Justice for the Unarmed (BLM) - Jordan VanHemert Quintet (Single)

In another powerful act of solidarity with the oppressed, “Justice for the Unarmed (BLM)” swings hard and doesn’t mince words. It’s a tumultuous wave of sound that demands your attention, much like the voices of the BLM protest movement have broken through the noise of everyday life to be heard on a global scale. It specifically focuses on anger felt from the unjust murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor. These lives live on through the many pieces of art that have come from these traditions, from murals to pieces of music. Art reflects one’s environment, and 2020, for all of its insanities, has been a tumultuous environment to try and reflect. You hear it in the pace of the tune, the fastest on the record, mirroring the speed these stories reached a global audience. You hear it in the musicianship, pushing just hard enough to create a powerful texture while also taking liberties in free expression to really have this tune stand out from the list. To compliment the audio, there is a video of the studio recording juxtaposed with imagery and videography from various nationwide protests. Rob Smith kicks things off with a fiery trumpet solo, Kazuki Takemura carries the torch into a solo that flies around the range of the bass, followed by Jordan VanHemert’s blazing improvisation accompanied only by Andy Wheelock’s energetic drumming to emphasize the sound of one voice heard over the crowd of opposition. The wave of sound crashes into the final statement, giving listeners a succinct moment of activism meeting artistry.

*An excerpt from a full review publishing with the album release in 2021