Twio

This has everything you want in a jazz album. Interaction, melody, chops, invention, tone, dynamics... If you are a fan of any of these players, get this!

Beautiful.

One of my favorite players at his best. Everything about this record is perfection.

What in the name of Sonny Rollins is going on here? It is almost as if Walter Smith III unearthed some old recordings of Sonny Rollins at the Village Vanguard, or maybe "Way Out West", and thought to himself "This trio stuff sounds pretty good. Maybe I should take a crack at this myself." Whatever his motivation, Smith III has turned out a great CD that strongly nods to the past but isn't stuck there. In fact, intentionally or otherwise, the program subtly becomes more modern beginning with the sixth track. After the first five tracks cover some old chestnuts, Smith III launches into Wayne Shorter's "Adam's Apple" followed by "The Peacocks" and things become a little more contemporary and a little more intense. This is not to suggest that Smith III's take on the "chestnuts" is dated. While he seems to adhere generally to Rollins "every note has a purpose" approach on these tracks, the ideas are Smith III's own and they are great. I was particularly struck by how effortlessly he seems to navigate these tunes. On one of the old songs ("On the Trail") and what I believe is an original to close the CD, Smith III is joined by Joshua Redman, who has turned out some great trio sessions himself. it is an inspired pairing. No "cutting", but rather very compatible collaboration. Kudos to Redman particularly for not succumbing to the kind of ego attack that sometimes results from this kind of situation. The rhythm section is more than up to the task. Drummer Eric Harland does a great job of balancing taste and chops, modulating between them as the context requires. It was particularly interesting - and impressive - to hear him in a trio setting. Bassist Harish Raghavan is solid throughout and has some tasty bass solos. Christian McBride sits in on bass on the two tracks with Redman and on one duet track with Smith III to his usual good effect. A very inspired performance by Smith III and his session mates.

WSIII, Joshua Redman, ten sx; Harish Raghavan, Christian McBride, b; Eric Harland, dr.This is my first encounter with tenor player Smith and I’m impressed! He’s got a nice sound and plays intelligent long-lined solos. He also, on this album, avoided the trap that can befall a set built around a single-horn trio (tenor, bass, drums). He’s done that by (1) an intelligent selection of tunes and (2) adding a guest horn (tenor saxist Joshua Redman) on two cuts and switching out the bass player on four. Both bass players sound great. Christian McBride is as always a monster on his axe –what a resonant sound he has, and how he moves around his big lumbering instrument! But Harish Raghavan is equally a force and how agilely he navigates this often twisty music. He and drummer Eric Harland play exceedingly well with Smith. Redman is heard on two cuts, an original by Smith (“Contract”) and a clever reworking of Ferde Grofe’s “On the Trail.” In sound and approach, Redman is a fit with Smith, enough so that I had to guess which was playing when, though I think I figured it out. His presence opens other possibilities as well –harmony in ensemble, sax lines playfully chasing each other, dual improvisation. As to balance, the album starts with Monk’s “Ask Me Now” and follows with a mix of ballads (“Nobody Else But Me,” “We’ll Be Together Again,” I’ll Be Seeing You”), jazz classics (Wayne Shorter’s “Adam’s Apple,” Jimmy Rowles’s “The Peacocks,” and my favorite, Gigi Gryce’s “Social Call,” and one original by Smith. “I’ll Be Seeing You” is done by drums and tenor, with no bass. The rest are trio, with Redman added for the two cuts mentioned above. The mood is unsentimental and the playing crisp, but this isn’t an austere album. These players don’t play austerely –they just don’t wear their hearts on their sleeves when playing. I liked this album a lot. I’d recommend it to anyone who likes intelligent, well played jazz.