THE
TRIO – VOL.3,
the newest recording by pianist and composer DAVE BASS, is a
lyrical, freewheeling buffet of solid originals together with an
eclectic assortment of compositions ranging from the American
Songbook to the jazz songbook to a Piazzolla tango. This is Bass’ sixth
CD as a leader and follows The Trio – Vol. 2 (2022), The
Trio – Vol. 1 (2021), No Boundaries (2019), NYC
Sessions (2015), and Gone (2012). Glide Magazine
calls Vol. 2, “an unending exposition on imagination, with
consummate grace and alacrity.”
On
his first three recordings, Bass surrounded himself with some of the
top names in jazz, like Phil Woods, Conrad Herwig, Ernie Watts,
Karrin Allyson, Mary Stallings, and Ted Nash. The albums were very
well received and found their way to the top of the JazzWeek
radio charts. Gone hit #2 and NYC Sessions hit #5. DownBeat
named NYC Sessions as one of the “BEST ALBUMS of 2015.” In
2021, Bass changed direction and adopted the trio format. “In jazz,
the piano trio is one of the most demanding and revealing disciplines
– perhaps the ultimate challenge for a jazz pianist,” says
Bass. “There is nowhere to hide, and all is revealed. When
successful, the trio format allows for a wonderful telepathy between
the players, and I am delighted that this has happened with bassist
Kerry Kashiwagi and drummer Scott Gordon.”
KASHIWAGI
and GORDON
also appeared on Vol.1 and Vol. 2. They have played
many trio gigs with Dave, resulting in the profound musical
intimacy of VOL.3. Guitarist BARRY FINNERTY,
who recorded with the likes of Miles Davis, Brecker Brothers, Hubert
Laws, and Ray Barretto, appears as a guest artist on three of the 12
tracks on VOL. 3.
Having
studied piano with the renowned Madame Chaloff and composition with
innovator George Russell, Bass supported himself as a musician
playing in many settings and touring the world. He eventually ended
up in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1970s, where he immersed
himself in the vibrant San Francisco jazz and Latin music scene,
leading his own group and playing often with friends Bobby McFerrin,
drummer Babatunde Lea, and jazz vocalist Jackie Ryan. Bass re-located
to Southern California where a slip and fall on the way to a gig
caused a seriously damaging wrist fracture. His doctors told him he
would never play piano again. With a wife and young daughter to
support, Bass enrolled at the University of California, Irvine,
graduating Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude.
He
went on to UCLA School of Law and began his legal career in 1992. In
1996, Bass became a Deputy Attorney General with the California
Office of the Attorney General, where he eventually joined Civil
Rights Enforcement. While still a Deputy Attorney General, one
evening he was invited to play some impromptu solo piano during a
private party while the band took a break. He was thrilled to
discover his injury had healed to the point that he could resume
playing piano. He started attending jam sessions and once again fell
in love with playing, composing, arranging, and writing lyrics. In
fact, Bass wrote two of the original compositions on VOL. 3 soon
after returning to the world of music in 2005. After juggling two
careers, Bass put his legal career behind him in 2015 to resume a
career in music full-time.
On
VOL. 3, the trio once again displays the deep empathy
of a band that sounds like they have been playing together for
decades. Bass’ interpretations breathe new life into the standards while
avoiding novelty-for-novelty’s sake.
The
album opens with Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn’s “As Long as There’s
Music.” Introduced by Frank Sinatra in 1944, Bass re-imagines the
tune by changing the meter from 4/4 to 6/4. He adds a vamp at the end
that extends the feel of the song. Thelonious Monk is a favorite of
Bass and he includes at least one of his tunes on each of his trio
albums. On “Criss Cross,” one of Monk’s edgiest compositions, Bass
stretches out, floating above the hard swinging undercurrent by
Kashiwagi and Gordon.
Bass
composed “Endless Waltz” when he first returned to music. He
originally wrote lyrics to the tune, movingly sung and recorded by
Karrin Allyson on Bass’ NYC Sessions. The instrumental version
on VOL.3 highlights the composition’s shifting key
center. Bass composed “Agenbite of Inwit” when he was reading James
Joyce’s Ulysses, in which the phrase appears. Meaning prick
of conscience, Bass felt the phrase captured the feel of his
tune. Bass believed it would be a great vehicle for Finnerty and,
indeed, Finnerty’s blistering guitar solo proves him right. Likewise,
Bass’ solo on the tune demonstrates his virtuosity. Rodgers and
Hart’s “With A Song in My Heart” features a swinging dialog between
Kashiwagi and Gordon, allowing Bass to render a tasty solo. Bass
first heard “El Ciego” – a beautiful bolero about lost love -- on
Charlie Haden’s Nocturne album. “Israel,” which originally
appeared on Miles Davis’ Birth of the Cool, gets a treatment
inspired by Bill Evans and Paul Bley.
Annette
Peacock is one of Bass’ favorite composers, and he plays one of her
compositions on each of his Trio albums. With no set harmony or time,
“Blood” is the most out, free-form tune on VOL.3, and
the Trio’s brief version is breathtaking. Tadd Dameron’s “If You
Could See Me Now” is a favorite of Kashiwagi’s, and his bass is
featured in Bass’ arrangement. “Played Twice” is a trippy, edgy Monk
tune. It has a relaxed swing feel and features solos by Kashiwagi and
Gordon. This is Bass’s second recording of “Libertango.” It features
riveting solos by both Bass and Finnerty. VOL. 3 has a
new arrangement of “Another Ending,” (first recorded on Gone).
Bass delivers an engagingly romantic solo on the bolero section and
Finnerty provides a powerfully dramatic solo on the cha-cha
section.
Bass
and company are superb musicians, and the music on THE TRIO –
VOL.3 is by turns whimsical, swinging, soulful, eloquent, and
always adventurous.
# # #
THE
TRIO – VOL. 3 will be available digitally on selected platforms via
Tiger Turn on May 12, 2023. Physical copies will be available at DaveBassMusic.com.
Online:
Davebassmusic.com
Facebook.com/DaveBassMusic
@DaveBassPiano
(IG/Twitter)
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