Three’s not a crowd…
Playing piano and keyboards, Tim Ray leads his team of John Lockwood/b and Mark Walker/dr through a collection o covers and some originals. Ray is clever in his interpretations, giving a Latin feel to Monk’ s’ Bye-Ya” while jumping on a hip read to Jobim’s “Mojave”. There’s a nice bluesy gospel feel to the bassist’s “The Meeting: The Jbug and Kman” while the three get loose and free with some strumming on ”Improve #1 (For Chick)” The take of the James Taylor 
classic is elegiac and leaves space for Lockwood to stretch out, with Ray showing elegance on Carla Bley’s “Lawns”. Clear and clean.
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For 1 hour, 9 minutes and twenty one seconds, Dave Liebman plays soprano sax, wooden flute and bells, Drew Gress plays bass and bells, and Phil Haynes plays drums, gongs, settings but no bells for two discs worth of intuitive interplay. The gong opens things up on “Gathering” with some Monument Valley of a flute on “The Universal E”. Liebman’s soprano solos on “DL Five” and the three interplay for a loose “Beloved Refracted”. Gress bows on “Alone”, and Haynes percusses for “Cycle” with lots of rustling for “Universal A”. Space is the place.
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Noah Haidu plays piano with a pair of different trios in Buster Williams-Peter Washington/b and Lewis Nash-Steve Wilson/dr in a setting of standards that is reminiscent of the classic Keith Jarrett team. Haidu is clear and warm on “Old Folks”, upbeat for “Just In Time” and “You and The Night and the Music” and delivers a shimmering solo take of “Skylark”. Williams and Nash deftly sashay through “Beautiful Friendship” with Washington throbbing to Wilson’s ride on “Someday My Prince Will Come”. There’s a rich soulful feel for “I Thought About You” and a hovering rubato to “ Last Dance”. Timeless threesomes.
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Pianist Joe Alterman gives a trio tribute to soul jazz icon Les McCann with his team of Kevin Smith/b and Just Chesarek/dr. Alterman’s got a rich stretch of his fingers, striding well on the infectious gospel groove of “Gone On And Get That Church” and is classy and glassy on a stately “Could Be”. Chesarek hits the drums like a Pentecostal on the tambourine on “Ruby Jubilee” and supplies a big beat to “Beaux J. Poo Poo.” Alterman strides right on “Big Jim” and does a elegant solo for his aria of “Don’t Forget to Love Yourself”. Pass the plate!
www.philhaynesmusic.bandcamp.com