It’s nearly impossible to talk about drummer, composer and bandleader John Hollenbeck without discussing his two acclaimed, long-running jazz bands: the John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble and The Claudia Quintet.
These two groups have served as his main creative outlets since the former was formed in 2005, but lately the leader desired a fresh project to take him in a different direction. Thus, in 2021 he founded the quartet GEORGE with three women who had never played together previously and recorded a single track “Proof of Concept” that convinced them that the idea was worth pursuing further. That led to the recording sessions in 2022 for the full debut, Letters to George.
Letters to George formally introduces GEORGE, led by Hollenbeck with Anna Webber on flute and tenor sax, Aurora Nealand on alto and soprano saxophones, keyboards and vocals and Chiquita Magic playing keyboards and adding more vocals.
Chiquita Magic is arguably the key addition to this band, simply because she comes from such a different place musically that she was bound to have the greatest impact on the rest of the band. Hailing from Columbia but now residing in Toronto, Canada, Magic has crafted her own unique brand of experimental, electronic pop that incorporates funk, hip-hop, EDM and cumbia, among other contemporary forms. Her inclusion in Hollenbeck’s new band is a strong signal that Hollenbeck wanted to go outside of expectations and known comfort zones for his latest project.
Aurora Nealand and Anna Webber need no introduction on this site, they are veteran woodwinds aces and Nealand is a very capable vocalist to boot. Marrying these set of skills to Hollenbeck’s advanced, rhythmically-charged compositional style could only produce a highly unique result, and for Letters to George, it surely does.
Hollenbeck’s ability to meld complex rhythm and harmony into a catchy whole served him well with the Claudia Quintet and does so here. “Earthworker” sets the template for GEORGE for how Hollenbeck applies his tried-and-true principles to this modish sounding music. A synth bass line adds a retro-futuristic approach to the groove and though Webber and Nealand provide woodwinds improv, this music sits outside of the jazz aesthetic.
Webber and Hollenbeck engage in a lively joust for two minutes on “Clinton” before settling into a relaxed keyboard driven groove, topped off by a double layer of counter-melody saxes from Webber and Nealand. “Can You Imagine This?” sees Nealand’s mostly wordless vocal going up against Webber’s tenor sax and flute with sleek synth pulsations underneath.
That synth-pop sensibility Magic brings to the table really comes out for “Iceman,” a smart but very danceable tune … just see the video above for proof!
As in other Hollenbeck endeavors, having chops still matter. “Washington Carver” features Webber on flutes, sailing over Hollenbeck’s signature hi-hat polyrhythms and later joined by Nealand’s soprano sax. Hollenbeck’s tortured drums that kick off “Floyd” serves as a fitting metaphor for the infamous death of a certain “George” whose last name is the title of this song. Webber’s sax with conviction expresses that same sentiment.
Nealand’s vocal performance on “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” captivates by how it combines with Hollenbeck to turn unusual phrasing of clever lyrics into a compelling rhythm pattern. “Grey Funnel Line” is another Nealand vocal feature, even more impressive in how in going at half tempo she still matches the backing band in building intensity, dovetailing with them right at the moment of release.
John Hollenbeck took a somewhat odd assortment of musicians and shaped them into the something truly fresh and compelling. I could be referring to the Claudia Quintet but the same is equally true of his latest endeavor GEORGE.
Letters to George is releasing on January 27, 2023 through Out Of Your Head Records.
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