An Infectious East Coast Jazz Release from Colin Heshmat Quartet
A wonderful new release from Colin Heshmat recently came out, and the performances on this jazz record are absolutely outstanding, as a lot of it displays a complete and total understanding not only of their instruments, but of dynamic balance and performance that feels alive as you're listening to it.
One of the best attributes about jazz music in general, in my opinion, is that a lot of the material puts you in the moment because it can be improvisational, to an extent.
You have the hooks and the melodies set in place, but some of the other elements of the performances on songs like these are a bit improvised, which gives the song a certain kind of brightness and liveliness that otherwise wouldn't be there.
Because of those elements, you're getting a heavy-handed live performance kind of feel, even though the songs are incredibly well put together, arranged, and composed.
Colin teams up with some outstanding musicians on this record, and the deep-pocketed grooves and rhythms will absolutely grab you.
Calling himself, is very well known as a jazz pianist, bringing together a slew of influences, both classic and fresh, so that he's able to deliver a warm but exciting sound along with that almost endless flow that pulls you in and wraps itself around you.
The record is called Elastic Groove, and the way certain instruments are performed, that title makes amazing sense.
The double or upright bass really gives you some unique bends, twangs, and beautiful tone that backs everything up, and a lot of the time, it takes the spotlight for itself.
In jazz music of this nature, the upright bass isn't just a bass. It is a piece of the puzzle, and it's not used or performed in the standard sense that bass would.
The tone and texture of the instrument come through crisp at times. You can hear the tension on the strings, how he is able to deliver that sort of twang almost effortlessly when it's called for.
The upright bass performance across the entire record is unbelievable, and you can kind of feel the control that he has, along with the love for the instrument and performing on it.
That's the best thing about this record, for me. It's the combination of gorgeous, almost technical achievement and heart.
You have to really love what you're doing to record performances like this.
The whole record sort of whisks you away.
I myself am from the East Coast originally, and I grew up listening to a lot of jazz, as my uncle was actually a bassist.
There's a lot about this record that gives you this East Coast wintertime jazz aesthetic, and that whole feeling is bottled up and put in place amazingly here.
The release starts off with the track called "Sea Breeze", and it's definitely a song that lives up to its name.
You have some amazing horns, percussion that gives the song a smooth overtone and laid-back energy, and the whole thing is kind of calm.
It's funny because they give you this song almost like an introduction to the record. They want to open you up into the album softly.
I think that Colin knew what he was doing when he put the track listing together in general. He wanted the songs to come through in a certain order so that you would get sort of smacked with songs like the next one, "Corner Spot", which gives you a sudden rise in energy and intensity.
This is the track where we start hearing Colin really go off and have a grand old time jamming.
You're immediately pulled into the space that the song gives. You are attached to the infectious energy of it all, and you can sort of feel it in your bones.
The drummer and basically everyone involved is really in that groove, in that pocket, and urging your body to start moving.
Of course, there's some brilliant changes that take place, but this is a song that kind of surprises you because the energy level is so different than the first one.
It's like Colin wanted to put you in a safe space and then pull you right out of it.
The title track of the record sort of follows suit with this vibrant and vivacious jazz approach, twinkling keys and thick bass lines, walking along and swaying you the entire time.
Everything is so colorful, and I definitely got pulled into the atmosphere of this record by the third track.
I genuinely feel like this third song, the title track, is the point of no return.
Once you get to this track, you're in this atmosphere, and there's no coming back out of it until the record's over. Of course, you don't want to leave it either.
Part of the specialness of records like this is that you somehow feel like you're in the band.
You feel like you are part of the music, and the music is a part of you.
Vibrant jazz music uniquely puts you in that particular space and mind frame. It's sort of invigorating, or it can be very relaxing.
It does have the ability to sort of control you in those manners, though.
"Morning in Midtown" also lives up to its title, giving you those clever and memorable jazz melodies and hooks that bounce around in your brain for hours after the song has ended, and true NYC style.
As I said earlier, this whole thing screams East Coast jazz, and once you listen to the full record, you kind of feel like you're there.
Again, maybe that's just me. I grew up on Long Island and spent plenty of time in the city, and there are certain elements of fall and winter that this brand of jazz music really makes me think of, and Colin, along with his cohorts, were really able to put me right back there again.
Absolutely astounding.
Here's the thing: Colin and his fellow performers, who are Yuma Takagi, Rio Sasaki, and Ben Cliness, are not reinventing the wheel.
What they are doing is attaching you to the vibes. They're attaching you to their world and beckoning you to come join in.
They're giving you a familiar space to step into, but one that is lively and electric with energy.
This is for anyone that loves real jazz music, and as for Colin, I feel like this record exemplifies a huge part of who he is as a person.
As a matter of fact, I think it screams it out loud.
So, this is a nice-sized record, spending about an hour in length, and it's perfect for you to just kick back and soak in.
I suggest you stop reading and start listening now, so you can do exactly that.
Don't forget where you heard this first.
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