Liftoff

Saxophonist Robin Verheyen is no stranger to the jazz scene:  for well over a decade he’s led his own quartets, been a key member of Marc Copland’s quartet (Someday and Dreaming), and has played and recorded as an unaccompanied soloist.     The architect behind Tom Barman’s TaxiWars, he’s featured on Taxiwars,  Fever, and Artificial Horizon.   Enter the Robin Verheyen Trio, featuring two legendary heavyweights of the New York jazz scene:   Drew Gress and Billy Hart.  Bassist Gress,  best known for his work with  John Abercrombie, Marc Copland,  Fred Hersch and John Zorn, can be heard on chestnuts such asUp and Coming (2017, John Abercrombie) and Night Whispers (2009, Marc Copland).   Hart, for his part, can be heard  on his own albums on ECM, as well as on hundreds of classic recordings, such as  On The Corner (1972, Miles Davis),  Mwandishi (1971, Herbie Hancock), and At Night  (1992 Marc Copland).  Both Gress and Hart are also bandleaders and composers, but the new trio album showcases Verheyen for all to see:  a mature artist with his own sound, reflecting a deep knowledge of both modern and traditional approaches to his instrument.    “Soul Searching” – according to Verheyen “a song about finding love and meeting your soulmate” – is  pure splendor. The release of Liftoff goes hand in hand with Verheyen’s return to Europe from New York, where he lived and worked from 2007 to 2022.  Welcome back, Robin!