YUCHTET - earworm (LP 2025)
earworm is the debut full-length album by YUCHTET, the 8-piece jazz band playing the original tunes of Brooklyn-based drummer and composer Leo Yucht. The full-length album throws six tightly-constructed pieces into the ear holes as Yucht's instrumentals explore feelings ranging from warm to triumphant to devastatingly sorrowful.
Yucht eschews guitar and piano in his "chordless" ensemble made up of mostly-monophonic instruments, aside from the drum kit itself, to create reed and brass textures that resonate in a way you'll just have to hear. There's even a flute and bass clarinet at times in the album. The contributing players each brought masterful but accessible solos to the sessions, with fun and expression blowing away any need for navel-gazing perfection. It gives the record a living feeling.
This first production by Future Imperfect is available as a translucent blue vinyl LP manufactured by Physical Music Products in Nashville with lacquer cut by Scott Hull of Masterdisk.
I met Leo at a gig at The Bitter End. I was tuned up enough to chuckle at his drum references to the "Poison" fill, so we hit it off. Then I saw his band at their Ornithology residence. Eventually I asked him, "When are you going to record this?" One thing led to another, and I was signed on to produce it.
We booked a day at GB's Juke Joint in Queens, where we banged out 10 tracks in a manic 12-hour session. The players are such pros.
Then we spent some overnight sessions at Owen Mulholland's studio editing and mixing. It was just a matter of getting the excellent performances to really shine and sound as great in the final stereo product as they do in person.
The name "earworm" came up and after listening to the music repeatedly it felt right. We got this idea for something with gummy worms for the front cover. We hired Xavier Kim to come snap some photos of handfuls of gummy worms thrown by Leo's girlfriend bouncing off Leo's face.
It was impossible to resist bringing this album into the physical world with a real LP. The translucent swirl that evokes the gummy worm motif turned out beautifully.
Whether you listen on vinyl or digital, I'm sure you will bob your head to its tunes as their catchy melodies work their way into your ears. For sure, this album is a proud first entry in the nascent catalog of Future Imperfect.
LEO
