BYNK Records · Quarterly Dispatch · Press Coverage
FROM
FROM
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Dispatches from the studio, the stage, and the catalog — plus press coverage of BYNK releases as it comes in. Four issues a year, and every review that matters.
Quarterly Dispatch · Vol. 1 · Issue 1
New music · Upcoming releases · Events
Summer 2025
Hello there — this is saxophonist Matt Parker. As we head into summer, I wanted to share some new music and a few things we've been working on at BYNK Records. We hope it brings something meaningful into your world as the season unfolds.
New Album · BYNK #005
Rivers
Reggie Watkins
#34 JazzWeek
★★★★ All About Jazz
CBS Talk Pittsburgh
Trombonist Reggie Watkins channels decades of experience, deep Pittsburgh roots, and a spirit of collaboration into Rivers — his fourth studio album and his second for BYNK Records. His first album of entirely original compositions, performed by his dynamic Pittsburgh-based quartet.
"Very few practitioners of the trombone manage to conjure a sound so beautiful, and an approach with such soulful intent. Rivers is the jazz public's best access to his playing to date."All About Jazz
"A dynamic and cohesive post-bop jazz record."Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Listen & Buy →
New Single · BYNK #S100
First They Came
Reggie Watkins & Matt ParkerWhen Reggie Watkins took the stage at Carnegie Music Hall, he brought something more than music. Three pieces — an improvised drone, Pastor Niemöller's poem, and McCoy Tyner's "Contemplation" — performed as one continuous 14-minute arc. Recorded live. The video plays against a black screen, creating space for the words and sounds to land.
Listen & Buy → Watch on YouTube
From the Catalog · BYNK #004
Parker Plays X
Richard X Bennett & Matt ParkerIf you haven't yet — check out Parker Plays X, the co-led debut from pianist-composer Richard X Bennett and Matt Parker. Released in 2023, it continues to find new listeners.
"A series of aural postcards… there is beauty and bristling anger, swinging joy, and quiet contemplation."Elsewhere (NZ)
Listen & Buy →
Coming at BYNK Records
What's Next
BYNK Records is expanding — full-length albums, singles, and EPs. Here's what's coming.
Upcoming EP · 2026
Fire Tornado
Richard X Bennett & Matt Parker — recorded at Firehouse 12, Connecticut. Full-length album to follow in 2027.
Upcoming Album
The Barn
Julio Monterrey (alto sax), Reggie Watkins (trombone), and Matt Parker (tenor & soprano sax). Composition, improvisation, storytelling.
Upcoming Shows — BYNK Artists
Matt Parker
Reggie Watkins
Creating music means the world to us — but ultimately, it's not for us, it's for you. We'll continue to create as much as we can, doing our part to put something meaningful into the world. In times like these, music and art remain some of the most powerful ways we stay connected, inspired, and human.
If you've enjoyed the music, we'd be grateful if you helped spread the word — share it with a friend, a fellow music lover, or anyone who might need it.
Matt Parker Founder · BYNK RecordsPress Coverage
What the critics are saying
★★★★ All About Jazz
"Very few practitioners of the trombone manage to conjure a sound so beautiful, and an approach with such soulful intent. Rivers is the jazz public's best access to his playing to date."
Rivers · Reggie Watkins
Read the review →
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"A dynamic and cohesive post-bop jazz record, reflecting both Watkins' personal journey and the city's rich jazz legacy."
Rivers · Reggie Watkins
Read the feature →
Paris-Move
"A musician of great significance — one to follow closely, for his music is among the most exciting of our time."
Rivers · Reggie Watkins
Read the review →
Wild Mercury Rhythm
"Watkins' mellow trombone fills the sonic space with its low, round tone — following a path paved by J.J. Johnson and Curtis Fuller."
Rivers · Reggie Watkins
Read the review →
Jazz Journal
"Cites J.J. Johnson and Jimmy Knepper as his main men — allowing him to expand his ideas in a setting he favours."
Rivers · Reggie Watkins
Read the review →
John Chacona
"Rivers confirms his intuition in the strongest manner. Bernabe offers surprising, post-Hancock harmonies — Washington pounces on the beat with irresistible lift."
Rivers · Reggie Watkins
Read the feature →
Parker Plays X — Richard X Bennett & Matt Parker · BYNK #004 · 2023
Elsewhere (New Zealand)
"Almost ridiculously enjoyable… a series of aural postcards with beauty and bristling anger, swinging joy, and quiet contemplation."
Parker Plays X
Read the review →
Avid Admirer — Reggie Watkins · BYNK #003 · 2016
★★★★ DownBeat Magazine
"Fresh and inviting… Bennett pursues his own path to take us somewhere unexpected."
Parker Plays X
Mojo Magazine
"The danceable quirkiness of his compositions rarely obscures their depth or poise."
Parker Plays X
London Jazz News
"A lively and engaging journey laced with tuneful grooves, raga influences and funky patterns."
Parker Plays X
NYC Jazz Review
"Unabashedly joyous, groove-centric, spiritually danceable."
Parker Plays X
Making a Scene
"Bennett's musical preferences span a wide range — from New Orleans funk to Indian ragas to blues. Parker adds momentum and wild energy."
Parker Plays X
Read the review →
DownBeat Editors' Pick · July 2016
"A serious and heartfelt jazz album — accessible and soulful, with Orrin Evans' personal stamp making it work."
Avid Admirer · Reggie Watkins
Hot House Magazine
"Reggie Watkins manages to improvise with originality and creativity, avoiding clichés — developing an entirely distinctive trombone style."
Avid Admirer · Reggie Watkins
★★★★½ DownBeat — Present Time
"Recalling the multi-horn approach of Rahsaan Roland Kirk while embodying his own tireless explorative spirit."
Present Time · Matt Parker
JAZZIZ — Present Time
"Straightahead or on the edge, Matt Parker welcomes listeners with warmth and wit."
Present Time · Matt Parker
★★★★ DownBeat — Worlds Put Together
"A distinctive and audacious new voice in jazz. Restlessly inventive, showcasing his resourcefulness and playfulness."
Worlds Put Together · Matt Parker
All About Jazz
"A fully formed artist — one with his own unique voice and singular vision."
Matt Parker
Something Else Reviews
"Crazily exuberant and undeniably soulful. Just a very fun album. Some tracks go flying off the rails — but that just makes it more exciting."
Worlds Put Together · Matt Parker
The BYNK Records Quarterly
Summer 2025
Vol. 1 · Issue 1
Live Now
Fall 2025
Vol. 1 · Issue 2
Coming This Week
Winter 2026
Vol. 1 · Issue 3
Spring 2026
Vol. 1 · Issue 4
Get Every Issue
Quarterly dispatches from BYNK Records — new music, press coverage, and what's coming next. Four times a year.