After more than 15 years from releasing his last album, saxophonist Rick Margitza comes back with his long-awaited album "Sacred Hearts", released on February 2021. A deeply personal work that tells the tale of the joys and the struggles that took place during this time, with compositions dedicated to those who passed away and, at the same time, to the new life that emerged from it. This same release marks the debut alongside the Parisian Quartet, with whom Margitza has been collaborating for some time, comprised of the pianist Manuel Rocheman, the bassist Peter Giron and drummer Jeff Boudreaux. Although the songs are mostly a memorial, the overall mood of this album is far from sorrowful. The friendship between the artists transcends its boundaries, and listeners can feel the joy of celebrating life through music. There are moments of melancholy, bitter-sweet touches, but the focus remains on the beauty of life. With Eastern-European origins, Margitza is familiar with the funerary traditions, where the grieving entails mourning music until the burial, after which everyone celebrates in remembrance of the one departed. The album, however, is not defined by this dichotomy, but it does play on the spirit of celebration intertwined with sorrow. It remains an album touched by balance, harmony, mellow, of a splendid musical beauty, much like we are used to from each of Rick Margitza's creations.