Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Jason Klobnak: Hark The Herald

Jason Klobnak: Hark The Herald

By Dan Bilawsky
December 6, 2016
View read count

Track review of "Hark The Herald"

Sleigh bells, synths, slick layers of sound, and a forthright trumpet are making seasons bright here. Colorado-based trumpeter Jason Klobnak dips his toe into Christmas music with a contemporary spin on "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" that's both fun and ripe. It's a work that's seriously produced but lighthearted in tone.

While Klobnak's recordings thus far have focused on quintet-based dynamics, he moves in a new direction for this one-off holiday single. It only took three men to create the music for this track—Klobnak on trumpet,

James Roberson

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">James Roberson on keyboards and drums, and Nathaniel Kearney, Jr. on bass—but it speaks as if made by a slightly bigger band. It's a pop-glazed production with funky undertones. Klobnak's horn sings loud and clear on the melody over a rock groove enhanced by little jabs that evolves into a half-time feel before cycling back around, he adds muted trumpet work as another color in the mix, and he blows a bit to keep things honest on the jazz end.

Roberson's keys provide the primary color/style scheme for this arrangement—bright shades that are hip and urbane in nature—while Kearney holds the bottom together in unobtrusive fashion. All three men are well-matched in terms of style and conception. "Hark The Herald" is simply a sweet holiday treat that goes down quick and easy.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Hark The Herald.

Personnel

Jason Klobnak

trumpet

Jason Klobnack: trumpet; James Roberson: keyboards, drums; Nathaniel Kearney: bass.

Album information

Title: Hark The Herald | Year Released: 2016 | Record Label: Self Produced

PREVIOUS / NEXT

On Hollywood Boulevard
< Previous

The Power Quintet at Jazz Standard
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.