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Scott Hesse
Scott Hesse "is a talented, technically adept, young jazz artist. His debut recording, Intuition, is a solidly swinging effort that shows his affinity for the straight-ahead, as well as a more subtle awareness of the jazz avant-garde." Joel Roberts, All About Jazz
"In a word, Hesse can play-and he can write too. Hesse’s compositions are melodic and plainspoken, as is his manner of playing the guitar. [His] tasteful single-note lines sparkle like sunlight on clear water. The tone is lucid and charming, the Jazz sensibility keen and persuasive." Jack Bowers, Jazz Now Magazine
"The freshest sound I have heard yet of all the guitarists of his generation." George Benson
In the November 1999 issue of L.A. Jazz Scene, interviewer Bill Donaldson asks guitarist/Blue Note recording artist Rodney Jones, "Are there any guitarists pushing the envelope?" Jones responds, "There are a couple of guys here in New York. Scott Hesse is originally from Iowa, and he has played things on guitar that I've never heard anyone else play before. He plays in a way that's very un-guitaristic. It's like he's interested in playing music, versus playing the guitar. I would say he's at the forefront of the young guys I've heard."
The Flame Within The Fire is a powerful and very personal artistic statement from guitarist Scott Hesse. Central to this thesis is the notion that the improvised art form cannot always be reduced to the level of triadic harmony and simplistic charts. Hesse's music is all about dialogue and development within an expert ensemble; students of next-generation improvised musical art should benefit from the advanced ideas presented here.
In eight original pieces, clichéd, virtuoso displays are avoided in favor of a decidedly original harmonic concept. Especially on the futuristic title track, the ensemble demonstrates a masterful command of chromatics and orchestral color … the leader invites comparisons with guitarist Jim Hall only to the extent that his music is consistently challenging and unpredictable.This is an excellent session. James D. Armstrong, Jr., JazzNow magazine, October 2001
The Flame Within The Fire is a fresh and innovative contemporary jazz collection. These jazz compositions will appeal to a wide range of jazz listeners. [This recording] is enjoyable, sparkles with imagination, and is a definite winner in recent contemporary jazz releases. A talented group and a talented series of performances, this makes for a fine adventure in contemporary jazz listening. Lee Prosser, JazzReview.com
Scott Hesse grew up in Sioux City, Iowa, where he began playing the guitar at age fourteen. A year and a half later he began performing in his father's 12-piece territory big band throughout the Midwest. As a junior in high school, Scott was chosen to participate in the Clark Terry Youth Express big band, which included performances with Terry.
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Scott Hesse Trio: Intention
by Troy Dostert
Guitarist Scott Hesse self-released his debut album, Intuition, in 1998, but he has been criminally under-recorded since then. At least, that is the conclusion many will draw after listening to his superb trio disc, Intention, recorded live in Chicago in 2023. His most recent date as a leader since 2015's The Stillness of Motion (Origin Records), here he is partnered with bassist Clark Sommers and drummer Dana Hall, with an opportunity to showcase his formidable talents in a way sure ...
read moreGeof Bradfield Quintet: Quaver
by Jack Bowers
While tenor saxophonist Geof Bradfield's versatile Chicago-based quintet does not play free jazz" on Quaver-- customary rhythmic and harmonic precepts underline every number--the music is explicitly adventurous and forward-looking, as Bradfield and his mates seize every chance to take flight within prescribed boundaries. All the compositions are Bradfield's, and they range from powerful to placid, none of which seems to faze any members of the group, three of whom --Bradfield, bassist Clark Sommers, drummer Dana Hall--have been ...
read moreScott Hesse: Intuition
by Joel Roberts
Guitarist Scott Hesse is yet another talented, technically adept young jazz artist looking to make a name for himself on the New York scene. His debut recording, IntuitionHesse works through a nicely varied set of six originals and two standards: Joe Henderson's the Kicker" (which first appeared on the classic Horace Silver album Song for My Father ) and the ballad I Wish I Knew." He is backed by a fine young quartet of unknowns (to me at least) including ...
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