TRIO NUEVO is the most exciting and adventurous trio album yet by pianist,
composer, and arranger DAVE BASS. Both his playing and composing have
reached a new level, with his eclectic tastes encompassing styles ranging from
Bach to bebop and beyond. TRIO NUEVO, Bass’ seventh album as a
leader, is sure to be hailed as a stunning success.
When
Bass first started recording albums back in 2010, he worked with horn players
and singers that included some of the top names in jazz, including Phil Woods,
Conrad Herwig, Ernie Watts, Ted Nash, and Ignacio Berroa. The albums were very
well received and found their way to the top of the JazzWeek radio
charts. He received stellar reviews right from his first outing, Gone,
which featured vocalist Mary Stallings. All About Jazz said, “There’s an
art in putting together a collection that successfully takes on as many
sub-genres as Bass does. Staying within the constitution and temperament of
jazz, allowing for improvisation and being inclusive, is an underrated skill
but it is also the essence of jazz.” Bass followed Gone with No
Boundaries (2019) and NYC Sessions (2015), which DownBeat named
as one of the “Best Albums” of the year.
But
in 2021, Bass decided to switch gears and adopted the trio format. “I think
playing in a trio is one of the most challenging situations for a musician,”
says Bass. “The spotlight is on each player, forcing you to play at the highest
level. But it’s also perhaps the most satisfying configuration, because you can
really develop a kind of telepathy with other musicians.”
His
first trio recording was aptly named The Trio, Vol. 1. He followed that
in 2022 with The Trio, Vol. 2 and again in 2023 with The Trio, Vol. 3.
Goldmine Magazine said, “Vol. 3 is a tour-de-force of mighty
ensemble playing and soloing." Bass sought a new configuration for TRIO
NUEVO, given the new compositional roads he was traveling.
Joining Bass on his newest release are TYLER MILES (double bass) and STEVE
HELFAND (drums), both highly accomplished players.
Bass’
music career almost came to an end in the mid-1980s when an accident changed
the trajectory of his life. He had been immersed in the vibrant San Francisco
jazz and Latin music scene since the 1970s, leading his own group and often
playing with friends Bobby McFerrin, drummer Babatunde Lea, and jazz vocalist
Jackie Ryan.
On
his way to a gig, he slipped and fell, causing a painful wrist fracture. His
doctors were not optimistic that he would ever play piano again, and with a
wife and young daughter to support, he needed to find another way to make a
living. He enrolled at the University of California, Irvine, graduating Phi
Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude, and then continued his education at UCLA School
of Law.
Bass
began his successful legal career in 1992 at a prestigious law firm, and then
in 1996 he accepted the position as Deputy Attorney General with the California
Office of the Attorney General, where he eventually joined the Civil Rights
Enforcement.
Bass’
long-forgotten dreams of playing and composing jazz were re-kindled in 2005
when he was invited to play some impromptu solo piano during a private party
while the band took a break. After so many years, his wrist had healed. He
began attending local jam sessions. He once again felt the deep satisfaction of
playing piano, composing, arranging, and writing lyrics to tell his stories
through music. Bass retired from the law profession in 2015 to dedicate himself
fulltime to his music career after a nearly 20 year hiatus.
Bass
opens TRIO NUEVO with one of his compositions, “These Times,” on
which he sets out to capture the chaos and uncertainty of the times we live in.
The composition comprises written parts, including some fairly abstract
counterpoint and free jazz improvisation with changing tempos.
Other
Bass originals include “August,” featuring a beautiful intro and solo by Miles
on bass, “December,” a mournful tune underpinned by Miles’ arco work, and
“Gone,” which Bass reprises from his debut album.
Bass
also takes inspiration for his writing from other composers. He has had a
longtime fascination with Bach, and his composition, “Three Views of Bach,” was
influenced by Bach’s “Partita #2” for piano. Bach wrote the piece in three
parts, which Bass reimagines. In Bass’ version, the first part features a free
improvisation on Bach’s harmonies. In section 2, he plays a fairly faithful
rendition from the second section of Partita #2, and in section 3, he combines
both a faithful rendition of the Partita and an improvisation on Bach’s
harmonies and rhythmic thrust. On “One Look,” Bass takes Gershwin’s
“Embraceable You” as a starting point and spins his own lovely romantic ballad.
“Baby Melon” is a fast, swinging re-working of “My Melancholy Baby.”
Bass
also pays tribute to compositions he has admired for many years. Bass’ version
of “As Time Goes By,” written by Herman Hupfeld in 1931 and featured in the
1942 film, Casablanca, is bluesy and soulful. Bass first heard Charlie
Haden’s “Sandino” in a live performance by Charlie’s Liberation Music Orchestra
on TV. And Bass re-harmonized Denny Zeitlin’s “Offshore Breeze.”
TRIO NUEVO is a showcase for Bass’ considerable chops and imagination as he
moves effortlessly between free jazz, swing, and classical music. With strong
support from Miles and Helfand, the album will appeal to jazz aficionados who
love top notch musicianship in an eminently enjoyable package of diverse
musical styles.
# # #
TRIO NUEVO will be available digitally on selected platforms via Tiger Turn
on April 19, 2024. Physical copies will be available at DaveBassMusic.com.
Online:
Davebassmusic.com
Facebook.com/DaveBassMusic
@DaveBassPiano
(IG/Twitter)
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