Raised in Ladera Heights and mentored by Kamasi Washington, Los Angeles multi-instrumentalist Aaron Shaw—co-founder of the duo Black Nile—has long been a vital creative force, collaborating with heavyweights from Herbie Hancock to Tyler, The Creator. However, in 2023, at age 27, his life and livelihood were radically upended by a devastating diagnosis of bone marrow failure, a condition that depleted his red blood cells and stripped away the vital lung capacity required to play his woodwinds. Refusing to be silenced, Shaw navigated a painful but transformative physical and spiritual journey, painstakingly adapting his posture, reeds, and technique to fit his new physical boundaries. The triumphant result of this self-therapy is his debut album, And So It Is (released February 13 on Leaving Records). Co-produced by Carlos Niño and featuring close collaborators like elder statesman Dwight Trible and his brother Lawrence, the deeply intimate eight-song cycle beautifully maps Shaw’s journey through isolation and physical adversity into a state of transcendent, hopeful acceptance.