Album review: Nick Hempton - Slick

Nick Hempton (tenor sax); Peter Bernstein (guitar); Kyle Koehler (Hammond B3); Fukushi Tainaka (drums)

Nick Hempton will be a familiar name to regular readers of BSH (reviews, both CD and live stream). An Aussie based in NYC, Hempton blows old school swinging tenor sax, occasional alto sax, and he does so in the company of  A-listers. On this new Tripled Distilled Records' release, Hempton is heard working with what can be considered his established quartet. Ten tracks, half of them written by the bandleader, were recorded direct to tape at GB's Juke Joint in January last year, a matter of weeks before the world closed down for what we now know would be a prolonged period. 

The Runaround opens the album and it's aptly titled. Lesser musicians would find themselves struggling to make the grade. No such worries here as Hempton's side men are some of the Big Apples' finest: guitarist Peter Bernstein, Hammond B3 specialist Kyle Koehler and drummer Fukushi Tainaka. Koehler's presence is key, Hempton, principally on tenor sax, and Bernstein take their cues from KK's smoldering, smokin' B3, Tainaka swinging it from track one to ten. Born to Be Blue illustrates Hempton's tender, ballad-playing qualities and, in marked contrast, the bandleader's Short Shrift is a hang-on-to-your-hats barnstorming number. British based readers will certainly know about Tubby Hayes, Simon Spillett and Vasilis Xenopoulos, well, on this number Hempton throws his hat into the tenor saxophonists' gladiatorial ring. Thrilling stuff, not for the faint hearted!
Russell

Slick by Nick Hempton is available on Triple Distilled Records (cat. no. TDR004).