For those unaware, Hellbender is a project that captures Jared Sims’ desire to play jazz in a rock format. Inspired by jazz records like Steve Grossman’s album Some Shapes to Come and Miles Davis’ On the Corner, but also dub reggae and funk music too, Sims may well have other projects that dabble in funk rhythms, but this is his first that explores rock rhythms.

Amazingly, Sims composed and built the repertoire for the band from Black Sabbath beats he created on his laptop. Sims explains, I like the edge and intensity of Led Zeppelin and the bold saxophone plying of people like Steve Grossman and Dave Liebman. Musically, I also want to challenge the head-solo-head format that is so often used in jazz and rather make it more collective improvisation.

Jared Sims, a multi-instrumentalist performs on all of the saxophones, clarinet, and flute on this recording and all the musicians he has brought together to form this band are conservatory-trained musicians who grew up listening to classic rock.

1. Ensuing Plight (5:46)
2. Infinite Colossus (5:15)
3. Alpha 1 (4:17)
4. Earth (5:14)
5. Vertigo (4:14)
6. Ground Control (3:41)
7. Orbital (4:12)

This highly inventive, and thoroughly invigorating new recording opens on the rhythmical guitar/percussion rocker Ensuing Plight and then brings us the pulsating Infinite Colossus, the funky foot tapper Alpha 1 and then we get the organically-curated, jam meld within Earth.

The horn-led masterpiece, and my own personal favorite here on this quite stellar new musical outing, Vertigo is along next, and then the album rounds out on the shimmering, funky hipsway of Ground Control, coming to a close on the palpable sonic reach displayed within the soaring Orbital.

Musicians:
Jared Sims: alto sax
Andrew Stern: guitar
James Rohr: keyboards
Marc Friedman: bass
Randy Wooten: drums

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