Unusual trios

[Joe]

The Glenn Ferris Trio, which has recorded several sessions for Enja since the 90s.

Ferris: trombone

Bruno Rousselet: bass

Vincent Segal: cello

 

[Rooster_Ties]

On 8/20/2022 at 9:10 AM, Rooster_Ties said:

I’ve got a piano-trio date by an Israeli(?) piano player that subs tuba(!) for upright bass (and the tuba player is a little like the guy on all those Rabih Abou Khalil enja albums all thru the 90’s and 00’s).

Can’t remember his name, but I’ll have to dig the disc out and report back.

Found the disc, and the pianist is Lebanese (from Beirut) named Tarek Yamani. I think this is the only album of his with tuba (instead of bass).

https://www.discogs.com/release/15244575-Tarek-Yamani-Trio-Ashur

Here's a sample, the opening track on the CD...

 

Edited August 23, 2022 by Rooster_Ties

[danasgoodstuff]

On 8/22/2022 at 3:55 AM, Joe said:

The Glenn Ferris Trio, which has recorded several sessions for Enja since the 90s.

Ferris: trombone

Bruno Rousselet: bass

Vincent Segal: cello

OK, I did ask for unusual didn't I?

 

(91) The Wind Cries Mary - YouTube

3 pianos playing Hendrix

[Rooster_Ties]

4 hours ago, danasgoodstuff said:

(91) The Wind Cries Mary - YouTube

3 pianos playing Hendrix

I’ve got that CD! Pretty wild in some respects, but never goes off the rails. Geri Allen was one of the pianos too — which I’m seeing they played up a lot more in a later reissue (I have the first purple-cover one) — here’s the details…

https://www.discogs.com/master/1509312-Triad-Three-Pianos-For-Jimi

 

Edited August 24, 2022 by Rooster_Ties

[Rabshakeh]

It is interesting that sax / piano / drums is the OP's example of an unusual trio setting.

There actually are not that many groups that play in that format, despite its allowing for pretty much everything, to my ears. The most exciting examples that I can think of come from the free jazz world, where the piano is not necessarily in a comping role. In contrast, the "sax trio" setting of saxophone, bass and drums is maybe a bit more well explored in the bop and bop-derived world.

I would be interested to hear from any musicians on the forum, or anyone with an ear better attuned than my own, as to why they think that this set up is comparatively rare in a bop-derived / straight ahead setting.

Does it present greater difficulties than e.g. a saxophone trio with bass instead of keyboards?

[Rooster_Ties]

Back when I was producing my Jazz & Beyond concert series back in KC 12-15 years ago, one of the groups I wanted to program (but never got the chance to) was a piano trio (that had never played together before, actually) — that wouldn’t have functioned at all like a normal piano trio.

To my mind, the best ‘creative’ (i.e. ‘free’) bass-drums duo in all of KC was a couple guys who did play together occasionally, but not as often as I heard them (separately) in other contexts.

(Nobody here probably knows them, but just to give their names, it was Bill McKemy, bass — and Arny Young, drums.)

And I wanted to pair them with KC composer and multi-instrumentalist Jeffrey Ruckman on piano — an instrument he plays (at least in improvisational settings) as much like a percussion instrument, albeit one that can also generate melody and harmony — but almost as an afterthought to the percussive-nature of the instrument. (Think “Jason Moran”, but without Jason’s speed or dexterity — but Jeffry’s more ‘interesting’ than John Medeski when Medeski’s on a traditional acoustic piano, imho).

Jeffrey can literally play 30+ instruments halfway competently, but I don’t think there’s really any of them he’s even half-mastered per se — again, he’s primarily a composer — but he’s also a hell of a good free-leaning pianist too — because he’s a GREAT listener.

I regret I never got that concert to happen — but maybe someday I’ll see if I can plot something from afar, and fly back to KC to attend. Probably never happen, but it could! I’d also want to get it recorded, if for nothing more than my personal enjoyment later.

Yes, that’d “just be” piano-bass-drums, but it’d certainly be ‘unusual’ (at least for Kansas City)— and most of it would be pretty sublime too (and well worth recording).

