bluer Than You Think, a four-star critique. An eight-date tour promoting the record visited venerable jazz venues, among them Blues Alley in Washington, D.C., and Cliff Bell’s in Detroit. Their third project, paired with a concert film, documented a September 29, 2019, performance at SubCulture in N.Y.C. Helm supplied the compositions and performed on both saxophone and flute during the event, with the package emerging on Outside In Music in February 2021.