I think the closest thing the trio has to a hit single is Comes Love. We have received quite a bit of radio airplay on this song: it has been a favorite among the Jazz DJs. In addition to that, the public reaction to it when we play it live is fantastic.

We played a trio gig at Veni Vidi Vici this past Friday night and used the opportunity to work on some new tunes as well as some of the songs from the new CD. Although we played many intense and powerful compositions (my personal favorite being my new original …And She Never Will), our best audience reaction was to Comes Love. In fact, many people approached me after the set break to tell me how much they loved the song.

When we were putting the song together for the CD at the recording session I asked Brian to play an “Ahmad Jamal” groove. In saying that, I was referring to the infamous recording of Poinciana from 1958 that gave Ahmad a radio hit. (Incidentally, Vernell Fournier played the now famous groove, and I feel that Jamal’s current drummer Idris Muhammad has perfected it). Without further explanation, Brian developed the groove that now appears on the CD. Kevin, in response to Brian’s groove, played a fantastic bass accompaniment that locked the whole song in. The song was recorded in just one take.

I have always loved the song, Comes Love, especially as done by Billie Holiday. When deciding to record it, however, I wanted to make sure to approach it in another fashion and create our own version of the song. Thanks to Ahamd and Vernell for inspiring the groove! For your chance to hear the song live: we will be playing it at the CD release concert.

Labels: Artist Thoughts

A strange phenomenon has begun to occur at my gigs. My last trio gig with Kevin and Brian and two weeks prior with the “Experiment” band both had the same thing happen: dancing. Now to most music fans this may seem rather normal, in fact I believe that most of today’s pop music in created for the sole purpose of making people dance. But at a Jazz gig, I would definitely file it under the “odd” category.

Half a century earlier with advent of “bop,” dancing to instrumental music had practically gone out of style (in America that is), no longer did the big bands of Ellington, Dorsey, Miller, Basie, and so forth reign supreme but now small group Jazz was “in” and the musicians did not want you to dance.

Granted my “Experiment” band does reflect a funk influence and usually has a back-beat feel involved: we even morphed into “Billie Jean” at the last gig. The trio, however, is very different. The trio seldom employs a back-beat, in fact rarely do we even settle into swing groove. The trio has definitely become very organic; odd meters and advanced harmony do not seem to be typical dance fare.

I don’t really mind the dancing. In fact, I like that people are enjoying the music in some respect. I admit, however, that I wanted to put our dancers to the test. At the end of out first set, I called the standard “Autumn Leaves” and the trio played it at approximately 350 beats per minute (for the non-musician readers that is a pretty fast tempo). Amazingly enough, our dancers kept at it. Even through our second set, my musicality kind of gave way to, playing a little more aggressively than I usually would and employing more polyrhythmic approaches. The dancers never stopped, in fact I relented and called the Eddie Harris tune “Cold Duck Time,” a song the trio had never played, but I wanted to reward our dancers with a little groove, and for the first time all night, the dancing stopped and they just listened.

So often music moves me in many different ways: from crying to extreme pleasure. Occasionally, it makes me want to dance, even when its not meant to. I figure that there is something so powerful in that series of pitches and rhythms that make my body move. Think about it: as you hear sounds your body moves. That is some deep stuff, man. It’s even more astonishing when its not meant to make you dance.

Needless to say, I continue to welcome all of you that show up to the gigs: dancers and non-dancers alike. And to you non-dancers: don’t make fun of the dancers, they get the music too! Maybe just in a different way.

Labels: Artist Thoughts

I am in love with Andrew Hill's new Blue Note recording "Time Lines." Do yourself a favor and check it out!

Labels: CD Review