Billy Hart Quartet's Just: Quietly Evolving, Steadily Engaging

After more than 20 years of interplay, the Billy Hart Quartet returns with Just, a record that both reflects and defies the group’s legacy. Anchored by the ever-adventurous Hart—now 84—and joined by tenor saxophonist Mark Turner, pianist Ethan Iverson, and bassist Ben Street, this is a band that still listens, still pushes, still surprises.

The album opens with “Showdown”, a gently lilting piece by Iverson that sets a tone of sly restraint. Melodically charming yet harmonically slippery, it’s jazz that keeps you leaning in. Hart follows with “Layla Joy,” one of his most enduring compositions, newly reimagined. Turner invokes the spirit of Coltrane in ballad mode, before the melody is deconstructed and stretched into more open improvisation.

Iverson’s “Aviation” propels us into more kinetic terrain. Rhythmic without being aggressive, it’s as if a drum kit had been encoded into a melody. In contrast, “Chamber Music” explores abstraction with a light, cerebral touch, its harmonies whispering rather than declaring. “South Hampton”, another Iverson contribution, reveals his deep understanding of blues form filtered through a prism of oblique modernism.

The title track, “Just”, may be the briefest at under four minutes, but it packs a punch. Its tight groove and crisp phrasing evoke Hart’s early work with Herbie Hancock and Eddie Harris, while still sounding entirely contemporary. It’s a perfect midpoint for the album—direct, physical, and smart.

Mark Turner brings a fresh set of compositions that stretch the group’s dynamic further. “Billy’s Waltz” dances gracefully between swing and modern voicing, while “Bo Brussels” takes a freer route, unfolding in unpredictable gestures. “Naaj”, a revisited Hart tune, starts with subtle dissonance and cycles through complex harmonic shifts beneath Turner’s knotty improvisation. It’s one of the more harmonically dense and absorbing tracks on the record.

The album closes with “Top of the Middle,” a short but striking piece introduced by a brief solo from Hart. Though more of a set-up than a full solo, it’s a rare moment where drums take the lead, and we’re reminded who this group is built around. The unison theme that follows breaks into modal textures, giving the piano its moment to carve through space before the band coalesces again.

One of the most satisfying aspects of Just is its sonic fidelity. Recorded at Sound On Sound Studios in New York, the mix is transparent and warm, every nuance balanced in classic ECM fashion. The room breathes.

If there's any downside, it’s the overabundance of saxophone solos. While Turner is deeply musical, his improvisations sometimes tread similar territory across the record. A more pronounced spotlight on Ben Street’s bass or Hart’s drums could have added contrast.

Yet, Just is far from predictable. It’s music that feels lived-in, but never complacent—music that respects its roots while writing new chapters. It’s also proof that, even after decades of collaboration, this quartet is still evolving. The chemistry is intact, the listening is profound, and the sense of forward motion remains.

For those drawn to the more spacious, conceptual corners of jazz, Just offers a deeply rewarding listen. It doesn’t shout. It converses. Patiently. Persuasively. And with remarkable clarity.

Written by Miles Hargrove

Founder of Jazzrview – Independent Jazz & Modern Classical Critique

📍 New Rochelle, NY