Tim used to drive hours from New York City to New Hope, Philadelphia just to spend time with Dick Oatts – to take a lesson, fix his horn, give him a new mouthpiece, or just talk shop about jazz improvisation. Tim would call me on his way home and tell me about Dick's transposition exercises or his applications of Afro Cuban rhythms in jazz.Half a year before this album was recorded, Tim called me with a different tone. Dick had been diagnosed with Vascular Dementia. Even though they had discussed this project frequently, Dick no longer remembered it.We are grateful that Dick was able to spend one more session with us before his retirement. He was at home in the studio, and after so many conversations about Dick, I was excited to finally meet him. He was easygoing and easy to work with; he lives and breathes musicianship.A few weeks after the session, Dick texted Tim this:"My life as an improviser has set me on a new path. I just have another set of chord changes to master, and no matter what the set back may be, I will have to learn how to navigate in a different world than my original one. This is when I truly learn to improvise from this moment on and the true meaning of learning never stops.”Tim's favorite recording of Dick's is Two Hearts, and this is Heartfelt, Tim's letter of gratitude to master Oatts.过去，Tim 常常从纽约市开车数小时前往宾州 New Hope，只为了和 Dick Oatts 相聚——有时是上课、有时是修理萨克斯风、换新吹嘴，又或者单纯聊聊爵士即兴的种种。每次回程，Tim 总会打电话给我，分享 Dick 最近的转调练习、或是他如何将非洲-古巴节奏运用在爵士之中。就在这张专辑录音的半年前，Tim 再次打给我，但语气和以往不同。Dick 被诊断出罹患血管性失智症。尽管他们早已多次谈及这张专辑的构想，Dick 却渐渐遗忘了这段对话。我们非常感激，在 Dick 正式退休前，仍然能有这么一次合作的机会。录音时，他自在地坐在录音室里，彷彿回到最熟悉的家。多年来我一直听 Tim 谈起他，这次终于能亲眼见到 Dick，令我非常兴奋。他待人随和、合作无间，全身上下都散发出音乐家的气息。录音几周后，Dick 传了一则简讯给 Tim：身为一位即兴乐手，我的人生正迈向一条崭新的旅程。眼前彷彿出现了一组全新的和弦进行，等着我去探索、去穿越。无论未来将面对什么样的阻碍，我都必须在与过去截然不同的世界里，学习重新导航。从这一刻起，我真正开始学会什么叫「即兴」——这才是学习的真谛：从未止息。Tim 最喜欢 Dick 的作品是《Two Hearts》，而《Heartfelt》正是 Tim 写给 Oatts 大师的一封深情感谢信。—〈I’m Old Fashioned〉由 Rodney 柔滑的节奏开场，Jeb 和 David 的贝斯线跃动其中。紧接着，Tim 的萨克斯风以饱满音色缓缓进场，吹出厚实浑圆的旋律，Rodney 也顺势换上鼓刷（这是我整张专辑中最喜欢的时刻之一！）。尾奏时，Tim 的音色与句法转化为如 Michael Brecker 般的摩达狂潮，彷彿一举跃入未来。Jeb 最后引用了：「I’m Old Fashioned…but It Ain’t Necessarily So」。〈It’s You or No One〉是一首疾速摆荡的热曲，展现 Dick 高音萨克斯与 Tim 次中音萨克斯之间的阴阳对比——Dick 的声音天使般宽广、明亮而纯净；Tim 则深沉、滑顺、坚定且直率。两人开始交换独奏时，这种对比更显鲜明。Dick 的原创作品〈In Passing〉是一首细腻的华尔兹，旋律宛如生命般呼吸。最后一段是我最爱的时刻：Dick 与 Tim 不经意地和声出一个美丽的三度音程。〈I Didn’t Know What Time It Was〉由 Vincent 丝绒般的男中音声线左右穿梭地开场，Jeb 用经典的和弦块进行铺陈独奏，Tim 随后以融合 Bob Malach 和 Stanley Turrentine 精髓的蓝调律动加入。当旋律再次响起，请特别留意 Vincent 诠释「grand」与「mad」时声线中所蕴含的情感光影，那是令人屏息的瞬间。〈I’ll Never Stop Loving You〉中，Tim 如歌的音色高扬飞翔，悠游于弦乐四重奏铺陈出的闪耀红毯之上。细听他长音中的音色与音量变化，彷彿歌剧男高音在为挚爱倾诉深情，旋律中交织着绚烂的色彩。John Coltrane 的经典曲目〈Straight Street〉一登场，就让人知道这里是纽约：洗练的 swing 节奏与复杂的和声结构交错其中。Tim、Dick 与 Jeb 彷彿利刃般切入音符之间的缝隙。我尤其喜欢 Dick 那段充满创意的句法轮廓。〈Silvertongue〉是我创作的原创作品，献给 Horace Silver。Tim 录下低八度声部，营造出 Silver 小编制乐团中经常出现的大乐团质感。Chuggy Carter 的打击乐段则注入性感元素，包括康加鼓、邦哥鼓、三角铁与摇铃。〈Hey Lock〉是一首向 Lockjaw Davis 与 Johnny Griffin 致敬的经典双萨克斯对决。尽管 Dick 与 Tim 演奏的是同一种乐器，但从音色与句法就能清楚分辨两人风格。当他们互换 solo，彼此灵感流转，有如音乐版的传声筒游戏。快乐的〈Alaina〉是 Dick 的另一首原创，旋律曲折灵动，辅以经典副旋律。Rodney 的前奏定下全曲的能量基调，David 稳健的行进贝斯让这份能量贯穿全曲。Dick 那段明亮、充满童趣的即兴令人联想到卡拉 OK 字幕上跳动的小球——这段即兴是我心中本曲的亮点。Vincent 在〈We’ll Be Together Again〉中唱出苦涩而幽幽的诠释，Tim 与 Dick 的对位旋律点缀其中。Dick 那段融合蓝调气息的对位旋律，深刻而真切地呼应了歌词中「孤单」与「哀伤」的情绪。——Charles Chen