Nick Hempton & cory Weeds: Horns locked
Release date: February 28, 2025
The first quarter of the 21st century is drawing to a close, and with the world in the grip of uncertainty, the only prescription is a dose of feel-good soul jazz. Heavy on the blues, dripping with grease; direct, honest, and swinging. Just simple songs and unambiguous melodies, with grooving rhythms and no pretence.
In the summer of 2024, Hempton made one of his regular visits to Vancouver, reuniting with soulful co-conspirators Jesse Cahill and Nick Peck for a weekend at Frankie’s, the city’s legendary jazz club. After some cajoling, Van City tenor legend Cory Weeds agreed to take the stage and form a two-horn quartet. Mics were set up, favourite tunes were chosen, cocktails were consumed; and with the Frankie’s crowd in fine fettle, urging the cats on with stomps and hollers, a string of hard-driving soul jazz numbers was laid down.
In between shows, to balance the live feel, the band descended into the murky shadows of a grungy basement studio, the carpeted walls dripping with years of accumulated funk. In keeping with the free blowing feel of the club gig, the studio session took place live, with no isolation and no safety net. In the subterranean twilight the team knocked out a set of swingers in a couple of hours, each tune needing only one or two takes.
On both the live and studio cuts, the band keeps the energy high. Mutual admirers Weeds and Hempton spur each other on in sporting, good-natured combat, their friendly sparring bringing to mind the great two-tenor matchups of the past: Dexter Gordon and Wardell Gray, Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt, Johnny Griffin and Lockjaw Davis. All the while Peck and Cahill are down to business, lighting the fire and keeping it burning until the last note fades. The repertoire reveals the fellows’ musical heroes– tunes penned by the giants of the tenor: Dexter, Stitt, James Moody; plus a couple of down-the-pipe originals for good measure.
The result is Horns Locked: a joyful collection of hard-swinging soul jazz to bring a smile to your face, a pat to your foot, and maybe even lift a load off your shoulders.
Track Listing credits
Last Train from Overbrook (J. Moody) [5:37] -Nick Hempton: Tenor Saxophone
Change for a Dollar (N. Hempton) [9:13] -Cory Weeds: Tenor Saxophone
Soy Califa (D. Gordon) [6:32] -Nick Peck: Hammond B3 Organ
Conn Men (C. Weeds) [7:42] -Jesse Cahill: Drums
Polkadots and Moonbeams (J. Van Heusen) [7:16] -Tracks 2, 5, 6, 8 recorded live at
The One Before This (G. Ammons) [9:36] Frankie’s Club Oct 23, 2023 by
When You’re Smiling (Arr: Weeds) [5:03] Sheldon Zaharko
Loose Ends (N. Hempton) [7:57] -Tracks 1, 3, 4, 7 recorded at
Aero Studio June 1, 2024
-All tracks mixed and mastered by
Sheldon Zaharko
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