Following his last quintet record, “ensemble | in situ” is an evolving musical anthology that documents the inception, progression and arrival of Lake’s septet ensemble. The album, recorded over the course of five years, details his journey of searching for artistic and personal fulfillment.

Faced with the financial challenge that plagues many independent artists, Lake creatively recorded these songs using the age-old approach: slow and steady wins the race. “At the time, I didn’t really have the resources to create a full length record.”

It was then that Lake took to a Brooklyn-based performance and rehearsal space. “I would just have sessions at IBeam and invite people to come play and work on new tunes. It was really an integral place to my development in New York City.”

The album began to organically fall into place shortly thereafter. Lake recalls, “when it came time to start documenting these songs, it just seemed natural to do it at IBeam. I started calling people that I knew and built up trust with over the years. Then, it occurred to me: we have a record here!”