| Jazz |
Steve Holt’s “Impact”: A Love Letter to Classic Jazz With a Contemporary Soul
In an age when jazz is constantly being redefined, pushed, stretched, and reimagined—Canadian pianist Steve Holt offers something refreshingly timeless with his new album, Impact. This isn’t just a nod to tradition. It’s a fully realized, finely polished tribute to the golden era of 1960s jazz, one that simultaneously welcomes the uninitiated and rewards seasoned ears with its warm fidelity and artful musicianship.
Montreal-born and now based in Toronto, Holt is no newcomer to the scene. His career spans decades, marked by collaborations with titans such as Archie Shepp, Larry Coryell, Eddie Henderson, Pat LaBarbera, James Moody, Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson, and Michel Urbaniak. It’s a résumé that speaks for itself. But perhaps more telling is Holt’s foundational education: he studied with jazz piano luminary Kenny Barron in New York, an early pilgrimage that shaped his touch, phrasing, and compositional sensibility.
Impact, his latest effort, unfolds like a novel set in the 1960s, a time when optimism floated through the air and horns often led the way. The spirit of that era pulses throughout the album, particularly through its meticulously arranged brass sections, but listen closely and you’ll hear a thoroughly modern sensibility, one that only a 21st-century composer with Holt’s breadth could provide. This duality, the ability to evoke the past while remaining grounded in the present, is what makes Impact so compelling.
At the heart of the album lies its title track, “Impact,” a buoyant, high-energy composition that captures the joyful chemistry of Holt’s new quintet. From the first downbeat, it radiates exuberance and tightly controlled dynamism, as if the band is collectively smiling through their instruments.
Other highlights include “Second Voyage,” an expansive, dreamlike piece that evokes the feeling of drifting endlessly on an open sea under vast skies, an homage, both subtle and heartfelt, to Herbie Hancock’s exploratory spirit. “Lalita’s Waltz,” a tender dedication to Holt’s wife, conjures the introspective beauty of a Bill Evans ballad, yet surprises with its harmonic intricacies and lush emotional depth.
The album is more than a collection of originals, though Holt’s compositions are the backbone. A fiery rendition of Tom McIntosh’s “Cup Bearers” injects classic bebop energy, while a solo piano interpretation of “O Canada” closes the album on a deeply personal note, transfiguring the national anthem into a meditation rich with nostalgia and emotional resonance.
Joining Holt is a stellar cast of Canadian jazz stalwarts: Perry White on saxophone, Kevin Turcotte on trumpet, Duncan Hopkins on bass, and the legendary Terry Clarke on drums. Their interplay is seamless, their cohesion remarkable. Together, they create a sound that is at once lush, assured, and imbued with a kind of quiet urgency.
The result is an album best experienced in an intimate setting, perhaps with a glass in hand and the lights low, alone or in good company. Impact doesn’t demand your attention, but it earns it. It’s a record that invites you in gently, rewards careful listening, and lingers long after the final notes fade.
In a world of streaming ephemera and algorithm-driven playlists, Impact feels deliberate, crafted, and alive. For jazz enthusiasts, it’s a comforting reaffirmation of the genre’s enduring power. For newcomers, it’s a masterfully accessible gateway. Either way, it stands as a vibrant new chapter in Steve Holt’s storied career, rooted in tradition, yet resonating firmly in the now.
Thierry De Clemensat
Member at Jazz Journalists Association
USA correspondent for Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief – Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, May 5th 2025
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Musicians:
Steve Holt – piano, keyboards
Kevin Turcotte – trumpet, flugelhorn
Perry White – tenor saxophone
Duncan Hopkins – bass
Terry Clarke – drums
Tracklist:
Impact
Second Voyage
The Cup Bearers
Lalita’s Waltz
The Unveling
The Lyon’s Eyes
The Inner Player
Tender Tears
O Canada