There is more to jazz trios than piano-bass-drum. Take these three creative threesomes.
Jennie Oh Brown plays a variety of flutes, teaming with pianist Jennifer Blyth and cellist Kurt Fowler for interpretations of material by George Crumb, Narong Prangcharoen, Stacy Garrop and Carter Pann. Crumb’s eight movement “Vox Balaenae” is filled with dark piano musings, long shadows from flute and thoughtful strings. The five part “Bencharong” by Narong Prangcharoen mixes floating dreams , modern classical harmonics and ominous stark atmospheres reminiscent of vintage films noir. Blyth’s piano is sublime and Debussy-esque for the two “Melodies For Robert” with the entire album feeling like a walk through a musical Impressionistic museum.
Clark Sommers plays bass, Dana Hall is on drums and cymbals as Geof Bradfield plays mostly tenor sax with a dash of soprano on a collection of tunes penned by the bassist. Bradfield’s big and beefy sound is reminiscent of vintage Sonny Rollins, rich and mellow on “Maybe Never” and teaming with the leader on the post bopping “Disambiguation”. Sommers does a rich intro to the sizzling “Goes Around” and is palpable with Hall’s loose work on the frisky “Morning Bell” while soft brushes caress Bradfield’s strong soprano on “The Forgotten”. Rich uses of spaciousness and timeliness.
You don’t often get a harmonica out in front of a Hammond B3 trio, but it works well as Yvonnick Prene’ uses his harmonica to glide melodies over organ grinder Brian Charette and drummer Jordan Young through a set dominated by originals. Of the covers, the Leslies and harmonica give a pretty take to Bill Evans’ “Very Early” and the early Miles Davis version of “Milestones” is a cool breeze. The team shows how to bop on “Ready, Steady, Blow” and go into overdrive on the rapid fire “Dear Zlap”. Charette gets hip on “A Brooklyn Tale” and goes into a soulful strut during “46th street”. Strong grooves.