No matter where his career might take him or how his music might evolve, composer Dr. Anthony Branker has always found a receptive and encouraging audience in his mother Joan. Even as many of the connections and memories they forged over his lifetime have faded in the face of her ongoing struggle with dementia, Dr. Branker’s music has remained a vivid source of joy and bonding for mother and son.

Inspired by Joan Branker’s resilience and a celebration of her life, Songs My Mom Liked finds Branker’s stellar ensemble Imagine revisiting a dozen of his mother’s favorites from the composer’s own catalogue, imbuing them with impassioned new life. Due out June 21, 2024, Songs My Mom Liked is the third outing for Imagine and Branker’s 10th release for Origin Records, and features a remarkable all-star lineup: saxophonist Donny McCaslin, trumpeter Philip Dizack, pianist Fabian Almazan, bassist Linda May Han Oh, drummer Rudy Royston and guitarist Pete McCann, with guest vocalist Aubrey Johnson.

“A few years ago I started taking my mom for car rides, and along the way I would play some music from earlier albums that I thought that she would remember,” Branker recalls. “Lo and behold, there were moments when I could see her brighten and perk up. Her body would start to move and dance a little bit in her seat, and sometimes she would even sing or hum some of the melodies. Music can be a really powerful window to the past.”

Songs My Mom Liked is far from the first time that Joan Branker’s tastes have helped to guide her son’s creative process. Oftentimes as he composed the music for a new album, Dr. Branker would share work-in-progress sound files with his mother to gauge her reaction. A native of Trinidad in the West Indies, Joan brought with her a deep love for calypso music that she joined with her passion for jazz, soul and R&B. While she wasn’t a musician, Dr. Branker speaks movingly of her beautiful singing voice.