Jordan VanHemert: Survival of the Fittest

Although the title of saxophonist Jordan VanHemert's fifth album, Survival of the Fittest, may elicit images of a crash course in self-defense, that is not at all what he had in mind. The music is thematic, he says, and represents the twin lodestars of adversity and resilience. Even that, however, becomes largely irrelevant once VanHemert and his supporting cast launch what is at its heart a narrative of contemporary post-bop jazz.

It is a cast that varies in size and makeup from track to track but whose nucleus is comprised of pianist Helen Sung, bassist Rodney Whitaker and drummer Lewis Nash. Trumpeter Terell Stafford and trombonist Michael Dease are listed in the starting lineup, even though Stafford performs only on "Mourning Comes Again," "Mo's Blues" and "Survival of the Fittest," Dease (the album's producer) appears on the opening number, VanHemert's sunny "Here and Now," one of the leader's five original compositions. The album's midsection consists of a series of duos in which VanHemert is coupled in turn with Nash, Sung and Whitaker.

Those duos are among the session's highlights, as Nash, Sung and Whitaker play with exceptional fluency and assurance on "Softly As in a Morning Sunrise," VanHemert's "Sea of Tranquility" and Duke Ellington's "Come Sunday," respectively. Nash's proficiency and power are persuasive on "Sunrise," Sung's piano warm and inventive on "Tranquility," while Whitaker lends "Come Sunday" the awareness and reverence it deserves. VanHemert, for his part, lands squarely in the groove, as he does on every number, the rest of which are his seductive "Tread Lightly" (a showpiece for Nash on brushes), the traditional Korean song "Milyang Arirang" (VanHemert was born in South Korea, raised by an American family in Michigan) and (another highlight) Wyatt Harris' keen and groovy "Mo's Blues."

While this is no doubt VanHemert's gig—and he is impressive from end to end—the unerring support of his masterful companions must not be devalued, as it is key to whatever praise the album may earn—praise that has begun here but surely will not end with this brief analysis.