Jordan VanHemert Survival of the Fittest

May 14, 2025

Jordan VanHemert

Survival of the Fittest

Origin

Saxophonist and composer Jordan VanHemert leads a veritable ‘can’t miss’ lineup on his fifth release as a leader, the vibrant post bop oriented Survival of the Fittest. Joining Michigander VanHemert are in-state colleagues trombonist Michael Dease (also co-producer) and bassist Rodney Whitaker along with three other premiere players – trumpeter Terell Stafford, pianist Helen Sung, and drummer Lewis Nash. If you heard Korean-American VanHemert’s debut album, 2021’s I Am Not a Virus, motivated by the anti-Asian-American sentiment fueled by COVID, and continued in his 2022 Nomad (Origin) you know that he is an activist. He continues to rail against those prejudices here although it is a bit more toned down. The title though is more than a simple cliche’, for VanHemert it’s real. He stresses resilience, pointing to the Japanese proverb, “fall seven times, stand up eight.”

Six of these nine, a mix of covers and originals, are rendered as a full sextet with three others as separate duos. Inspired by classic political statements such as John Coltrane’s “Alabama” and those of Mingus and Max Roach, VanHemert’s solemn “Mourning Comes Again” is in response to the 2021 Atlanta Spa shootings, where most of the victims were women of Asian descent. For context, the title track of fellow saxophonist and Michigander Diego Rivera’s recent “West Circle” is another in this vein, commemorating the tragic mass shooting at Michigan State in 2023. However, lest we regress “Mourning Comes Again” reveals not only the saxophonist’s stout tone but poignant contributions from Whitaker and the ever-vibrant Stafford.

We also have the traditional Korean murder ballad, “Milyang Arirang,” about a young daughter of a Korean provincial governor who was murdered by a spurned would-be suitor. This is an older story but one that infuses VanHemert’s belief that to be a Korean is a survivor. To that end, much of this record is fueled by his own unexpected dismissal as director of jazz studies at a college. As he was coping with anger, he developed many of these tunes. Fortunately, VanHemert is now director of jazz studies at Northeastern State University in Oklahoma. To give you a further indication of his personal approach, he writes in his LinkedIn profile, “I advocate for marginalized populations in higher education” and “for the inclusion of BIPOC music in both culture and repertoire in the narrative of music in higher education.”

Opener “Here and Now” is a upbeat straight-ahead tune that introduces the three-horn front line harmonies blowing over Sung’s articulate comping. The leader takes a fierce turn, followed by brimming statements from Dease, Sung, and Whitaker, whose pedal bass anchors the tune. “Tread Lightly” is an homage for the titanic Thad Jones, and proves to be a showcase for Nash’s crafty kit work and a playful solo from Sung.

Following “Mourning Comes Again” is the first of the three duets, the standard “Softly As a Morning Sunrise,” covered by many greats, including John Coltrane. This version is aptly fierce as well with VanHemert sparring with the highly energized Nash. Standout “Sea of Tranquility,”re-purposed from I Am Not a Virus, takes its name from the famous plateau on the moon and features a restrained, highly lyrical VanHemert is a most intimate conversation with Sung, whose piano emits glowing and flowing cosmic tones. Lastly, in a tune that has long represented both oppression and hope, Ellington’s “Come Sunday,” VanHemert digs deep with Whitaker, having originally been inspired by Whitaker’s daughter, Rockelle’s, vocal take on the piece.

In a album themed on overcoming struggles, including a blues seems almost mandatory. “Mo Blues” was written by a student of Dease, with a head in the vein of Harry “Sweets” Edison’s “Centerpiece.” Whitaker steps up for his typically robust solo, VanHemert blows old school style and Stafford chimes in with heavy doses of vibrato. Sung dances lightly in that ‘blues makes you feel good’ way. While the closing title track may have initially been written in angered response to mistreatment, it comes off as bouyant and uplifting with all players going all out in a tune that best epitomizes the galvanizing uplift of post bop.

VanHemert traverses waves of grief, defiance, and surely resilience in the well-balanced and superbly executed Survival of the Fittest, a cathartic release of the highest order.

– Jim Hynes.