Dylan Hayes Octet, Volume 1 is the debut octet recording from Seattle pianist and arranger Dylan Hayes, released recently on Pinch Records. Recorded in 2024, it features a band Hayes formed in 2019 around his own arrangements, developed while studying big band writing with Jim Knapp. Joining Hayes on piano are Michael Van Bebber on trumpet, Mark Taylor on alto saxophone, Rex Gregory on tenor saxophone, David Marriott on trombone, Martin Budde on guitar, Michael Glynn on bass, and Xavier Lecouturier on drums. Across seven tracks and about 45 minutes, the music is intricate without being stiff, with layered horn writing and a groove that nods toward neo-soul.
This album arrives in full gallop mode. “Firm Roots” begins gloriously in motion, feeling more like a middle track than an opener, and from there the music expands, covering vast territories and giving the musicians plenty of room to show their goods. “Ember” is like watching a great fireworks display, each burst with its own rhythm, yet one following another so logically that they become a single cohesive event, with Xavier Lecouturier’s drumming keeping everything driving forward. The album’s great strength is its intricate yet emotionally logical rhythmic shifts, and “Before The Gig” is the prime example, as Hayes’s music finds places to land, take off and land again, eventually settling into a rewarding neo-soul jazz groove.
The second half opens up the palette even more. On “Aperture”, Martin Budde offers a sweet, light and airy guitar introduction, and the flute and soprano sax become part of the blend, creating a gentle atmosphere. “Buffer Time” is full of controlled anticipation, which Rex Gregory gets to pontificate on with his tenor sax. By the time “Roger That” closes things out, it’s clear that these tracks, for all their length, pack so much fun and inventiveness that they keep you listening.
Dylan Hayes Octet, Volume 1 is a justifiably confident and thoroughly enjoyable album. Hayes writes with a clear sense of jazz architecture, and his band builds on that with the energy of musicians who have been together for years. It’s an album that starts at full speed and never loses its curiosity, and it leaves us eager to hear what a Volume Two might bring.
