Jeff Cosgrove, Todd Neufeld, John Hébert - Head, Heart or Hands (2026)

Tracklist

01. Thirteen (feat. John Hebert & Todd Neufeld)
02. Side Steps (feat. John Hebert & Todd Neufeld)
03. Sketch #4 (For Micah) [feat. John Hebert & Todd Neufeld]
04. Todd's Tune (feat. John Hebert & Todd Neufeld)
05. New Steps (feat. John Hebert & Todd Neufeld)
06. Helix (feat. John Hebert & Todd Neufeld)

Jeff Cosgrove (drums); Todd Neufeld (guitar); John Hébert (acoustic bass)

Recorded live at the YMCA Arts Center, Frederick, Maryland, and the Purcellville Library, Purcellville, Virginia. No recording dates.

This is the second in a series of four digital-only releases drummer Jeff Cosgrove is releasing over a twelve-month period. His first, Two Jeffs, was released last June, and was a duo performance. For this album, he’s joined by guitarist Todd Neufeld and bassist John Hébert for a trio line-up. This is an impressive band. Todd Neufeld has played with Lee Konitz and Masabumi Kikuchi, while bassist John Hébert’s long list of collaborations includes Paul Bley, Lee Konitz, Dave Liebman and Maria Schneider.

Cosgrove is a fine drummer, composer, improviser and band leader. Influences like Roy Haynes, Elvin Jones and Paul Motian can be heard in his playing (and that is no bad thing!), but he also has his own voice. Despite being a band leader, he doesn’t dominate the sound. He only plays when something needs to be played, and prefers playing a supportive role rather than a solo spot.

There are six tunes on this album, four of them composed by Cosgrove, one by Neufeld, and one cover. The shortest song last for seven minutes, and the longest, just short of ten minutes. The average song length is about eight minutes, giving the band plenty of time to stretch out and explore, but without overstaying their welcome.

The band comes out swinging with the first number, ‘Thirteen,’ as Cosgrove sets up a strong groove on the ride cymbal, joined by Hébert’s percussive-like riff. Neufeld’s guitar growls, as he plays angular lines with touches of reverb (one thinks of the sound of John Scofield). Neufeld switches playing to the song’s playful theme before taking off. This is a band that keeps listeners on their toes, with surprising changes in tempo or mood. At the two minute section, for example, Neufeld switches from a jazz groove with a to a short blues section before returning to the groove. Hébert gets a long solo spot. Following this, the band breaks out into an abstract section which the band plays with lots of energy.

‘Side Steps’ and ‘New Steps’ are companion pieces, and both are abstract performances. The ten-minute long ‘Side Steps,’ starts off sounding like a machine springing to life with odd percussive sounds, chiming bells, purring sounds, and Hébert’s arco bass sounding more like a cuica. A guitar riff sounds more like trickling water. Sounds come and go or rise and fall and the whole piece moves along like a tiger slowly stalking its prey.

Then, the band breaks out at around the seven-minute mark, as Neufeld’s guitar playing becomes more intense and the rhythm section responds. It’s a piece that is mysterious, menacing and absorbing. I liked it a lot, and it’s one of those pieces where you hear new things the more you play it – check out Hébert’s bass playing at around the nine-minute mark, as the sound soars and glides.

‘Sketch #4 (For Micah)’ is an introspective piece with a classical feel, dominated by Hébert’s mournful arco bass lines, and Neufeld’s fragile riffs and delicate phrasing. The title ‘Todd’s Tune’ gives the composer’s name away. It’s an energetic piece with lots of aggressive, yet controlled playing by the guitarist with fast runs, sharp riffs and sprinklings of distortion. Hébert’s lively bass arco solo is accompanied by various guitar sound effects, some of them sounding as if they have come from a distant galaxy. As the song approaches the end, the tempo rises and Cosgrove plays more forcefully as Neufeld’s plays out the tune with an assertive riff.

The song’s only cover is ‘Helix,’ written by the late jazz pianist Frank Kimbrough, who appeared on Cosgrove’s 2015 album Conversations with Owls. Kimbrough’s version of ‘Helix’ can be heard on his 2012 album, Live at Kitano with a classic jazz trio line-up. This trio plays a sparse, radical arrangement of ‘Helix.’ It starts off with a slow, solo bass section, which is then joined by Neufeld’s stark tender phrases Cosgrove adds slow crashing cymbals, and toms played with mallets, and the trio combine to create a gorgeous, dream-like sound. This is a bold, adventurous release that deserves a wide audience.