“His debut album, Sonorous Present, goes deep, offering an intimate reflection of borderlands, memory, and both literal and figurative passages.” — Rolling Stone (Nov 2024) Created through a collaborative and ethnographic-based process inspired by the music & poetics of Chávez’s award-winning book Sounds of Crossing (Duke 2017), Sonorous Present takes up the cultural theme of Borderlands to meditate on issues of race, migration, and loss. An immersive poetic & musical passage, Sonorous Present’s suite of compositions was produced by Grammy Award-winning artist Quetzal Flores. Recorded in Los Angeles & Chicago, dynamic explorations of Mexican Regional & Latin American sounds are deepened by avant jazz arrangements & field recordings, alongside poems written & recited by renowned author/poet Roger Reeves with luminaries from the worlds of traditional Mexican son, jazz, & R&B—including, Martha Gonzalez, Aloe Blacc, Ramón Gutiérrez (Son De Madera), & Matt Ulery. Hauntingly tender & at times cutting, Sonorous Present confidently places Chávez’s songcraft & lyricism on display, highlighting an assured, empathetic voice, as well as his seasoned musicianship & scholarly work.