NEW RELEASE – NICK HEMPTON & CORY WEEDS

Let your hair down baby and have a natural ball.

Blowin’ ain’t no rocket science. Then again, it isn’t as easy as it looks. To carry on the flame of classic hard bop and soul jazz, in order as not to make it sound superficial and forgettable, and as not to make it a financial disaster, you gotta know your stuff, you gotta have a no-guts-no-glory mentality, you gotta live and breathe the music.

Nick Hempton, Australia-born tenor saxophonist, and Cory Weeds, Canadian tenor saxophonist and owner of the hip Cellar label, live and breathe the music. Nick Hempton blows in from New York City, Cory Weeds from Vancouver, Canada.

They join forces on Horns Locked, a smokin’ exhibition of sassy tunes. An uninhibited reenactment of tenor battles, think: Gene Ammons-Sonny Stitt, Dexter Gordon-Wardell Gray, Johnny Griffin-Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis. A revival also of tenor-organ groups, featuring the sophisticated and greasy organ of Nick Peck and the in-the-pocket drums of Jesse Cahill.

How it came about was, Hempton was playing at Frankie’s Club in Vancouver and Weeds joined proceedings for a couple of tunes. Positively saucy, so they decided to release live material ánd record new tunes in the studio. Hence, Horns Locked. Don’t you love a friendly battle.

Hurricane tenors sweep away the Last Train From Overbrook, James Moody’s unforgettable melody, close to the vest of the great Don Patterson/Houston Person rendition. The Latin touch of Dexter Gordon’s classic Soy Califa is laced with plenty groove and grease.

Hempton and Weeds fervently bop the blues on Gene Ammons’ The One Before This. Same sources, different stylings: it’s really nice to hear two simpatico approaches mingle, Hempton’s big sound, husky sermonizing, bossy bopping, and Weeds’ sinuous lines, middle-weight-champion-Mobley-ish. Another reference: David “Fathead” Newman and James Clay, the strong sounds of the wide open spaces. All good.

When You’re Smiling is like sitting in momma’s lap in a rocking chair on the porch, you’re lightly being moved back and forth, you’re feeling swell, happy, full of expectations. Polka Dots And Moonbeams is a meaty ballad feature for Hempton. Change For A Dollar is a hip cooker penned by Hempton, Loose Ends a blues-drenched shuffle also written by Hempton, both finding the quartet in fiery mode, and Nick Peck at his sizzling best. Weeds’ sprightly Conn Men (great pun) is all about Horace Silver-ish blues, convincingly so.

Nuff said, except that you can’t have enough of the lilt and swagger of the good-time high-quality jazz that these tenacious tenor sparring partners provide in generous doses.

Find Horns Locked on Bandcamp here: https://nickhemptoncoryweeds.bandcamp.com/album/horns-locked