Contemporary jazz saxophonist Michael Cates opens up on “Us”

The new album is an intimate collection about his relationship with his wife as she fought for her life.

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. (X NOVEMBER 2025): Saxophonist Michael Cates’s new album, “Us,” is a love story with a happy conclusion, yet it could have had a tragic ending. The same day that he and his wife, Judy, celebrated their 29^th wedding anniversary last August, she was diagnosed with a massive tumor on her spinal cord, living inside the spinal canal. A life-saving surgery took place soon after in Dallas. As Judy entered the ICU for the surgery performed by a world-renowned brain and spine surgeon, Cates told her that the album he had been working on would now be titled “Us” and he presented her with the album cover – an image of the two of them kissing. The Sonic Redoubt Entertainment album, which Cates wrote and produced, is out now on all major digital platforms.

The day of Judy’s diagnosis, Cates was devasted and struggled to process the very real possibility that he may lose his wife, the partner who believes in him and selflessly stood by him for over thirty years while he pursued his music career. Seeking solace in his recording studio, Cates wrote “Judith Lorraine,” the new single from “Us” that will begin collecting playlist adds and airplay on November 17.

“I told Judy that this is a song of power and great healing and the gates of hell better get out of my way because I had it on Divine authority that the Lord Himself had inspired me through prayer to transcribe what he planted into my consciousness when writing this song for her. As we entered the hospital for this terribly difficult surgery, I knew she was going to come out of it healthy. And the song played on in my head, and her head and heart, too,” said Cates who brought in Billboard hitmaker Blake Aaron to co-produce and mix “Judith Lorraine.” 

Cates wrote most of the music for his fourth solo album prior to Judy’s life-altering diagnosis. Writing “Judith Lorraine” the day of her diagnosis, he wrote “Recovered” in the ICU post-surgery.

“I lived in the ICU with Judy as she healed from the surgery. ‘Recovered’ is full of joy and you can feel it in the production,” said Cates about the celebratory track that opens the album.

“Us” is a dynamic collection of a dozen R&B, funk, contemporary jazz, blues, and pop cuts. GRAMMY-winning keyboardist Jon Gilutin co-produced three tracks with Cates (“Your Shadow,” “Summer Breeze,” and “South 45”) and GRAMMY® nominated keyboardist Rob Mullins wrote and co-produced “Here In My Heart.” Cates’s inspired and impassioned alto and tenor saxophone is supported on the album by Gilutin and Mullins’s keyboards, guitarists Randy Jacobs, Paul Pesco, and Todd Parsnow; bassist Larry Antonino, and drummer Sergio Gonzalez. Cates also plays guitar on the album.

Last summer before Judy’s health scare, Cates dropped a single, “77 Hours,” to preview the album. The song was submitted for a GRAMMY® nomination as Best Instrumental Composition.

The album’s lone remake, Seals & Croft’s “Summer Breeze,” is a sensory memory tied to when Cates first met his wife. He reimagines the song as a romantic ballad.

“The song lyrics about jasmine always represents an image of beauty to me. Whenever I smell jasmine, I’m instantly back in Irvine meeting Judy in a parking lot near John Wayne Airport. We were near some jasmine that night and the song’s lyrical association made me want to record this song, which I do love,” shared Cates who splits his time between living in California and Texas.

Growing up in New Jersey, Cates’s breakthrough came after moving to Los Angeles and winning a recurring role as “the saxophonist” for five seasons on David E. Kelly’s Emmy Award-winning television series “Ally McBeal.” To date, Cates has released four albums, a pair of EPs, and singles that consistently hit the national charts. As a concert performer, he’s played major US and international jazz festivals and renowned venues. Cates has performed with or shared the stage with Jennifer Lopez, Elton John, Barry White, Joe Sample, Tina Turner, and Mariah Carey, among others.     

Two weeks after Judy’s surgery, the Cates’ found out that the tumor was benign. Relieved, her recovery continues as Cates’s album offering arrives.

“Before we could even wake from the nightmare, it was over, and we were home again. It all happened so fast,” Cates said before getting emotional.

“Judy has given me thirty years and asked for nothing. For many tens of thousands of nonrefundable hours, my wife has sacrificed her years and her comfort to let me continue to compete as a recording artist. I gave her ‘Us,’ an album that is entirely about her and our life together. In comparison, that’s not much, but it is all I have. I poured every ounce of me into this group of twelve tracks – for her.” 

“Us” contains the following songs:
“Recovered”
“Vibes”
“Here In My Heart”
“All Saxed Up”
“Her Dangerous Touch”
“Judith Lorraine”
“Go”
“77 Hours”
“Your Shadow”
“Classified”
“Summer Breeze”
“South 45”

For more information, please visit https://michaelcates.com.