By Frank Alkyer | Published November 2024
The music of John Hollenbeck is pumped full of grand themes and rhythmic intricacy that engage the mind and raise the spirit. Take, for example, his quirky work with The Claudia Quintet on such recordings as Evidence-Based (Flexatonic) or his terrific trio of albums with vocalists — Songs I Like Alot, Songs We Like Alot and Songs You Like Alot — where he shapes unexpected playlists of popular tunes into something completely new and truly wonderful. That’s just scratching the surface of this master percussionist/composer/bandleader’s recorded output. On his latest release, Colouring Hockets, Hollenbeck presents nine of his original tunes with the help of NDR Bigband, founded in 1945 by the German broadcasting company Norddeutscher Rundfunk. This recording finds one of the most inventive big bands in the world meeting one of jazz’s most gifted composers. The results are fantastic. In addition to the rhythmic blend of Hollenbeck and Marcio Doctor, NDR’s percussionist (who suggested this concept), we get even more rhythmic ingredients from two guests: vibraphonist Matt Moran (a long-time Hollenbeck collaborator) and Patricia Brennan on vibes and marimba. The concept of the quartet of percussionists in the midst of this larger organization allows for layers of satisfying, intricate rhythms. Highlights include the staccato articulations of “Cool Code” and the grand “Entitlement,” where the percussionists play off of each other and the horns. Solos become brief interludes, making the ensemble the star here. And for those who aren’t schooled in musical terminology, a hocket (as in the album’s title) is an effect where several instruments quickly alternate melodic phrases, like passing along a secret. There are two fantastic hockets here. “Marimba Hocket” features Moran and Brennan diving into a call-and-response with the horns that builds to a musical collapse of sorts before resolving quietly and beautifully. It’s really entertaining. “Drum Hocket,” of course, features Hollenbeck and Doctor, but also a fine guitar solo by Sandra Hempel and another by Fiete Felsch on flute. Every solo on this recording has a purpose, a place in the ensemble mix, each well-timed and enhancing the overall musical experience. As the album closes with the tune “Sum,” there’s a sense of peace, of wholesomeness, with horns rising and falling, a saxophone here, a whisper of piano there. Conducted with grace by JC Sanford, Mr. Hollenbeck and NDR Bigband deliver an extremely satisfying experience. Put the headphones on, lean back and enjoy. DB
