You hear records like this, and you wonder to yourself, “Do we Angelenos really appreciate the surfeit of great jazz musicians in our city?” I mean, if Jeff Hamilton’s trio with Tamir Hendelman/p and Christoph Luty/b were in New York, there would be a line around the Village Vanguard. Here, it’s like “Ok, let’s go see them; we’ve already seen ‘Unbroken.’”
Just listen to this disc, or even their LAST one! Here, you get a workshop on brushes as Hamilton shuffles off to Buffalo on a tasty “Falling In Love With Love” and dusts off home plate as Hendelmen caresses the keys on “Tenderley.” Chistoph’s bass picks crisply on the fun “Though Swell” and goes meditative on “Someone To Watch Over Me.” His bass line on “I Thought About You” is sublime, but even better is when the three gel together. They create a subtle ruminating groove on”How Long Has This Been Going On?” while Hamilton leads the charge like the Light Brigade on “All Or Nothing At All.” All throughout, Hendelman, like a good Kindergardener, plays well with blocks and shares them with others, as on the supple “It Could Happen To You.” Trio perfection!
Capri Records