The hotly anticipated debut full-length from young jazzman Jackson "Jazzman" Welchner, Blink Twice dropped today!
With Jackson knocking at the gate with lush vocal harmony arrangement, from the jump it's a total breath of fresh air for old jazz cats seeking nu-jazz that invites even new jazz kitties straight thru the door with a distinctly fun sound, tossing inhibitions directly out the window, so better hop that fusion fence today, li'l tabby!
As I'm trying to imply, this is a playground for your ears, but don't let that belie the factz -- this is real serious jazz buzinezz, folkz!! Jackson has the vocal chops to weave through and dance above the music when the moment is right, but did ya know our boy is also playing instruments all over the map with this musical cartography lesson? This release has so much depth, from rhythmically tilted-tightness of title-track "Blink Twice" to the deep-drunk groove of "Past Machinery" (the latter of which we had the privilege of reviewing in demo form so many blinks ago), or sly-sober string arrangement heard with "Sum of All Strings".
But can we talk about Jackson's vocals a bit more? Of course we can, and should, and will, because the playtimes just keep on rolling! Touching on topics from lighthearted meetups to... times when meetups are prohibited by heavyhearted law, there is a knack here for conveying incisive messagery while connecting with the listener. Also, scatting! Like a portal to the future via lens from the past!
I wanna finalize my thesis by concluding: Jackson threw himself into this one truly, and it comes across fully. From compositions which nod to the breadth of jazz tradition whilst big-bobbing on modern head-turners, to assembling an absolutely stellar cast of musical support staff, to mixing and molding a floating work of art thick with skill and passion, the likes of which does not just fall outta thin air. It behooves me to congratulate this young musical mind on a feat to be genuinely revered, and now that this work is out there, it's right here to knock all of our socks, a meetup we can all feel excitement to join with our sleeve-hearts open.