Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Matthew Charles Heulitt: Room To Run

198

Matthew Charles Heulitt: Room To Run

By

View read count
Matthew Charles Heulitt: Room To Run
A subtle change in the opening "Resurrected" is an indicator of things to come on guitarist Matthew Charles Heulitt's Room To Run, as the introductory chord progression deviates from its western motif. That shift is informed by the guitar's sweeping volume swell, before opening the path for a statically charged solo and resonating touches by bassist Dan Feizli and drummer Jon Arkin.

The eleven tracks are a reflection of Heulitt's creativity and musicianship—with over twenty years experience in the studio, touring, and performing, whether studying with Wayne Krantz or opening for Carlos Santana. But clearly, as this release attests, Heulitt's music and voice has its own identity, one that is refreshingly beyond the usual stance of progressive jazz rock.

Make no mistake though, this music rocks, swings and also surprises. "Never Present" finds Heulitt grinding his axe with bone-crunching riffs that are in complete harmony with Joe Cohen's fiery alto saxophone and the cool running waters of veteran keyboardist Kit Walker. But there's more to Room To Run than typical rock/jazz fare; on "Song For Diane," Heulitt puts on a clinic (both technical and spiritual), with lightning licks and chords in a picturesque song that lingers long after the tune has finished. Things also deviate from the norm with the short improv excursions "More in Time" and "Upbeat," where Heulitt mingles acoustic guitar and various noises.

The main material is where the impact lies, and it does so abundantly. "Times Arrow" leaves it mark with Walker's brilliant organ playing, while the unforgettable "Fountain of Youth" takes on a simple repeating theme, accentuated by Jon Herrera's electric bass and the metronomic pulse of Bryan Bowman on Indian tabla.

Filled with wonder and exemplary performances, Room To Run is a fine introduction to Heulitt's singular voice and music.

Track Listing

Resurrected; Clearing; More In Time; Never Present; Upbeat; Song for Diane; 100 Years Ocean; Taken Down; Prelude; Time's Arrow; Fountain of Worth.

Personnel

Matthew Charles Heulitt: guitar; Jon Arkin: drums; Dan Feizli: acoustic bass (1, 2, 6, 8, 10); Jon Herrera: electric bass (4, 11); Kit Walker: keyboards (4, 10, 11); Joe Cohen alto saxophone ( 4, 11); Bryan Bowman: tabla (11).

Album information

Title: Room To Run | Year Released: 2010 | Record Label: Self Produced

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.