COLIN HESHMAT, Elastic Groove

Adventurous, swinging and impressively assured, Elastic Groove announces pianist/composer Colin Heshmat as a young artist with both a deep respect for jazz tradition and a refreshingly restless desire to push it somewhere personal. Across eight originals and three imaginatively reworked standards, the New York-based pianist leads a superb quartet with trumpeter Ryo Sasaki, bassist Yuma Takagi and drummer Ben Cliness, shaping passages of musical grace one moment, heading wildly funky and percussive the next, and becoming downright explosive when the mood strikes.

“Sea Breeze” sets an amiable tone for the set, opening with a plucky bass passage before settling into an easy-swaying piano trio beneath Sasaki’s cool, wafting trumpet. The ballad gradually gathers momentum, Heshmat eventually unleashing a sparkling piano solo with a touch of groove intensity before the quartet returns to a buoyant horn-piano conversation. “Corner Spot” turns up the heat with a circular ivory motif and rambunctious swing, giving Heshmat plenty of room for fiery improvisation. A dark, hypnotic bass interlude and feisty drum fills provide an intriguing contrast to the rollicking trio passages.

The title track digs deeper into the pulse, pairing a buoyant, bustling piano-bass-drums foundation with Sasaki’s soulful trumpet. Heshmat’s brooding chords create tension beneath the horn before Heshmat launches into a percussive, high-energy solo. The two-part “Centre Street Theme” offers perhaps the album’s most dramatic contrast. The first rides a locomotive rhythmic pulse, with the pianist seemingly racing his own keyboard runs against the train-like momentum. The second is considerably more sensual and reflective, built around elegant piano harmonies and Sasaki’s breathy phrasing.

“Ember” is another up-tempo showcase, moving between punchy call-and-response figures and long, winding piano improvisations, while “Morning in Midtown” brings a lighter touch. Its patient 5/4 rhythm, lilting trumpet and playful piano suggest a confident morning stroll before the rhythmic flow gradually becomes more animated.

Heshmat’s treatment of the standards is equally inventive. “Just Friends” becomes a brisk, festive swing workout, while “Blue Bossa” takes on a breezy, slightly exotic character through the pianist’s flowing lines and increasingly energized improvisations. The triumphant closer  “Cantaloupe Island” is a particularly joyous and adventurous ride through Herbie Hancock territory, retaining the famous vamp while surrounding it with punchy horn, colorful full keyboard explorations and a strutting, hard swinging quartet pocket

Originally from Springfield, Illinois, Heshmat moved to New York in 2019 after studying music and engineering at the University of Illinois, later working with such masters as Fred Hersch, Barry Harris and Donald Vega. Elastic Groove makes clear that those traditions have been absorbed rather than merely imitated. This is a debut with youthful energy, veteran instincts and, most importantly, a distinctive musical voice already beginning to take shape.