We recently had the chance to connect with Hank Hehmsoth and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning Hank, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
For me it’s the act of making — painting or composing. I’ll be working and suddenly hours have slipped away. That immersive state is where the outside world fades and I reconnect with whatever I was trying to express. It’s both restorative and clarifying.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hank Hehmsoth is a pianist, composer, and visual artist whose work sits at the intersection of jazz improvisation and abstract image-making. As leader of the quartet Double Vision, Hehmsoth writes music that foregrounds strong ensemble interplay, unexpected forms, and lyrical invention; his recent recording Blu-Escape pairs nine new compositions with large-scale paintings, making audible the same rhythms and color fields that drive his studio work. He has released a steady stream of recordings and projects that explore texture and momentum — from intimate solo statements to richly arranged quartet sessions — and his bandstand repertoire moves freely between original material, fresh arrangements of standards, and deep celebration of the jazz tradition.
Visually, Hehmsoth’s Time Space Fabrics series and digital works translate musical concerns into layered surfaces: mark, color, and rhythmic sweep become compositional devices that inform both painting and score. Exhibitions and public projects place these paintings alongside performances and listening events, inviting audiences to experience music and image as complementary languages.
Hehmsoth is also active as a writer and curator of creative workshops, designing experiences that teach close looking and deep listening. Recent projects include collaborations with regional arts organizations, album releases distributed internationally, and commissions that bring his dual practice into concert halls and galleries alike. Grounded in improvisation, his artistic life is driven by curiosity: to hear color, to see rhythm, and to keep finding new ways for sound and image to talk to one another.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
My earliest musical champion was my father, who began teaching me the piano when I was three. By the time I was twelve he realized he’d taught me all he could and arranged lessons with a university professor who had me performing and entering competitions — an experience that put me well ahead when I arrived at college.
In college a professor deepened my classical technique, but I wanted something beyond the written page: jazz. Over the years three incredible and world-class jazz-piano teachers showed me how to improvise, how to listen differently, and how to turn technical skill into a personal voice.
Those early advocates saw a path in me before I did — and their guidance still shapes how I practice, compose, and paint.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I’d tell my younger self to start recording as soon as possible — every practice, solo set, and gig.
I didn’t value documentation early on and now regret losing thirty years’ worth of performances that would have been priceless for documenting, legacy, and future projects.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
The market sells a comforting myth: that if you package something visually catchy or optimize it for the algorithm, you’ve “made it,” and the rest will follow. That thinking encourages chasing viral gimmicks and homogenized hooks instead of investing in craft, development, and depth.
It’s an old story: commercial recording has always favored the sellable over the substantive.
But today the attention economy accelerates it: short-form video and playlist placement reward instantly consumable moments, not the long arc of an artist’s work.
The real truth is messier and quieter: art grows over time, through repetition, failure, and deep listening — and that rarely looks good in a 15-second clip.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What will you regret not doing?
If I’m honest, my biggest regret will be not starting sooner — and not just in the sense of making more pieces, but in the missed opportunities to show them. It’s easy to mistake hard solitary work for the whole job, but building a life in the arts requires other people: colleagues who play, curators who program, writers who review, and audiences who respond. Promotion isn’t vanity, it’s a practical part of the craft. I wish I’d been braver about asking for help, sharing early drafts, and getting the work out into the world — because work that sits unseen can’t grow, and people are often the ones who help it find its place.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://hanksjazz.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hankhehmsoth
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hank-hehmsoth/
- Twitter: https://x.com/HankHehmsoth
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HankHehmsothOfficial
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@HanksJazz
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/hank_hehmsoth
- Other: https://do512.com/artists/hank-hehmsoth
https://linktr.ee/hehmsoth
Image Credits
KTYarbrough
GRHook
Khang T Le
