Home » Jazz Articles » Live Review » Josh Nelson Trio: Half Moon Bay, CA, February 20, 2011

241

Josh Nelson Trio: Half Moon Bay, CA, February 20, 2011

By

Sign in to view read count
Josh Nelson Trio
Douglas Beach House
Half Moon Bay, CA
February 20, 2011

Opening the concert, club owner Pete Douglas announced that in its February issue, the editorial staff of Downbeat Magazine had chosen the Douglas Beach House (a.k.a. the Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society) as one of the top 150 internationally known great jazz venues. This honor is bolstered by the quality of the jazz musicians who are booked there, like the Josh Nelson with Nelson on piano, David Robaire on bass, Dan Schnelle on drums, and featured guest Dayna Stephens on tenor sax.

From the opening number and all of the way through the nearly two-hour long concert, this was clearly a tight, well-rehearsed band, playing Nelson originals, along with standards to which the band gave a fresh twist. The opening number, Nelson's "Discoveries," set the tone for the evening as he opened with a piano solo. As the piece developed, Nelson seemed consumed with its power as he explosively ran the keyboard and at times added even more emphasis when he rose from the bench. In contrast, the third number of the concert, "Theme From Chinatown" by Jerry Goldsmith, highlighted Nelson's sensitive playing. These two tunes presented the breadth of the charts he chose to perform.

At 32, Nelson is not only an accomplished pianist, he also has the unique ability to pick the right team to back him, and that's most especially true of his drummer, Schnelle. Some drummers bang their drums, but Schnelle held to the background, making himself known but not overwhelming the rest of the group, playing with a sensitivity that supported the others while keeping impeccable time. Robaire kept the strings on his acoustic bass working the background rhythm, and came on strong and sure during his solos. Finally, Stephens, showed the audience that both he and Nelson could have fun, especially as they called, back-and-forth, through a portion of Robaire's composition that was so new that it had no name.

The audience's applause at the end was sincere, not just casually polite. Nelson demonstrated, to this appreciative and seasoned crowd at the Douglas Beach House, that the sensitive young pianist had a lot to give, and that they will clearly see more of him and his wonderful style of jazz as he makes an indelible mark on the scene. This concert was truly one of the high points of this season.

Comments

Tags

Concerts

Apr 20 Sat
Apr 28 Sun
Jul 6 Sat

For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.