Jake Hertzog

On his previous three trio outings – 2009’s Chromatosphere, 2010’s Patterns and 2011’s Evolution, young guitar slinger Jake Hertzog established himself as a force to be reckoned with in the six-string world. Guitar Player magazine called him a “blazing wunderkind” and lauded him for his unorthodox intervallic maneuvers, unique hybrid picking technique and startlingly fresh approach to the fretboard. Other critics followed suit in heaping praise on the rock-inflected jazz player who successfully combined the visceral and cerebral into one compelling package. With Throwback, the six-string sensation with unlimited potential takes things up a notch.

Jake’s regular rhythm tandem of veteran bassist Harvie S and multi-directional drummer Victor Jones is back on board for his fourth as a leader. But this time out he’s added a new voice to that solid chemistry that resounds with rare authority. It belongs to jazz-rock pioneer and iconic trumpeter Randy Brecker, who blazed the fusion trail during the mid ‘70s, alongside his tenor sax playing brother Michael, in the Brecker Bros. Band.

“I was really lucky to get Randy on this project,” says Hertzog, who at age 27 was born four years after the Brecker Bros. Band broke up. “He is one of those guys who not only really gets the jazz thing but the rock thing as well. For my music it’s a prerequisite to have that dual musical personality, so to speak. Victor and Harvie can kind of float in both of those universes with equal legitimacy and Randy is the same way. And of course, he knocked it out of the park.”

Hertzog envisioned a very specific role for Brecker in enlisting him for "Throwback". “What I value most in musicians is people who have an original voice and something to say with their instrument, and Randy certainly qualifies on both counts. He’s been at the top of that game for longer than I’ve been alive, and it really shows. Every note he plays means something, and I really admire that. So for this project I wanted him to be almost more like the lead singer in a rock band than a trumpet player, like Bono in U2, Kurt Cobain in Nirvana, Eddie Vedder in Pearl Jam or Chris Cornell in Soundgarden. So I arranged it so he could just kind of float above and do whatever and it would sound great as long as the rhythm section is cooking.”

And Brecker rises to the occasion with heroic playing throughout while contributing harmonic ideas that subtly tweak the proceedings in unpredictable ways.
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