Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Michael Hackett: Circles

184

Michael Hackett: Circles

By

View read count
Michael Hackett: Circles
The musicians with years of big band experience always seem to be able to put together sharp-sounding smaller ensembles. Trumpeter/flugelhornist Michael Hackett—who has appeared with the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra, the Scott Whitfield Jazz Orchestra, and is currently a member of the Buselli/Wallrab Jazz Orchestra—puts together a first rate sextet for his debut as leader, Circles, resulting in a fresh and vibrant take on mainstream jazz.

The three horn (trumpet/sax/trombone) front line isn't as common as it once was—think of John Coltrane's Blue Train —but in Hackett's hands, with his arrangements, the sound has a very melodic, mainstream feel.

Five of the eight tunes are Hackett originals, and his is an engagingly lyrical voice as a tunesmith and horn man, bringing some of his influences (Freddie Hubbard, Woody Shaw) to mind, on a start-to-finish inspired effort that prominently features pianist Mike Holober (notable for his own Canyons and Thought Trains, released in '03 and '04, respectively, by Sons of Sound) fronting a wonderfully elastic rhythm section with his slightly unorthodox and colorful, but never distracting approach to accompaniment.

On this all-around excellent set, the thirteen-minute title tune stands out, with a Maria Schneider-esque feeling of liquid movement; and "Even As We Speak," with Hackett using the mute, is full of soft tones shading an introspective song that features a gorgeously understated rhythm section interlude.

First rate and forward-looking straight through, Circles closes out on a perfect note with "Never Let Me Go," a hit for Nat King Cole, wrapping up the set on an intimate straight-ahead rendering of the familiar melody by Hackett, while Holober splashes bits of bright color behind him.

Visit Michael Hackett on the web at www.michaelhackett.com .

Track Listing

My Good Friend, Blues to John, Heidi's Song, Invitation, Even As We Speak, Circles, Unrequited, Never Let Me Go

Personnel

Michael Hackett--trumpet and flugelhorn; Todd Bashore--alto and soprano saxes; Vincent Gardner--trombone; Mike Holober--piano; Phil Palombi--bass; Aaron Scott--drums

Album information

Title: Circles | Year Released: 2005 | Record Label: Summit Records

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About Jazz

Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Eternal Moments
Yoko Yates
From "The Hellhole"
Marshall Crenshaw
Tramonto
John Taylor

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.