[TR24][OF] Gilad Hekselman (with Joe Martin, Marcus Gilmore & Jeff Ballard) - Homes - 2015 (Post-Bop, Contemporary Jazz)

In regards to New York City based jazz guitarist Gilad Hekselman, one thing is abundantly clear: he continues to establish himself as one of the most brilliant and creative voices on the scene today. Nothing here comes as a surprise. First bringing him to the spotlight was his 2006 release of “Split Life”, followed by his 2009 “Words Unspoken”, 2011 “Hearts Wide Open”, 2013 “This Just In”, and now his brand new exciting release of “Homes”.

Joined by bassist extraordinaire Joe Martin and drummers Marcus Gilmore and Jeff Ballard, Hekselman brings a rare breed of creativity and life to the compositions on Homes. Martin and Gilmore have been a part of his established trio for years now and the chemistry is better than ever.

The theme of Homes is inspired by Hekselman’s rigorous traveling and touring. “Being a traveling musician you go to different places, and different places start feeling like home as well. So it’s like this feeling that you have several homes, and sometimes feeling like you don’t have a home…like you’re rootless. But then in a way you have to realize that home is who you are; you’re carrying home on you.”

Certainly these sentiments shine through in this music as you get the sense that he is playing from his experiences of traveling the world, seeing new things, and perhaps even the longing to return back to a place of familiarity. Truly this is soul music; music that comes from an area of deep conviction and expression.

Verona is a song that feels like it’s moving; gliding forward with a sense of adventurous wonder. Hekselman’s familiarly sensitive touch to the guitar massages the ears and the trio interacts with sincere connection. He takes a beautifully melodic solo on this piece.

KeeDee opens with a rhythmic interaction between drummers Marcus Gilmore and Jeff Ballard. The song is delightfully percussive with a heroically uplifting melody. It’s incredible to hear how well Gilmore and Ballard are able to play together and accompany without intruding on the music at hand. The interactions between the musicians are truly masterful.

Home E-Minor is an enchanting solo piece featuring a nylon string guitar; incredibly sensitive, haunting and light.

Cosmic Patience sounds much like it’s title. It has an atmospheric, electric sound. It gives you an almost drifting sensation with a dream-like quality. Gilad takes a solo with a thick layer of effects before opening up into a clean sound.

Samba Em Preludio has a beautifully mournful theme. A sense of longing and melancholy is felt through Hekselman’s phrases and Martin and Gilmore lay a simmering backdrop for him.

Parisian Thoroughfare is the lone standard on the album and the trio reveals an exciting perspective on this tune. Hekselman takes a brilliant solo on this one, gliding in and out of changes and soaring over top the rhythm section. Marcus Gilmore takes a memorable drum solo as well.

Last Train Home opens up with a octave effect on Hekselman’s guitar with a percussive rhythm driving it forward. Like all of his pieces it has an exceptionally beautiful melody but married perfectly with a strong rhythmic cornerstone.

The last short 1:44 second piece Place Like No Home sums up the album perfectly.

"Homes" comes at the highest recommendation. In a world where cookie cutter music is king and art has taken a back seat, Gilad Hekselman and his crew boldly stand up and create music with true sincerity, soul and un-adulterated creativity. Hekselman continues to deliver incredible music every time and it doesn’t look like he’ll be stopping anytime soon. The jazz world will eagerly anticipate all that is to come from Gilad in the coming years.
(Brent Vaartstra)