Edit: I’m sure the whole thing would’ve been free-improv, the whole concert. They were all highly skilled improvisers — certainly Bill and Arny (who could easily do an entire concert (just them) on bass and drums, and make that alone wonderful) — and Jeffrey would have easily had the ‘ears’ and enough skills to add to the proceedings in a very constructive way.

Gosh am I ever sorry I never got that one programmed, and put together.

Edited August 24, 2022 by Rooster_Ties

[relyles]

Cecil Taylor - Jimmy Lyons - Sunny Murray

[jazzbo]

Piano, drums, and clarinetist or saxophone player was not unheard of in early jazz and Chicago Style.

[medjuck]

15 minutes ago, jazzbo said:

Piano, drums, and clarinetist or saxophone player was not unheard of in early jazz and Chicago Style.

Benny Goodman Trio.

[jazzbo]

Sure, also Bud Freeman et al.

[relyles]

[colinmce]

10 minutes ago, jazzbo said:

Sure, also Bud Freeman et al.

Some great sides by the Charlie Ventura/Gene Krupa/Teddy Napoleon group.

On 8/20/2022 at 8:49 AM, Milestones said:

There's a track on Strange City (Herbie Nichols Project) that I really like: "Blue Shout."  This has Ted Nash (tenor), Wycliffe Gordon (trombone), Matt Wilson (drums) 

The title track of Ted Nash's Sidewalk Meeting (a very underrated downtown album) is a trio with Gordon in incredible form, Nash on bass clarinet, and Miri-Ben Ari on viola. It's a beautiful tune.

[danasgoodstuff]

6 hours ago, Rabshakeh said:

It is interesting that sax / piano / drums is the OP's example of an unusual trio setting.

There actually are not that many groups that play in that format, despite its allowing for pretty much everything, to my ears. The most exciting examples that I can think of come from the free jazz world, where the piano is not necessarily in a comping role. In contrast, the "sax trio" setting of saxophone, bass and drums is maybe a bit more well explored in the bop and bop-derived world.

I would be interested to hear from any musicians on the forum, or anyone with an ear better attuned than my own, as to why they think that this set up is comparatively rare in a bop-derived / straight ahead setting.

Does it present greater difficulties than e.g. a saxophone trio with bass instead of keyboards?

It puts demands on the piano player to use their left (bass) hand in ways that they may not be used to or particularly comfortable with as opposed to players of older styles like stride or boogie woogie who put down strong steady lines, modernists may find it challenging to hold down the fort with their left hands without falling into one of those older styles.

Edited August 24, 2022 by danasgoodstuff

[Rabshakeh]

14 minutes ago, danasgoodstuff said:

It puts demands on the piano player to use their left (bass) hand in ways that they may not be used to or particularly used to as opposed to players of older styles like stride or boogie woogie who put down strong steady lines, modernists may find it challenging to hold down the fort with their left hands without falling into one of those older styles.

That makes sense.

[danasgoodstuff]

14 hours ago, jazzbo said:

Sure, also Bud Freeman et al.

Thanks for the reminder, I have the 11 sides he, Jess Stacy and Geo. Wettling cut for Commodore in '38.  Good stuff.  And the 4 sides Pee Wee Russell, Joe Sullivan and Zutty singleton did for Commodore are IMHO even better.

[danasgoodstuff]

I also remembered that Jelly Roll Morton did some nice trio recordings with various clarinetist and drummers, Barney Bigard, Omar Simeon, Johnny Dodds and his Baby brother.  Thanks again for all the suggestions.

Edited August 28, 2022 by danasgoodstuff

[Steve Reynolds]

A great modern trio 

Ches Smith on drums/vibraphone

Mat Maneri on viola

Craig Taborn on piano

only recording is The Bell on ECM / does not capture the group very well at all

I've seen them live numerous times starting from their first show on a Sunday night in March 2013 @ Cornelia Street Cafe. This show remains among the best 5 or 10 shows I’ve ever seen. A few of the other shows were close. Incredible trio.