Jacob Wutzke - You Better Bet

Another recent release from Cellar records today, this time from Montreal-soon-to-be-New York jazz drummer Jacob Wutzke. I've known Jacob for a long and he's one of the hardest working young musicians I know.

Jacob was enough to take out of his busy touring and packing schedule to answer a few questions about his fantastic new album You Better Bet:

Check out his new music here: https://jacobwutzke.bandcamp.com/album/you-better-bet

Jacob Wutzke You Better Bet - Four on the Floor: March 2025

1) Tell us about your latest recording!

Thank you Jon for the opportunity to speak on my new recording! I’m so appreciative of all of the effort you’ve put into supporting me over the years, and I often think about our lessons together. Crazy to think that those lessons were already over ten years ago.

You Better Bet is my second full-length album as a leader, and features a hard-hitting acoustic jazz quintet with a sort of modern hard-bop sensibility. It was released on the Cellar Music Group record label based in Vancouver, and was recorded in Montréal in November 2022.

2) How did you choose your repertoire and sidemen?

Both the repertoire and musicians involved are central to the concept of the record. The story starts with legendary bass player Ira Coleman, who’s featured on the record. In Summer 2022, I was completing my master’s degree at McGill University when I heard the news that Ira would be relocating to Montréal to teach at McGill. I had been a fan of Ira’s for many years through his affiliation with the Tony Williams Quintet, of which he was a pivotal member throughout the 80’s and 90’s. I decided to approach Ira in his office to see if he’d be interested in talking about his experience with Tony, and maybe to play Tony’s music as a part of my studies. To my surprise and delight, he had all of Tony’s music neatly organized in a folder with him, many of the charts handwritten by Tony himself. We formed a quintet and met every week as a part of my degree to play through Tony’s music, and he told the group so many incredible stories along the way. Eventually I decided that I wanted to record my next record, and it was clear to me that I wanted to document this particular moment in time. So I chose five of my favourite compositions from Tony Williams (Sister Cheryl, Pee Wee, Ancient Eyes, Arboretum, Warriors), and then wrote five more of my own in a similar style and with the same instrumentation. Then I put together a quintet of musicians who all have beautiful and distinct voices, and we recorded the whole album in one day at Studio MixArt in Montréal. It features Ira Coleman on upright bass, Bryn Roberts on piano, Lucas Dubovik on tenor saxophone, Rachel Therrien on trumpet and flugelhorn, and myself on drums and compositions.

3) What inspired you to pursue the vibe and instrumentation that you did?

It was interesting approaching a recording with the vibe of Tony Williams’ quintet in my mind. His band, (which featured Ira Coleman on bass, Mulgrew Miller on piano, Wallace Roney on trumpet, Bill Pierce on saxophones, and Tony Williams on drums and compositions) played with a fully acoustic setup, yet was influenced by the power and the intensity that came from Tony’s electric bands in years prior. So it has a somewhat traditional sound, but also a real intensity and drive (and volume!) that you wouldn’t have necessarily heard in hard-bop from the 50’s. His approach to musical form and harmony was also really unique and informed the way that I wrote my tunes. Beyond those influences, I like to think that I approached the music (both Tony’s tunes and my own) with my own sensibility and approach. I didn’t really try to play like Tony, but through years of listening to and admiring his sound, I’m sure some of his language seeped into my playing. I find the record to be very cohesive, and it feels like one unified concept.

4) Was there a particular message you were trying to convey to the listener?

I had been reflecting a lot on what it means to record a jazz album in the 2020’s. While there is definitely still room for innovation and original voices to shine through, it’s true that SO MANY records have already been made that perfectly exemplify a given style. How can one make a piano trio record without thinking of Oscar Peterson’s “Night Train”? How can one record a quartet album with tenor saxophone without thinking of John Coltrane? And so I think it’s more important than ever to make albums that have a strong and unified concept, and that feature original music. Also, when I perform and record, I try to showcase primarily music that was written by myself and by other drummers. I feel that drummers are so often remembered by their associations with other bandleaders, even if they may have composed music and led bands for most of their careers. This is certainly the case with Tony Williams in that most people speak of his association with Miles Davis (which was only a handful of years, and very early in his career and development as a musician), ignoring the fact that he primarily led bands and composed music for the 30+ years that followed.

