...an emotive, adventurous and timeless spirit of jazz that's globally enjoyable.
On a quest of growth and mastery as a saxophonist, composer, and musician, Jordan VanHemert found equally important his efforts to contextualize difficulties of his life experiences. Within some deeper themes, including coming of age as a Korean adoptee, he's discovered in the process, resilience, optimism and joy. Jordan's music is meant to convey empathy and solidarity to others, and this album, Jordan's fifth as a leader, effectively fulfills these simultaneous pursuits. His stellar band includes Terell Stafford, Michael Dease, Helen Sung, Rodney Whitaker, and Lewis Nash.
"Brilliance, sparkle and punctuation are the key words of this album, to which we must also add melodicism and the intelligent spontaneity of harmonic interactions." Couleurs Jazz, Paris
Track Listing:
1 Here and Now 5:42
2 Tread Lightly 7:10
3 Mourning Comes Again 5:48
4 Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise 4:51
5 Sea of Tranquility 6:19
6 Come Sunday 7:21
7 Milyang Arirang 6:01
8 Mo's Blues 8:01
9 Survival of the Fittest 6:33
Compositions by Jordan VanHemert, except:
(4) Sigmund Romberg
(6) Duke Ellington
(7) Korean Traditional
(8) Wyatt Harris
Arrangements by Jordan VanHemert
Performers:
Jordan VanHemert - tenor saxophone
Terell Stafford - trumpet/flugelhorn
Michael Dease - trombone
Helen Sung - piano
Rodney Whitaker - bass
Lewis Nash - drums
Production Info:
Produced by Michael Dease
Recorded, mixed & mastered by Corey DeRushia
at Troubadour Recording Studios, East Lansing, MI
Liner notes by Gary Fukushima
Production Assistant: Andrew Kim
Album Art by Nico Lee
Cover design & layout by John Bishop
Reviews of Survival of the Fittest
Paris Move (Thierry De Clemensat)
VanHemert has performed alongside such luminaries as John Daversa, Dmitri Matheny, Rodney Whitaker, John Webber, Geri Allen, Chris Vadala, Vince DiMartino, and Dave Eggar. His work has resonated in venues like ShapeShifter Lab, Painted Bride, the Blue LLama, Edgefest, the Elkhart Jazz Festival, and the Korean Cultural Foundation in Philadelphia, am ...
