Devere Pride Trio: ...As In A Morning Sunrise (2004)

Stephen Latessa

CD/DVD Reviewer since 2004

Stephen Latessa is a traveling salesman and inveterate jazz listener.

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Published: May 25, 2005

Devere Pride Trio: ...As In A Morning Sunrise

...As In A Morning Sunrise is a relaxed set of easy and melodic tunes that lightly swing. The Devere Pride Trio, which consists of Pride on bass, Steve Ellington on drums, and Jean-Yves Jung on piano, plays with an easygoing casual rapport that comforts the listener even as the band delves into some truly challenging material by the likes of Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and John Coltrane.

The trio gives Herbie Hancock's "Dolphin Dance an effectively loping treatment, featuring a slurring bowed bass solo from Pride, along with some light and sparkling work from Jung. "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise is, like "My Funny Valentine, a standard that unfailingly coaxes strong performances. The trio presents a jaunty take that features bouncy statements from each performer. Two selections are curiously listed as bonus tracks: "Someday My Prince Will Come, which is sensitively presented as a bass/piano duet; and "Alone Together, which is stretched out, allowing for some contributions from tenor saxophonist Sam Williams.

...As In A Morning Sunrise does not indulge in complex musical theory or controversy. This highly enjoyable, immediately accessible album wears its pleasures on its sleeve.

Track Listing: Softly As In A Morning Sunrise; Have You Met Miss Jones; Smatter; Dolphin Dance; Black Nile; You Go To My Head; This Is For Albert; Lazy Bird; Our Blues; Someday My Prince Will Come; Alone Together; Our Blues

Personnel: Devere Pride-bass; Steve Ellington-drums; Jean-Yves Jung-piano; Sam Williams-tenor saxophone

Record Label: Self Produced
Style: Straight-ahead/Mainstream