It's a couple of years since I last reviewed a Dave Bass album which was unimaginatively titled The Trio - Vol 3. The title was the only thing unimaginative - musicwise it was tremendous.
This latest release is by a different trio so The Trio becomes Trio Neuvo, no explanation needed except to say that this is another pièce de résistance from a pianist who seems to be on a roll.
Miles and Helfand are given their fair share of exposure which they take showing sympathy to their surroundings rather than opening their box of tricks to show how clever they are. Like Dumas' musketeers it's 'one for all and all for one' which is the way it should be - something Oscar, Art and some other pianists didn't always remember.
The material is a strange mish mash (and I use the phrase as both explanatory and complimentary) of new and old. Bass' own Legrand entwines with Wayne Shorter's Lester Left Town to become Legrand/Lester Left Town. Clever eh? Bass liked Johnny Mercer's lyric from Fools Rush in and extracted the phrase Heart Above my Head as the title of one of his own compos. A few tracks down the line he plays the original and keeps the title and the lawyers from his door.
Particular impressive is the makeover he gives to JSB's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor and the same guy's Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue. Bass calls it Journey With Bach and it's a roller coaster of a ride.
There's more, there's pieces by Monk, Bud Powell and Lennie Tristano plus some Latin numbers and originals all compulsive listening played by an excellent trio. Lance
Legrand/Lester Left Town; Heart Above my Head; Frevo; Melquíades; Latin Journey; Questions; Trinkle Tinkle; Fools Rush in; Dance of the Infidels; Journey With Bach; Lennie's Pennies
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