Guitarist Jakob Bro is caught in concert in NYC at the Jazz Standard with the simpatico team of Thomas Morgan/b and Joey Baron/dr as the trio reflects on material of the leader’s past. The songs range from just under 5 to over 11 minutes, so there are no real self-indulgent moments here, as the team opens on the opening version of “Mild” with Bro’s thick tone along with spacious brush work delivered by Baron, while the leader chimes on the strings to Baron’s soft shoe and Morgan’s deft bass on “Copenhagen.” Morgan is palpably felt with a solemn pulse of “Dug” as Bro and Baron slowly kick up the Butanes, while the rhythm trudges up hill on “Red Hook” along with Bro’s melancholia, while “Evening Song” has the trio delivering the pink air of the sunset. The closing take of “Mild” is a tad more serene and lyrical, showing that the evenings at The Standard were filled with fresh ideas. Rewarding evenings.
ECM Records