Stephen Arnold bassist & composer

BIOGRAPHY

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"Stephen Arnold is already known as one of the most versatile bassists and side musicians on the D.C. jazz scene. His debut album as a bandleader, Sea Change, with his band of the same name, proves that he may be one of the city’s most imaginative composers too."

- Jackson Sinnenberg, Capitalbop

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Sea Change was formed in February 2018 in Washington, D.C., when bassist Stephen Arnold was asked to lead a band at the Göethe-Institut’s Jazz in the Basement series. Since then, Sea Change has been Arnold’s primary outlet for his original compositions, which create a lush, yet flexible contemporary jazz sound that draws upon his love of jazz, folk, rock, and soul as well as years as an in-demand collaborator and sideman in the DMV's vibrant music community. 

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On July 17th, 2026 Stephen Arnold & Sea Change will release their third album The Hitting Wall, a suite of original music reflecting on a decade of growth and change in life and the music itself. The album features Arnold on bass, Brian Settles on saxophone, Brandon Woody on trumpet, Nelson Dougherty on guitar, Federico Peña on piano, and Keith Butler, Jr. on drums.

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Sea Change has released two acclaimed albums of original compositions, with the most recent, Until Now, having been voted Capitalbop’s #2 DC Jazz Album of 2023. Their 2020 debut album Sea Change was a finalist for jazz album of the year at the WAMMIE Awards and the #4 jazz album of 2020 by local jazz blog Capitalbop. Sea Change has been featured in venues such as the 2024 DC Jazz Festival, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Gaithersburg Arts Barn, the Bop Stop at the Music Settlement, Maryland Hall, and An Die Musik.