Tenor saxophonist Melissa Aldana is set to make her Blue Note debut with a new album called 12 Stars, coming March 4. Hailing from Santiago, Chile, and now based in Brooklyn, the Grammy-nominated musician has established herself internationally with her work as a bandleader, composer and instrumentalist. On 12 Stars, the Melissa Aldana Quintet features keyboardist Sullivan Fortner, bassist Pablo Menares, drummer Kush Abadey and guitarist Lage Lund, who also handled production for the project. “This is a really important album for me,” says Aldana. “I felt like I had so much to say because of all the experiences I had during 2020. After the personal process I went through, I feel more connected to myself and my own imperfections — and I’ve discovered that it’s the same process with music. Embracing everything I hear, everything I play — even mistakes — is more meaningful than perfection.” 12 Stars features seven new compositions by Aldana, with many of the pieces co-written or arranged by Lund. This includes the opening tune Falling, which highlights the nuanced harmonic interactions between both musicians. You can listen to that track right now.