LIFTOFF – ROBIN VERHEYEN / DREW GRESS / BILLY HART

LIFTOFF

This is a story about listening with intention, adventure in new territory of music, excellency of artistry, reinventing jazz history, communication without borders, through three generations.

In April of 2024 the trio of Robin Verheyen, Drew Gress and Billy Hart went into the studio to record their new album Liftoff. They recorded new compositions by Robin Verheyen, the classic song Over The Rainbow and a composition by Marc Copland.

In the discography of 84 year old jazz master Billy Hart (Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Stan Getz) there are very few saxophone trio albums. Even more unique is that this album brings Hart together with another legend of the music, bassist extraordinaire Drew Gress (Uri Caine, Tim Berne, Craig Taborn). Together they form one of the best rhythm sections on this planet and create a perfect foundation for Verheyen’s musical world. It’s not Verheyen’s first time working with them. They released the very convincing quartet album When The Birds Leave (Universal Records) in 2017 alongside pianist Marc Copland. And let it be this pianist Marc Copland’s who’s releasing this trio album on his recently founded label InnervoiceJazz.

The album was released in February of 2025. In future live shows, Billy Hart will be replaced by Kush Abadey (Ravi Coltrane, Chris Potter, Melissa Aldana, Tomasz Stanko, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Wynton Marsalis).

“Verheyen can make the sax speak. His sound is as personal as a human voice, such are his limitless reserves of expressivity.”
– Marlbank (UK)

“The way Robin Verheyen spins around this melody, then slowly strips it down and analyzes it, is very inventive and testifies to the maturity of the Belgian saxophonist, who has become a fixture on the international jazz scene.”
– De Standaard (BE)