Good things come in threes
Guitarist Greg Amirault teams up with Adrian Vedady/b and Andre White/dr for a mix of originals and standards on the post bop vein. Amirault’s got a clean tone, akin to the classic feel of Herb Ellis or Barney Kessel, bopping on the dark “That’s A Fact” and bouncing over White’s snappy sticks and Vedady’s lithe bass line for “On A Swing”. White’s drums are forward moving and graceful on “Balade Pour La Butte” and crisp on a fun read of “Besame Mucho”, with Amirault going bel canto on “Open String Blues”. Vintage strings.
The trio of Blake Opper/ts, Steve Williams/eg and Grant Martin/dr play a mix of rockish jazz on this album of mostly originals. Their take of the classic “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” is filled with sighs, while Opper slurs and swoops through “Still Kansas”. Williams picks a groove on the funky “Ways & Means” and goes into the upper register with Opper on the hard hitting “Redneck”. There are some tricky unison lines on the acidic “Roger Ebert v. The State Of Illinois” and a fun calypso to “Ketchup Man” while things get shrill on the over bright “Another Knight”. Johnny One Volume.