I’m always excited to listen to original jazz. A lot of it still turns out to be pretentious and neon, written and recorded by musicians who didn’t learn from the fusion era. But the freedom of the genre is intriguing. In the hands of a capable composer, jazz can be a funky ride that still manages to stimulate the mind. Ryan Heinlein just released his first commercial album, Welcome to April, in December of 2009 with his jazz ensemble, The Project H.

I know this review is a bit late, but since Heinlein is an independent artist word was slow to get around. However, his being based in KC suggests that it’s my fault for being out of the loop (hmmm . . . ). Ryan has always presented himself as a professional. When he played for Fiat (briefly) he never put his horn to his mouth until it was time to play, even in the “informal” environment we set. “Welcome to April” shows off his and his band’s high regard for their craft and Heinlein’s compositional prowess. The Project H is a sextet. Adam Walker, the keys, sticks to a Rhodes-ish electric piano sound for most of the album, while Caleb Drummond keeps it down on the electric low end and Sam Hake provides the beat. Heinlein leads the horn section with his trombone sickness, followed by Ben Jervis on trumpet and Jason Whitmore on tenor sax. Throughout the album, this ensemble remains tight and focused, and though the feel of each track has different genre influences, no one ever sounds out of their element.

The album starts swinging out of the gate with “Smokescreens.” The brasses sway back and forth in a moderate 3/4, creating a layer below the wriggling tenor. The time switches to common, and over a steady shuffling beat, Heinlein syncs up with the piano and bass to create paranoia, hitting pairs staccato eighths on one and three while the trumpet and sax belt out the head. Through this head and many others on the album, the horns display Heinlein’s clever use of counterpoint. The solos then occur over the simple chords, changing consistently between 3/4 and 4/4.

The next tune, “Xenophobia,” begins with a clever and quick bebop head that ends its loop with a latin wink. The piece remains latin through the solo sections, giving it more of a danceable attitude, which The Project H excels at. “Peerless City Struggles” slows the pace. This 3/4 ballad, supported by deft and clever brushes, begins with the the horn section announcing Heinlein’s upcoming solo head performance. Out of any track on the album, it does the best job of displaying Heinlein’s trombone skills and sense of melody, and has an introspective feel without dripping sap.

“In Regards to Your Entitlement . . .” quickly turns the album back into pimp-step. Beginning with a deliciously horrible ruckus of spastic drumming and noodley keyboard and bass runs. It then breaks off into a fast-paced funk head with long horn phrases broken up by tasty drum fills at first. There’s a transition into another section in staccato, neurotic melody driven by a funk beat. “Welcome to April,” the title track of the album, again slows the listener down. It opens with solo keyboard playing a very minimal rhythmic pattern over the chord progression, then bursts into the head, lead by the tenor sax, with a swing that was absent in the intro. This is a beautiful slow-dance tune, but the kind that still makes you want to bob your head. The chord progression invites the air of a fresh rain into the listeners’ lungs.

“What They Don’t Tell You” gets the album moving again. The rhythm section opens it up with a break beat, keyboard melody, and firm bass roots. Suddenly, the keyboard and drums stop, and the horn section takes over. This is the fastest paced tune on Welcome to April, and it does a great job of charging the listener up for the last two tracks on the album. “Taking Back Control” is a total surprise reggae twist. I know that doesn’t sound appealing coming from a jazz band, but The Project H executes it well. It’s also served by Heinlein’s intriguing melody, which makes the absence of a vocalist negligible. The album then ends with “Gettin Down for Gettin’ Down’s Sake.” Influenced by more traditional funk, this tune represents its title accurately. Of all the tracks on Welcome to April, though it isn’t bad, this one seems out of place. It may even be that it was a wrong choice for the ending. It could’ve traded places with the title track and fit in better.

The Project H keeps the solos interesting. Not only are each of the players in the band good soloists, but the rhythm section behind them changes things up. Too often, jazz bands play the head, play the chord progression over and over until everyone is done blowing, play the head again and go to the clapping and the next song. Yes, The Project H still has that basic format, but Heinlein arranged for feel changes, stops, isolation, and even bridge insertions between soloists. This prevents the album from becoming boring and . . . well, too jazzy. I’m excited whenever I hear jazz that is designed to create good music rather than to show off the size of the musicians’ balls. Ryan Heinlein writes thoughtful, inspiring, original music, and his passion shows through The Project H. This is a step toward reintroducing jazz into a more mainstream market, and I’m glad Ryan Heinlein chose Kansas City to start from.

Click here to Sample The Album "Welcome to April" (CD Baby)

Published Sunday 25th April 2010 - Written by Jeff Benjamin