Hoodies

NYジュリアード出身の気鋭3名によるトリオ
ニュー・ジャズ・アンダーグラウンド
プレイヤー間の驚くほどの一体感、確固たるグルーヴ

ニューヨークの新進気鋭のジャズトリオ、New Jazz Undergroundのデビュー・アルバム。ニューヨークのジュリアード音楽院卒業生によって結成された、メンバー一人一人のテクニックがすさまじい素晴らしさのトリオです。ストリートでの演奏やライブ動画を通して世界的な注目を集め、ついには ニューポート・ジャズ・フェスティバルなどの主要ステージに上り詰めたトリオです。彼ら初のアルバムとなる『Hoodies』は、ジャズの伝統とヒップホップにインスパイアされたグルーヴ、アフロ・キューバンのリズム、そして生々しいヴォーカル主体のブルースを融合させた文化的意識に満ちたアルバムとなっています。

New Jazz Underground are a pianoless jazz trio whose modernist, urban jazz gleefully glides between harp bop, post-bop, and hip-hop. Julliard School grads, the trio includes saxophonist/vocalist Abdias Armenteros, bassist/producer Sebastian Rios, and drummer TJ Reddick. They began playing together in New York City parks during the COVID-19 pandemic, then followed with dozens of YouTube videos that attracted a savvy, sophisticated young audience of more than 100,000 subscribers. Theyve issued a handful of singles and EPs, among them the MF Doom Suite and Dying of Thirst, the latter an EP subtitled "the Kendrick Lamar Suite," and have appeared at the 2025 Newport Jazz Festival. Hoodies, their debut long-player, offers 13 tracks primarily composed by Rios in a hip, contemporary jazz language structured and programmed in two distinct conceptual halves. The first showcases NJUs influences and modern jazz approach, while the second is a thoroughly unconventional futurist blues suite that often stretches the traditional form to the breaking point. Opener "Oney Ones One" commences with a hip-hop groove inspired by producers a la Madlib, before shifting into a straight eighths contemporary jazz progression, before delivering hard-driving swing via a short cue from Armenteros saxophone. "Pseudo Latin Vibe" joins post-bop to Afro-Latin grooves. Reddick and Rios build an elastic polyrhythmic foundation for Armenteros, who lyrically explores folk and bluesy bop melodies before Rios takes a breathtaking solo. Single "Ghosts" is a ballad that memorializes those among the jazz community lost to the pandemic. Its torch song feel is reflected by guest pianist Eric "ELEW" Lewis who lays in a tender, gently poignant harmonic foundation. The blues-drenched second half begins with the prelude "las salinas," primarily composed of a gorgeous Rios solo before Armenteros and Reddick follow him down the path into the romantic "luci and i (i)." Rios lays down a circular bassline as Reddick dances around him on the kit, filling space with rimshots and tom-tom rolls; the saxophonist responds by channeling deep blues. Single "how do you do (ii)" is a moaning blues with vocals by Armenteros -- who can really sing -- in a low tenor surrounded by a decorative yet meaty bassline and skittering drums. His sax solo evokes swing, blues, and gospel. "hoodie jig (iii)," in waltz time, is composed of bass and handclaps before the saxophonist walks a loose blues line amid polyrhythmic Afro-Latin percussion loops. "i had to let u go (v)" is all Armenteros; his lyrical, emotionally resonant expression in dialogue with Rios plays like a singers. Closer "Sake of Love" finds Rios bass gliding atop an electronic sound wash, while Reddick balances swing with fingerpopping breaks. Armenteros sings with restrained passion, emotively underscoring the progression before his labyrinthine sax solo moves from post-bop to modal to R&B. Hoodies is as fine and brave a modern jazz record as exists. Its depth, compositional quality, and modern jazz language will excite the initiated and attract a legion of new listeners. ~ Thom Jurek