Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Xaver Hellmeier: X-Man in New York

Xaver Hellmeier: X-Man in New York

By Jack Bowers
January 25, 2024
View read count

Drummer Xaver (X-Man) Hellmeier has been little known to date outside his native Germany and other European countries. One way to help redress that oversight is to surround oneself with some of the most well-respected and talented musicians on the New York scene, which is what Hellmeir has done on his superb debut album, X-Man in New York. When it comes to choosing sidemen, it is hard to belie the inclusion of trumpeter

Jeremy Pelt

trumpet
b.1976

" data-original-title="" title="">Jeremy Pelt, tenor saxophonist

Eric Alexander

saxophone, tenor
b.1968

" data-original-title="" title="">Eric Alexander, pianist

David Hazeltine

piano
b.1958

" data-original-title="" title="">David Hazeltine or bassist

Peter Washington

bass
b.1964

" data-original-title="" title="">Peter Washington. The main problem when recruiting musicians of that stature is to avoid being upstaged.

Hellmeier sidesteps that stumbling block by doing what he does best: keeping flawless time and letting his teammates know the X- Man has their back. That does not mean, however, that he simply disappears behind the drum kit. Hellmeier takes the first solo on the album's opening number, Rodgers and Hart's "I Could Write a Book," and shares the spotlight on several other tracks before emptying the entire arsenal on Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson's flag-waving "Tune Up." Pelt and Alexander are their usual persuasive selves throughout, as is Hazeltine, while Washington's plangent bass is a perfect complement to the X-Man's rhythmic artistry.

The session is upbeat and dynamic with two exceptions, Hoagy Carmichael and Ned Washington's ballad "The Nearness of You," which showcases Hazeltine's soulful piano and Washington's walking bass, and Sacha Distel's "The Good Life." Hellmeier wrote a pair of the album's more engaging numbers, "A Night in Verona" and the irrepressible closer, "Blues for JF," a nod to his mentor (and the album's producer), drummer

Joe Farnsworth

drums
b.1968

" data-original-title="" title="">Joe Farnsworth.

Walter Booker

bass
b.1933

" data-original-title="" title="">Walter Booker wrote the sultry "Book's Bossa,"

Hank Mobley

saxophone, tenor
1930 - 1986

" data-original-title="" title="">Hank Mobley the animated "Advance Notice,"

Cedar Walton

piano
1934 - 2013

" data-original-title="" title="">Cedar Walton the exuberant "Midnight Waltz." In sum, a superb choice of material.

Which would be to no avail had Hellmeier not enlisted a group of blue-chip musicians to impart his vision. Luckily for the listener, he has done exactly that. Pelt, who plays muted and open, has seldom sounded better, while Alexander maximizes the passion in every solo and Hazeltine displays his admirable chops on every number. Washington pulls his weight, as always, while Hellmeier shows on every number why he should be far better known—a miscue that time will certainly set right. Meanwhile, groove on X-Man in New York, a splendid preamble to what promises to be a long and impressive career.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

I Could Write a Book; Book��s Bossa; The Good Life; Advance Notice; Midnight Waltz; A Night in Verona; The Nearness of You; Tune Up; Blues for JF.

Personnel

Xaver Hellmeier

drums

Jeremy Pelt

trumpet

Eric Alexander

saxophone, tenor

David Hazeltine

piano

Peter Washington

bass

Album information

Title: X-Man in New York | Year Released: 2024 | Record Label: Cellar Music Group

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Remembering Saxophonist, teacher, an...
< Previous

Carmen's Karma
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.