Review: Ambrose, Hearn, Shoudy & Steckler at Jazz on Jay; Thursday, June 25, 2026

The regular working jazz trio of drummer Andy Hearn, bassist Dave Shoudy and guitarist Kevin Grudecki changed things up Thursday at Jazz on Jay; one change by chance, one by choice. When Grudecki  couldn’t make the gig, they subbed in Wyatt Ambrose; and they chose to add saxophonist and flute player Matt Steckler, completing a quartet that had never played together before.

Things worked out.

Veteran players in their prime who’d worked together earlier in different combinations, they knew how to make the pieces fit and swing and rock and charm. Ingenious song choices also helped keep things fresh.

At Jazz on Jay Thursday, from left: Dave Shoudy, bass; Andy Hearn, drums (obscured by music stand); Matt Steckler, alto saxophone; Wyatt Ambrose, electric guitar

Steckler announced early that they wouldn’t play the typical standards and later noted lots of lyrical melodies among their tunes; both proved correct, and effective.

Hearn’s “Drew’s Blues” walked an easy groove through tasty solos. Steckler’s flute ranged from laid-back melodic runs to breathy staccato rasps, Ambrose comped chords supportively behind Shoudy’s muscular bass break, then soloed himself before Steckler took it home. Just as Ambrose finger-picked in accompaniment and soloed with the harder, more emphatic flat pick, Hearn grooved with bushes at times but mostly soloed with sticks.

Matt Steckler, flute, above; tenor saxophone, below

The upbeat, open “Phases” (Dave Holland and John Scofield) also felt mellow at first, then lit up. Shifting to tenor sax, Steckler ran rapid scales, setting a pattern and breaking it to venture outside. Again, Ambrose supported Shoudy, then took the torch himself. 

Ambrose paid tribute to a now-departed guitar mentor in “Waltz for Ed,” introducing its warm melodic feel with quiet finger-picking, then soloing more aggressively with flat pick as Steckler’s sweet soprano sax went warm and gentle.

Wyatt Ambrose, above; Andy Hearn, below, at left foreground

Ambrose admitted some hesitancy at playing “Bright Size Life,” protesting “It’s PAT METHENY’S song!” before leading the band into it anyway. This required, and rewarded, tight ensemble playing in tricky beats at a spirited tempo. Steckler’s tenor flowed just as hot as Ambrose’s guitar, both rising to the occasion. Hearn and Shoudy confidently navigated its tricky beats.

The bright sun dimmed some then as a breeze rose. Steckler hailed it as refreshing but everybody on the bandstand jumped fast to clip to music stands paper charts trying to fly away. His alto sax led in “A Lark” (Fred Hersch), slow and sparse, introduced by Ambrose’s guitar over nice swing by bass and drums. His solos book-ended Ambrose’s and likewise sandwiched quotes and scales between chord changes. Cool, propulsive vamp here.

Announcing a two-fer of “Kathelin Gray” (Ornette Coleman) and “Magnolia Triangle” (James Black, made famous by Yusef Lateef), Steckler’s alto lent a stately grace to the former but he revved his flute to its most percussive syncopated blues intensity in the latter. If “Gray” felt like a solo showcase, “Magnolia” rocked with unified ensemble fire. Hearn’s tom rolls packed both rhythmic and melodic force while Ambrose wove a solo of both fiery single-note runs and chord chops, like those he often slid into Shoudy’s solos.

Dave Shoudy

“Tom Thumb” reminded us, in its funky groove and soprano sax scalar runs, of what an ingenious and resourceful composer Wayne Shorter was before Weather Report. This really crackled, Shoudy and Hearn clearly enjoying its fun feel.

The guys needed a brief discussion to plan out “Kind Folk” (Kenny Wheeler), bass and guitar seething together in a jittery intro that settled into passages so relaxed a couple rose and slow-danced to it. Episodic, it shifted to a more rollicking feel (the couple sat back down), then a hot scramble. Ambrose used reverb in a mysterious, moody stretch before Steckler’s alto ran scales, then burst out, recapped the head and set up a soft coda that repeated as if they just didn’t want to let go.

Everybody climbed on “A Shorter Form” (John Scofield) at first a spry bossa, then trick beats under burly tenor sax, and guitar again mixing chords with single-note runs. Hearn’s solo here on cymbals and snare pushed the groove, everybody settling into rapid, precise repeats before assertive freelance breaks.

In “Black Nile,” another mellow-swinging Wayne Shorter number, they swapped riffs in that spirited more-than-the-sum-of-the-parts way, gusts of tenor sax flying high, just-as-fast guitar, running scales, a short bass break, then everybody linked up in the coda.

“Nile” ended almost exactly at the 90-minute mark, but the quartet was happy to oblige with just one more. Hearn’s original “Funkt If I Know” wrapped up with a happy funk groove, equal parts James Brown funk romp, with Ambrose emulating Brown’s rhythm guitar ace Jimmy Nolen, and “Watermelon Man.” Agile alto sax surfed on the funk, and everybody gave it a standing ovation.

Jazz on Jay continues Thursday, July 2, with singer Shiri Zorn. Show time is noon in Jay Square opposite Schenectady City Hall. The rain site (where seating is provided) is in Robb Alley at Proctors.