Hey Jazz Fans – Ready for Some Hipster Heptones? Veteran tuba master Ralph Hepola creates a dynamic, supremely soulful new lead voice for the idiom on his eclectic debut album “Tuba”. by Jonathan Widran
Jonathan Widran is a regular contributor to the Los Angeles Times, Jazziz Magazine, All Music Guide, Music Connection, iTunes, Billboard.com, Amazon.com, and Singer/Songwriter Universe.
Ralph Hepola is well acquainted with the classical and symphonic applications of his chosen horn and lifelong passion. “People are drawn to the tuba’s warm, lush and mellow sound, which creates a beautiful contrast to the edgier sounds of more traditional brass instruments like trumpet and trombone.”
Jazz tubists have for the most part continued in their side/soloist slots rather than as leaders helming their own albums. Ralph boldly aims to change all that with his powerhouse ensemble collection reflecting a stylistically multi-faceted aesthetic he dubs “21st Century Solo Tuba.”
Tuba finds Ralph taking us on a journey through all the musical loves of his life, starting with “Clarion Call,” a whimsical emotionally compelling Latin jazz romp that utilizes the chord progression of trumpeter Kenny Dorham’s “Blue Bossa.” As an aside, Ralph explains in his colorful liner notes, “A clarion was a type of trumpet during the Middle Ages. Incidentally, the Latin word for trumpet is tuba.”
He follows that with the atmospheric and sonically offbeat, fast modal tune “Hepmobile,” whose title is an ode to the classic Hupmobile to reflect the idea that the piece is a solo vehicle for tuba, sans solos by other band members. Showcasing the dynamic chemistry between Ralph and Mark Asche, “Blue Moment” is a brief but impactful tuba/piano ballad that the tubist first played at the Twin Cities Jazz Festival, which he performed each year from 2012-2015. The appropriately titled “Phraseology” is a spirited and swinging, high fallutin’ bebop tune that Ralph developed out of unique rhythm changes he created first. In the spirit of heroes like Sonny Rollins, whom Ralph recalls would record twenty choruses on a track, he features multiple choruses – and then trades fours with his fellow musicians.
Tuba then enters blues territory, with the tubist first drawing on his extensive experience as a sideman in the genre in duet with Lothringer on the raw, down-home tunes “Ralph’s Riff” and “Through the Wringer.” He then fashions a darkly seductive horn melody over Shu’s gospel-tinged Hammond B-3 organ on the minor-key ballad “Incoming Blues”; Shu’s hypnotic solo is a highlight.
Ralph shares a more sensitive, lyrical side of his artistry on three rarely-heard moody, immersive folkloric songs (“Black-Eyed Susan”, “Scottish Lullaby” and “Mary, Young, and Fair”) that cumulatively form a suite of traditional Celtic airs. These tracks featuring some of Ralph’s gentlest melodic tones over Shu’s graceful Rhodes vibe; Daniel Arlig’s plucky bass solo on the third song is a gem. The collection wraps with the slowly rumbling, old school soul-jazz funk/swing tune “American Landscape,” inspired by the American Landscape School of Painters who flourished between 1820 and 1880. According to Ralph’s notes, “Adventuresome and entrepreneurial, they painted scenes of incredible natural beauty on very large canvasses.”
“It’s very all over the map stylistically,” Ralph says whimsically, “but if you look at contemporary jazz, there are many artists on traditional instruments like piano, sax and trumpet who create recordings that have a Latin jazz tune followed by some bebop, a slow ballad, and blues. It’s fun playing all these different rhythmic changes throughout and for me makes for a successful overall program. I see it like a concert experience that’s fast one minute, slow the next, touching all areas that comprise contemporary and traditional jazz. I play in seven different styles here. The only difference is, I’m making it happen with the tuba.”
“I thought if I took it up and excelled at it, there would be more opportunities for me as a musician compared to all the competition I would have among the many trumpeters and million sax and piano players out there.” It didn’t take long for those notions to become reality. Ralph has built an impressive career whose eclecticism lays the foundation for his current emergence as a solo artist. He can be heard on forty recordings as well as twenty-eight video productions.
“I’m really grateful for the unique career I have had and the opportunity to engage in so many different recorded and live projects and work with some of the greatest musicians in the world,” says Ralph. “I feel there is a lot of great music inside me still and I enjoy the challenge of writing and composing new material and showcasing the tuba in ways many people haven’t yet experienced. Now that I have the chance to pursue that dream, I’m excited about the opportunity to give it a shot.”
Also see RalphHepola.com
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