1} Mystic With a Credit Card - Michael Colgrass
2} Javier's Dialog - Dennis Llinas
3} Improvisation No. 1 - Enrique Crespo
4} Sonata For Trombone And Piano - Daniel Schnyder
5} Night Set For Trombone And Piano - Robert Suderburg
6} Doolallynastics - Brian Lynn
7} Melancholy Mood - John Stevens
8} Sonata - Jack Cooper

I know, I know, this isn't "classical" music in the traditional sense of the term. After all, the people at Summit Records themselves describe it as: "Blues, Ballads and Beyond features jazz-influenced music by contemporary classical composers, including Michael Colgrass, Dennis Llinas, Enrique Crespo, Daniel Schnyder, and Robert Suderburg." And I myself hear much more jazz and blues roots within the music than classical, but then again some of the pieces included here are "Sonatas" so I guess we are in the vicinity to some degree. With that said, all of this doesn't really matter. When anyone plays an instrument this well, the word needs to get out.

Trombonist Mark Hetzler is a former member of the Empire Brass Quintet, well known for their excellent recordings on the Telarc label. He has also performed with many fine orchestras including the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He's been the Professor of Trombone at the University of Wisconsin-Madison since 2004 and considers himself a lifelong student of music, brass and all things mind boggling.

Mind boggling is how well he plays the trombone in my opinion. There's an ease to his technique that bends the instrument to his will. He can shape, flex, caress, torture, stress, accent and animate notes on the fly and bring anything he plays to life. All the pieces on this new CD were well chosen to showcase his command of the instrument, and the range of styles he easily slips into is impressive. Mystic With a Credit Card is a slow, dark, atmospheric piece built around layered harmonies during which you keep expecting the members of Pink Floyd to suddenly join in. The iconic jazz group Weather Report comes to mind when listening to Javier's Dialog. The slow movement of the Sonata For Trombone And Piano evokes images of late night Miles Davis musings. Both Night Set For Trombone And Piano and Doolallynastics force Mark Hetzler to inflict stress on the trombone (and himself) and make it produce sounds you would think are impossible. At least the twist surprise ending of Doolallynastics sounds rewarding to the player. And for some reason, when I listen to the excellent Sonata by Jack Cooper, I keep hearing flashbacks of Leonard Bernstein from the West Side Story days. But for me, the clincher on this CD, the one piece that I keep listening to over and over again for both the quality of the music and the incredible depth of Mark Hetzler's playing, is the Melancholy Mood by John Stevens. Originally the second movement to a Sonata for Trumpet and Piano, here we hear the wonderful adaptation by Mark Hetzler for Trombone and Jazz Trio. It's sad, dark, melancholy melody is tinged with a deep beauty that stems from within the music itself, and Mark Hetzler seems to give each and every note full justice and meaning. For example, around the 4:00 mark the mood shifts and it sounds as if Mark Hetzler actually changes the character of his sound ever so slightly to suit that mood. Unbelievable! Remarkable playing. What being a true musician is all about.

Jean-Yves Duperron - December 2015