Enrique Haneine | Conceivable Directions Review

by Illiam Sebitz

Enrique Haneine’s album Conceivable Directions has a unique concept and personality. Conceivable Directions reveals itself through a less obvious ensemble make-up and an execution of groove that thinks. Not groove as surface feel or groove as vibe. Groove through this set of thirteen compositions comes as an intimate structure within the sound of the ensemble’s interaction.

From the opening moments, rhythmic continuity between the multi-part compositions creates the layered interaction of time. In the solos, the rhythmic flow does more than support improvisation; it organizes it as the language between improviser Jay Anderson’s acoustic bass and Haneine’s drum kit. Haneine’s cymbal language, Anderson’s bass movement, and horn phrasing operate inside a shared pulse. The interactions between the players distribute accents, patterns, and direction to create the time feel. The groove doesn’t sit beneath the music; it defines how the music moves forward and how it relates to the listener.

In this context, ensemble intelligence means the groove organizes and directs how the ensemble evolves the performance. What unfolds across the record is a rhythmic framework stable enough to hold layered counterpoint, flexible enough to shift internally while maintaining continuity in small-ensemble interaction.

“Inconceivable Truth” establishes the album’s core logic immediately. The groove carries a world/Latin-jazz aesthetic that is grounded and internally active. Hanein’s drumming provides the bedrock while the melody snakes across it in long, asymmetrical phrases. Haneine’s drumming style balances structure and color. The ride cymbal placement sits inline with the horn attacks, while snare and tom punctuations frame the phrasing without interrupting the pocket.

After the theme, Jay Anderson’s bass and Thomas Heberer’s trumpet engage in a conversational exchange, building tension without accelerating. When Christof Knoche enters on bass clarinet, the texture deepens; when Kirk Knuffke joins on cornet, the ensemble widens into a layered rhythmic field. With no chordal instrument present, every layer is exposed. This allows each cymbal wash, bass sustain, and breath in the horns to be easily heard. This is Haneine’s concept of internal layering, fully audible.

Improvisation extends the groove structure into the moment conversations. “Four Ahead” develops this through deliberate subversion. The melodic lines clearly outline harmonic motion by targeting chord tones and clear resolving phrases. The rhythmic framework shifts with them to provide a multi-layered experience. Haneine’s ride pattern implies continuity while accents land in surprising places, creating a subtle mini-conversation between pulse and phrasing.

The layered experience is harmonically grounded and rhythmically mobile. On “Perpetual Insights,” a recurring figure cycles through the ensemble. The fun lies in hearing its accents shift as its phrasing mutates. The groove oscillates between a swung undercurrent and straight-eight clarity, never settling fully into either. Heberer’s trumpet and Knuffke’s cornet exchange short, clipped motifs while Anderson’s bass holds a steady center.  Haneine sustains the groove, his phrasing and layered accents across the kit turning the exchange into a fully integrated rhythmic conversation.

The strength of Conceivable Directions lies in the unique coordination in which the ensemble operates. The timbers of the horns and the chordless rhythm section allow roles to constantly shift across voices.

“Unique Array of Swirls” offers a clear example. Interlocking lines from Heberer, Knuffke, and Knoche spiral outward while Haneine mirrors that motion with layered cymbal swells that expand and contract in parallel around the drums. The energy increases gradually, but each instrument occupies a defined register. Knoche’s bass clarinet anchors the lower spectrum, allowing trumpet and cornet to move freely without crowding the texture.

No collisions. No excess. “Very Slick” approaches this from a different angle. The groove locks into a defined pocket while remaining interactive. Haneine’s snare accents trigger responses in the horns, while Anderson’s bass reinforces. The subtlety of conversational redirects lands with a knowing direction of the pulse. The ensemble adjusts its internal balance in real time, redistributing motifs without losing forward motion. You’re not tracking a soloist. You’re tracking interaction.

“Never Stranded” deepens this approach. Haneine opens alone, gradually expanding the kit’s sonic range through kick figures, cymbal spreads, and cross-rhythmic groupings. All layering into a fully formed groove before the horns enter. When the melody arrives, its intervallic design gives it a sensual quality, with subtle rhythmic displacements.

The most compelling moments on Conceivable Directions are not peaks of intensity, but moments of control.

On “Thirteenth Level Indifference,” Heberer, Knuffke, and Knoche move through layered harmonies and counterpoint, shaping tension through close intervals and carefully directed phrasing. The harmonic language remains grounded in modern jazz, but the rhythmic feel keeps the music moving in a creative way.

In “Irrelevant Own Design” the ensemble engages directly in trading motifs. The subjects move fluidly through the horns and are entered into the rhythm section’s groove as fragments above it. The timing of entrances carries as much weight as the notes themselves.

For listeners attuned to ensemble interaction, the experience becomes one of tracking distribution. On “Sparkles and Dimensions,” short horn articulations from Heberer and Knuffke, paired with Knoche’s lower-register responses, create contrast through the form. On “Tended,” brushwork and muted brass shift the focus toward tone. The groove is the focus as the conversations unfold. “Without a Single Word” takes the language further. Horn voicings are spaced as each phrase is allowed to resonate. Silence functions as phrasing.

By the end of Conceivable Directions, what remains in focus is a unique ensemble with a common groove structure. The ensemble’s color allows for tracking the developing interactions. Their identities hold because the rhythmic foundation remains intact through Haneine’s drumming. Haneine offers a different model of expression through the composition’s form and narrative. The interaction resulting in this process is a layered narrative, and groove is its intelligence. Groove isn’t just a feeling. It’s a compositional tool capable of carrying an entire musical story.

Artist: Enrique Haneine
Album: Conceivable Directions
Label: Elegant Walk

Buy and Stream Links
Release Date: September 5, 2025

About the author

Illiam Sebitz

Born and raised in a picturesque European village, my fondness for music began during my formative years, when the charismatic tones of the recorder first filled the halls of my primary school. This early fascination escalated into my lifelong pursuit of embracing the melodious charm of the flute; I have even spent time refining my skills at a music conservatoire. As a seasoned music connoisseur, I find myself captivated by the multifaceted world of music. I enjoy writing music reviews to better enable me to explore genres as diverse as world, rock, jazz, classical, folk, and film music, each offering a unique auditory journey that enriches my life and intellect.

In my spare moments, you'll likely find me meticulously crafting my latest woodworking project, sharpening my skills with flute etudes, or inventing tales of fantasy through the art of creative writing. My eclectic interests and expertise harmonize to create a symphony of passion and curiosity that resonates within every aspect of my life as a music enthusiast.