Jun 9, 2026 10:54 AM
In Memoriam: James Blood Ulmer, 1940–2026
With deep sorrow and profound love, we announce the passing of James Blood Ulmer, a boldly innovative guitarist,…
Victor Gould experiments with new voices and longstanding collaborators on Thoughts Become Things.
(Photo: Jimmy Katz)“Start as a sideman and prove yourself.”
Those words churned in Victor Gould’s mind as he left Los Angeles for New York in 2011. Gleaning tips from the biographies of Herbie Hancock and other prominent jazz figures, the pianist-composer was on the road, seeking opportunities to play with leaders he admired—who’d appreciate his personal contributions to their projects.
“I’ve taken a lot of time to be a sideman,” said Gould, who’s spent the past several years touring with a diverse group of bandleaders, including trumpeter Jeremy Pelt and vocalist-composer Jazzmeia Horn. This year, though, he’s ready to lead his own international tours.
New York clubgoers have known Gould’s sound for years: the lilt of his lines over a ballad intro and the warm pulses he finds and sits inside of. Thoughts Become Things (Blue Room)—his third recording as a leader—finds Gould poised to garner acclaim beyond the tight circle of artists and listeners who have appreciated his sound for the past decade.
“It all comes down to the triplet; swing music is kind of based on that,” he said, “It goes hand-in-hand: swing and triplet feel, African 6/8 rhythms—Abakuá rhythms.”
Gould’s compositional style identifies connections among music, culture and life experiences. When composing “Inheritance,” a tune off Thoughts, he allowed a single idea to inform the movement of the entire piece. “My first thought for that song was Africa,” he said. “And when I think Africa, I think triplets—6/8. It’s kind of ‘misplaced’ triplets. It doesn’t sound like a 6/8 groove, but it is a 6/8 African groove.”
Interactivity inspires the bandleader, too, as a player and a writer. His compositions, though thoughtfully arranged, leave plenty of room for exploration. Listeners and fellow artists might note a sensitivity in Gould’s expression, and while he questions that descriptor’s association with timidity, he considers the concept of sensitive playing: “[For this recording,] I wanted to leave a lot of room to improvise. And sensitivity is a big part of making that work. Making music spontaneously, all of us had to be sensitive to each other’s inflections and to everything that we hear.”
Thoughts features contributions from a full string quartet and an array of soloists—Pelt and tenor saxophonist Dayna Stephens among them—who help interpret the depth and texture of Gould’s arrangements. Flutist Anne Drummond also appears on the recording. She’d joined the pianist on 2016’s Clockwork (Fresh Sound New Talent), but for the new album, he sought to feature her more integrally.
Because he’d grown up listening to his flutist father’s record collection—Hubert Laws, James Moody, Frank Wess and Yusef Lateef—Gould admitted he always has flute lines playing in his mind.
“I wanted to be as natural as possible,” he said, “to convey the purest melody in my head, exactly the way I was hearing it. And if I’m honest, probably I’m always hearing flute. Anything else would just be trying to imitate the flute.”
To the world, James Blood Ulmer was a legend, a visionary and a musical force whose sound was distinctive and unique. To his family, he was their teacher, their storyteller and a source of strength.
Jun 9, 2026 10:54 AM
With deep sorrow and profound love, we announce the passing of James Blood Ulmer, a boldly innovative guitarist,…
A drummer’s drummer, Rodney Holmes gigged with everyone from Joe Zawinul and Carlos Santana to Steve Kimock and the Brecker Brothers.
Jul 22, 2026 12:37 PM
Drummer Rodney Holmes, a powerful presence behind the kit who emerged as an in-demand player on the New York scene…
Clockwise from top left, Mary Halvorson, Patricia Brennan, Adam O’Farrill, Keith Jarrett’s At the Deer Head Inn: The Complete Recordings, Sheila Jordan and Jaki Byard.
Jul 16, 2026 1:34 PM
The DownBeat Critics Poll never ceases to amaze! And the 74th Edition offered plenty of accolades for poll veterans and…
Ibrahim was an early jazz acolyte, studying the music via 78s he would buy from soldiers stationed in South Africa — who also gave him the nickname “Dollar.”
Jun 30, 2026 3:19 PM
Pianist Abdullah Ibrahim, the NEA Jazz Master from South Africa who helped fuse the folk music of his home country with…
Joe Lovano’s Paramount Quartet will record live at New York’s Village Vanguard for ECM records on Aug. 26–27.
Jul 22, 2026 12:46 PM
One of Joe Lovano’s buzz terms is “the moment of now” and with seemingly infinite patience — despite a schedule…
