Hudson – or when the titans come to play

Hudson (Motema music 2017) is a new project created by Jack DeJonette on drums, Larry Grenadier on the double bass, John Medeski on keys and John Scofield on guitar. It fully goes in line with the trend of big names wanting to create music and work together. To play around, in a way only they can. In this particular case, it’s a very fast paced game that leaves you breathless from the first listen. Recorded in honour of the 75th jubilee of J. DeJonette, the album includes not only original pieces, but also covers of American classics, such as Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchel amongst others. The eponymous play, written by the four, is an incredibly deep essay where they are all equals. (Here is the perfect place for a quote of the knowledgeable Ilhan Ersahin – “To play a thousand notes per second, for yourself, excuse me, but that’s old fashioned - the aim is composing, and not your individual solo.” There’s no such thing as selfish playing here – there’s depth, a ten minute journey into their world. In this case it comes to real giants and the abstinence from qualifications becomes really, really hard. 
October 2017
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