Hard bop is back with a vengeance in the person of Brandon Woody whose debut featuring his band Upendo this is.
Anthemic, tuneful in a non-cloying way, full of feverish drive and more, Woody, in his twenties, who is from Baltimore in the United States attended the Baltimore School for the Arts and studied at the Brubeck Institute and Manhattan School of Music.
Upendo (meaning ”love” – the word is derived from the Swahili language) started at school in 2017 – the band’s core members are pianist Troy Long, bassist Michael Saunders and drummer Quincy Phillips.
‘Real Love Pt. 1′ was a track of the week on marlbank in February. The instrumental has a positivity to it that’s infectious sporting nimble, communicative lead lines and possesses an anthemic quality. The piece is a Woody co-write with the band’s pianist Troy Long. Vittorio Stropoli adds synth to the core quartet’s sound – but in terms of the key band it’s Woody and Long plus bass guitarist Michael Saunders and drummer Quincy Phillips. Album personnel includes guest singer Imani-Grace who is atmospheric on opener ‘Never Gonna Run Away.’
And Woody who was mentored by Ambrose Akinmusire can improvise hard, pushing himself on particularly on the ‘Wisdom; Terrace on St. Paul St’ number.
It’s a new sound in terms of sheer personality and possibility, couched in the Freddie Hubbard mould sure but carved out very distinctively. So while there’s a source in common there’s an individuality that emerges very differently compared to some of the leading players of that tradition today chiefly the even more retro Jeremy Pelt whose own new album Woven is also one of 2025’s best.
All together it’s one of the best things we have heard in many a moon and the writing is outstanding. Plenty for jazz fans everywhere to fully absorb and rejoice in unless hypnotised by the starter kit sounds that land, often so dismally, picking bell end daisies from the ravey davey-isms of ”nu jazz” elsewhere. The future is in good hands. Pick of the tracks: the moving ‘Perseverance’ and beautiful ballad ‘We, Ota Benga.’ Up there with Anthem which blew us away when Christian Scott as he was then emerged in 2007.
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