Randy Hoexter, Tomorrowsville Review

By Jeff Becker

Atlanta-based jazz pianist, composer, and educator Randy Hoexter returns with Tomorrowsville, a creative collection of modern jazz compositions. Known for his collaborations with artists ranging from Jimmy Herring and Shane Theriot to Chuck Rainey and Sonny Emory, Hoexter brings decades of performance and pedagogical experience to this project. Currently teaching jazz composition and arranging at Georgia State University, Hoexter channels his multifaceted musical identity into a record that celebrates rhythmic awareness, orchestral precision, and global cultural interconnection.

Tomorrowsville is a sonic exploration of optimism and cultural fusion. Hoexter employs a five-piece horn section, global percussion, and modern jazz harmonies to convey his developing narratives. The core ensemble includes Hoexter on piano, Jimmy Haslip on bass, John David on drums, Emrah Kotan on percussion, Eric Alexander on trombone, and Sam Skelton on saxophone, bass clarinet, and flute. Guest artists featured on the album include Mike Stern on guitar, Roberta Setzu on vocals, Gordon Vernick, and Justin Powell on trumpet and flugelhorn. This album offers jazz fans a compelling journey in compositional form, ensemble cohesion, and improvisational nuance.

Opening the album with creative rhythmic invention, “Rosetta Stone” unfolds in 5/8 meter, inspired by North African tile patterns and five-fold symmetry. Hoexter navigates the asymmetry by locking the ensemble into various rhythmic motifs of 3-2 and 2-3, creating a pulse that is engaging and viscerally maintains a grooving backbeat. Modal centers shift fluidly in the form, with melodic lines from the frontline, a lyrical bass line from Jimmy Haslip, and a dynamic drum by David and Kotan driving the form. This track is an energetic thesis statement for the album; structured, angular, and deeply grooving.

With its title evoking the transition from walking to flying, “The Dragonfly” captures grace and speed through a contemporary rhythmic groove. The ensemble plays with connecting articulation and fluid transitions, allowing the composition to maintain forward movement. Stern’s guitar solo is a standout, cutting through the texture with melodic clarity and rhythmic elasticity.

“Argentum (For Horace)” is a contemporary jazz Latin groove tribute to Horace Silver; this Latin-rock-infused tune opens with a classic trumpet/tenor saxophone melody. The horn lines are memorable and buoyant in the groove, honoring Silver’s legacy of accessible complexity. Skelton’s saxophone solo brings agility to the forefront, supported by responsive ensemble backing and vibrant rhythmic interplay.

“The Wine-Dark Sea” is a vocal piece on the album. This composition draws from Homeric imagery and presents Siren’s perspective with haunting beauty. Vocalist Roberta Setzu delivers the melody with great control and sensitivity, expertly navigating wide intervals and modal shifts. The instrumentation enhances the atmosphere, lending mythic weight to the piece’s narrative arc.

Based on West African rhythms adapted into a 7/4 time signature, “Diaspora” opens with Kotan’s syncopated percussion and David’s kit, soon joined by Haslip’s equally melodic and syncopated bass. The ensemble layers in horns, flute, and piano, weaving a counterpoint-rich texture that expands through each section. The cultural fusion is palpable as contemporary jazz meets Afro-Latin traditions in the conversational setting written by Hoexter. Skelton’s flute solo sings with grace, and Hoexter’s own solo builds in rhythmic vitality, capturing the emotion of cultural movement of the feel.

“Evening Comes Early” is dedicated to late musical legends Brecker, Pastorius, Grolnick, and Mays. This track begins with a joyous piano line, quickly evolving into a rich developing form. The waltz feel is interlaced with metric modulations that keep the listener alert. Stern’s solo blends lyricism with his signature tonal palette, shifting into a minor blues backed by swinging eighths. The horn writing is particularly strong in the interlude, leading seamlessly into Hoexter’s building solo, culminating in a poignant moment of ensemble unity.

“Particle Accelerator” was inspired by the raw energy of the Large Hadron Collider; this track lives up to its name. The horn section is bold and well-orchestrated, laying a foundation for Skelton’s impressive solo work. The tempo and phrasing deliver bursts of musical momentum, mirroring the physics-defying metaphor.

“Phosphenes,” named after the visual phenomena seen when eyes are closed, leans into a cinematic tone of world, jazz, and folk-jazz. Skelton’s tenor sax floats through the soundscape, supported by ambient textures and shimmering harmony. A more meditative entry in the album, it explores nuance and sonic subtlety.

“Tomorrowsville,” the title track, is bursting with optimism, channeling the rhythmic fire and harmonic exuberance of Latin jazz, reminiscent of Chick Corea’s energetic works. Vernick’s trumpet solo is a highlight, navigating the harmonic changes with clarity and passion. The composition embodies the album’s hopeful vision. This reflects Hoexter’s vibrant, cross-cultural jazz compositional style.

A brief yet evocative piano interlude, “Sonate” conjures images of the French countryside with its lyrical phrasing and classical form. It serves as a palette cleanser within the album’s arc.

“In Bright October,” the final chapter begins in a lush straight-eighth feel, Hoexter calling on the ensemble to express their cinematic, harmonically rich style. As the piece progresses, Hoexter’s piano solo builds into a climactic arc, supported by responsive horn backgrounds. The energy then recedes into a contrapuntal exchange between the horns and rhythm section. Skelton’s soprano saxophone solo is emotionally resonant and technically compelling. The composition, unfolding like a novel in musical form, closes the album with depth and grace.

Tomorrowsville reflects Hoexter’s modern jazz arranging and ensemble writing. The use of a five-piece horn section, paired with world percussion and modern harmonic language, makes this album a powerful experience. Hoexter’s orchestrations are precise and dynamic, offering clear examples of how to blend diverse instruments while maintaining balance and transparency of the groove. The cultural rhythms integrated into “Rosetta Stone” and “Diaspora” are excellent examples of how jazz can incorporate global traditions.

Tomorrowsville affirms Randy Hoexter’s position as a leading voice in contemporary jazz composition and arrangement. With its wide-ranging textures, global rhythmic influences, and emotive soloing, the album speaks to the mind and the heart. The improvisational content, particularly from Stern, Skelton, Haslip, and Hoexter himself, offers a rich experience in phrasing, motivic development, and solo-to-ensemble interaction. For jazz fans who value a journey into the sounds of where jazz can go.