Grammy® Winner Charlie Porter Hides $10,000 Treasure Hunt Inside New Jazz Album

Groundbreaking release Cipher is the first-ever album to embed a real cash-prize puzzle challenge

NEW YORK, Sept. 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Grammy^® Award–winning trumpeter and composer Charlie Porter today released Cipher, a boldly innovative jazz album that hides a $10,000 treasure hunt inside the music. Listeners are invited to decode nine clues embedded throughout the eight tracks of the album to unlock a map leading to a real-world prize.

Blending world-class performance with immersive gameplay, Cipher turns deep listening into discovery. Each track conceals a sentence embedded directly into the music using ciphers and codes, entwined into melody, harmony, and rhythm. Solving the puzzle does not require advanced knowledge of music or cryptography—just a basic working knowledge and careful listening.

"Cipher is my way of uniting deep musical expression with the spirit of exploration," says Porter. "I wanted to create an experience that pushes beyond listening—an album you can live inside of."

How the Treasure Hunt Works:

• Listen to the album (physical or digital) for clues embedded in the music via ciphers and codes. (The accompanying sheet music can be helpful.)
• Crack the nine clues to assemble a map that directs you to a specific physical location.
• Travel to that location somewhere in the continental United States and retrieve the hidden object redeemable for the $10,000 prize (contestants must provide proof of their solves as described in the Official Rules).
• Study the CD artwork for subtle hints to the clues.

Availability:
Cipher is released today, September 26, 2025, on all major digital platforms. The physical edition is a limited release. For the full album experience, hunt materials, and the Official Rules, visit cipheralbum.com. Additional information and artist news are available at charlieportermusic.com.

About Charlie Porter:
Charlie Porter is a Grammy^® Award–winning trumpeter and composer recognized for his work across jazz, classical, and world music. His 2019 release Immigration Nation was named one of the year's best albums by DownBeat. He has toured internationally as both a soloist and collaborator, performing with artists including Joe Zawinul, Paquito D'Rivera, Joyce DiDonato, and Simone Dinnerstein. Porter is a founding member of the Grammy-nominated Absolute Ensemble, and his collaborations on DiDonato's crossover album Songplay earned him a Grammy Award in 2019. A Fulbright Scholar and graduate of Juilliard and Manhattan School of Music, he currently serves as adjunct professor of trumpet at New York University.

Press Quotes:
"Unorthodox and sophisticated" — Oregon Artswatch

"Porter's playing is fluid, expressive, and magnificent" — DownBeat Magazine

"...one of the most brilliant and imaginative contemporary composers of mainstream jazz." — Chicago Jazz Magazine

Media Contact:
[email protected]

Website: charlieportermusic.com

Treasure Hunt / Rules: cipheralbum.com

SOURCE Charlie Porter