Noah Haidu and Dave Bass: Mirror Images

Noah Haidu and Dave Bass may be too much the traditionalists to become true innovators, but such observations hardly dismiss their efforts as exceptional stylists. Both men's recent releases certify them as musicians who can reliably remind us where the most fruitful sources of inspiration lie in terms of both material and musicianship. Bass' Trio Nuevo is, like its trio of predecessors, a mix of excellent originals and covers that complement each other in such a way that their respective impacts are heightened. For his part, Haidu concentrates on standards (in keeping with the two album titles), but also calls upon redoubtable veterans such as bassist Buster Williams and drummer Billy Hart to evoke the durability of the selections he chooses to play with them.

Noah Haidu/Buster Williams/Billy Hart
Standards II
Sunnyside Records
2024

As ambitious as he is reverential, pianist/composer Noah Haidu proves himself more than up to the tasks he imposes upon himself in the company of Buster Williams on bass and Billy Hart on drums. More extended improvisations appears in this seven-song program than its 2023 predecessor, but that only allows for more intricate interpretations of compositions by Harold Arlen ("Over The Rainbow"), Duke Ellington ("I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)" as well as Freddie Hubbard's "Up Jumped Spring." Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer's "Days Of Wine And Roses" is also of a piece with its surroundings, the overall continuity sewn together no less by this redoubtable rhythm section than the thoughtful pianist. Space and patience are the hallmarks of this threesome's interactions and their collective delicacy of touch serves to enhance the depth of melodic and rhythmic subtlety they explore during the course of instrumental adventures such as those that comprise "After You've Gone."

Dave Bass
Trio Nuevo
Dave Bass Music
2024

A reminder of what a bountiful source of inspiration is the venerated instrumental configuration, the absence of any other musicians here only serves to underscore the almost subliminal communication between the threesome on this record (guitarist Barry Finnerty had appeared on the previous two outings). Ranging from familiar sources including Denny Zeitlin ("Offshore Breeze"), Andrew Hill ("Duplicity") as well as Bass himself (in a half-dozen instances), novel choices like that of Charlie Haden's "Sandino" find the compact unit applying a spare instrumental approach that invariably evolves into engrossing expositions of imagination. The three musicians contour their shared motion through the twists and turns of the challenging selections, including an opener of the bandleader's "These Times" and while the pianist invariably leads the way on these involved adventures, he is hardly more authoritative or lithe of touch than his new counterparts in the ensemble, Tyler Miles and Steve Halfand on bass and drums respectively.

Tracks and Personnel

Standards II

Tracks: Over The Rainbow; Someone To Watch Over Me; Up Jumped Spring; Obsession; Days of Wine and roses; After You've Gone; I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good).

Personnel: Noah Haidu: piano; Buster Williams: bass; Billy Hart: drums.

Trio Nuevo

Tracks: These Times; As Time Goes by; August; One Look: Baby Melon: December; Three Views of Bach; Sandino; Offshore Breeze; Duplicity; Gone.

Personnel: Dave Bass: piano; Tyler Miles: double bass; Steve Helfand: drums.

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