The Heckler - Heckler City

Juan Pablo Balcazar

TheHeckler is a quartet influenced by contemporary urban jazz sounds found manly at the New York and Barcelona’s underground. Present-day jazz in which you’ll hear music elements from pop-rock, new-bop and free jazz; elements always treated with the acoustic format, a way to guarantee a very jazzy sound.
Their first album, called “Heckler City”, it’s a compacted project. It was thought from its beginning to fit the band’s formation and with clear references to the notion of city. It smells like city. It builds heavy atmospheres, maybe humid, a bit dark, autumn style.
The album and the entire quartet project remind us of a capital city. Big cities with thousand of stories that, as flash of light, appear and disappear without leaving trace… they are jus too many.
The repertory is full of contrasts. There is the sad story of that one who cries, gets mad, and doesn’t even know why. There is the happy end. There is the story of the indifferent city, a city that looks at them without a blink, neutral.


Tracklisting:

01. Tristeza - Sadness 7:20
02. Blues? 5:04
03. Yo no sé por qué la vida es así si tu naciste para ser feliz 7:20
04. Lisboa 8:42
05. Heckler City 6:45
06. Nervio #1 6:23
07. Solo... 8:17
08. San Victorino 1:42
09. It's the Same 5:31
10. Temita-Codita 4:47

All tracks arranged and composed by Juan Pablo Balcazar.
Recorded in Barcelona, August 3, 2004.


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Reviews:

"Though their influences include rock, indie, and free jazz this group takes the best parts to deliver an energetic recording. This quartet’s contemporary sound is backed by a flexible bass and drum section, and stellar out-front sax and guitar voices. The theme for this recording is based upon the heartbeat and diversity of life in a city. The varying tales are articulated musically into the garage rock of “Tristeza,” the Nuevo-hip flow of “Nervio #1,” or the shadowy mood of “Lisboa.” Each musician brings his entirety with artistic touches on the masterful “It's the Same” with its breezy cadence and smooth arranging, or the industrialized metro sound of the title composition. Highly recommended."

Mark F. Turner -All About Jazz

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"Another confusing attribution -- could be read several ways, but Balcazar is key: plays bass, wrote all the pieces. The quartet fleshes out with tenor sax, guitar and drums. The guitarist, Alejandro Mingot, fleshes out the melody and keeps the music on the sweet side, a bias that helps saxophonist Miguel Villar "Pintxo" sound more like Lester Young than he might otherwise. Overall, this feels composed, rather tightly controlled by a bass line that isn't conspicuous except for the ordering. The premium then is on atmosphere. An extra saxophone joins in on the final cut, cruising deep into the night. Impressive work, even if I don't know what it means."

Tom Hull, www.tomhull.com

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