Nick Hempton - Odd Man Out (2013)

Saxophonist Nick Hempton follows up on his sharp, post-bop effort The Business with another polished gem of the jazz form, Odd Man Out. Noted pianist Art Hirahara returns for this release, as does bassist Marco Panascia and drummer Dan Aran, and as before, the set list is mostly Hempton originals with a couple of covers tossed in for good measure. There is one notable change, however, and that is the addition for four tracks, anyway of ace trombonist Michael Dease. It s a pairing that, quite simply, works. Hempton s tenor has that sometimes salty yet inviting Paul Gonsalves vibe, the perfect tone and articulation for all the swinging going on here, and his alto is sweet and soulful like Cannonball. Dease, the heir apparent to Curtis Fuller, is present on some of the hotter bop numbers such as Nice Crackle and Fifth Floor Run-Up, as well as the cool soul-jazz groove of The Slip, where both put in sublime performances in tandem and alongside each other; the rapport between them is quite good. Where he s the only horn player, Hempton fares just as well. He s got total command of the blues form, as evidenced by The Winnie Blues, and also shows a good handle on ballads, too, such as the Ellington/Strayhorn chestnut Day Dream, a tender duet with Hirahara. Hempton ends it all with a charming adaptation of a cowboy tune Randy Newman wrote for the movie Three Amigos, Blue Shadows. Odd Man Out is consistent in its mission to bring you mainstream jazz played will all the romanticism, melancholy and accomplishment that used to be expected from the great performers of jazz s golden era and also what I ve come to expect from Nick Hempton. –S. Victor Aaron - Something Else!

Since saxophonist Nick Hempton moved to the United States from Australia in 2004, he has carved out a solid niche for himself in the contemporary jazz scene. On this album, he is accompanied by his working band consisting of Art Hirahara on piano, Marco Panascia on bass and Dan Aran on drums. They come out of the gate in a very strong fashion with the first two tracks, Nice Crackle and Five Ways Through Harsimus Cove which are classy uptempo swingers, performances that wouldn't sound out of place on a Blue Note or Prestige date from another era. Five Ways in particular has a more open feel which suits Hempton well with the payoff coming in the form of a well constructed tenor solo in the midsection. The Winnie Blues has nice round robin soloing from the band members concluding with Hempton and the drummer trading ideas. The Set Up is a strong medium tempo performance developing a percussive piano unit that gives a chance for Hempton to channel Dexter Gordon in a magisterial solo accented by Dease s trombone. Fifth Floor Run-Up builds the pace back up featuring brisk, tight playing especially from Dease, followed by saxophone over open ended rhythm. Nice thick bass and harmonizing horns build a classy swing on The Slip. Strong saxophone and bass solos make this track a winner. This is a fine straight-ahead jazz release, Hempton is a saxophonist and bandleader who plays in a very confident manner and a very accessible manner. –Tim Niland - Music And More

Tracklist:

01. Nice Crackle
02. Five Ways Through Harsimus Cove
03. The Winnie Blues
04. Day Dream
05. The Set-Up
06. Fifth Floor Run-Up
07. Nights and Mornings
08. The Slip
09. A Bicycle Accident
10. Streetlight Lament
11. Blue Shadows