5) Who are your influences with regards to your style of writing and playing?

Aside from Tony Williams who is (evidently!) a massive influence on me, I really do try to be a sponge when it comes to listening to music. Some recordings resonate with me, some recordings are largely forgotten, but each one teaches me something about music and about myself. I often think about Billy Higgins, notably in his “straighter” approach to swing timekeeping. I think about Marcus Gilmore and his gorgeously organic approach to phrasing that seems to roll off the tongue. I think of Vernel Fournier and his sharp, precise brush sound that has influenced my own profoundly. And I think of Roy Haynes and that beautiful “snap crackle pop” feeling that his beat has — notably in his snare drum.

6) What are you practicing/studying/listening to/researching these days?

I’ll be moving to New York City next week (March 14th 2025), and I’ve been noticing that there’s many tunes that are commonly played at jam sessions and gigs that haven’t made their way up to the Canadian scene. So I’m trying to catch up before I get there — checking out lots of music by Barry Harris and Bud Powell in particular. Barry Harris’ record “Luminescence” has been a favo(u)rite lately. I’m also always playing along with recordings — particularly drumless recordings — and working on developing my technique by practicing Alan Dawson’s Rudimental Ritual and pieces by Charles Wilcoxon and Joseph Tompkins. Lately I’ve been playing all of the accents on the floor tom, which forces you to deal with lots of interesting crossovers and awkward movements.

7) What other current and future projects do you have on the go at the moment?

I’m in an interesting phase of my life right now in that I don’t have much in my calendar! Which is partially by design as I’m trying to keep myself open to whatever may arise once I arrive in New York. But I will say that I recently toured this album with seven concerts around the Pacific Northwest, and that was something that really brought me a lot of joy. It was my first time playing my own music on the road, and it’s something that I’d like to continue doing. I’ll also start planning my next record soon. I have a nice collection of tunes, some of which I’ve been playing and developing on the road. I’d like to record it in New York, and I’d like for it to be a real working band that I’ve been gigging with. At this point I’m certainly prioritizing my band having a personal group sound rather than just employing superstar players for six hours in the studio. Groups that have a feeling of rapport and connection have always been my favourites.

8) How do the drums and your overall approach to rhythm factor into your compositions and concept?

Normally I don’t write from the perspective of the drums (although occasionally a composition will be sparked by a particular drum groove or vibe that I’d like to use). I enjoy composing a piece of music that I feel is complete, and then afterwards figuring out how I fit into it as the drummer. I write from the piano, and I’m a BAD piano player. In some ways this works to my advantage because I have to work slowly due to my limitations on the instrument. I’ll often hear a chord in my head and then have to try a few options before I find it. That process of “finding” a tune that’s already bouncing around in my head is something that brings me a lot of joy. I also don’t really compose for composition’s sake. I write tunes that I want to play, and I often think about what type of tune I need in my setlist. At the moment I could use more ballads. That said, of course I spend hours every day thinking about rhythm, and so the rhythmic element presents itself in the music. I think that’s just a fundamental part of being a drummer that I can’t turn off!

9) What advice do you have for younger, aspiring jazz musicians and jazz drummers?

I feel that we’re all trying to figure out where we fit into the world of jazz music. I believe that the best way to go about developing as a young musician is to listen to and study as much music as possible. Study music from all eras of jazz, and study music outside of jazz with an equal emphasis. Study and learn new material constantly, and then, importantly, don’t worry about how it will manifest in your playing. That part comes naturally. Actively trying to implement your latest Philly Joe Jones lick in your playing rarely goes well. That’s how I treat playing music in general. Practice mindfully, carefully and with great attention. Then when you play, try to forget all of that and keep your ears open. If something is ready to come out, it will.

Also, if you can’t play something perfectly in time, don’t play it!