Deborah Weisz: Trio (2007)

Larry Taylor

Contributor since 2006

Larry retired from teachng college journalism after over 20 years, coming to teaching from 15 years in the newspaper business working for Ridder-Johns Newspapers.

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Published: December 7, 2007

Pleasantly relaxing—that's the way to describe trombonist Deborah Weisz and her sisters in sound, guitarist Sheryl Bailey and bassist Nicki Parrott, on Trio.

This loosely swinging session features standards, mixed with several originals from Weisz and Bailey. The fact that the group has played regularly at The Garage in New York City's Greenwich Village is always apparent in their cohesive arrangements. With Weisz's lush, warm sound leading, all have ample solo time as well.

On a lilting take of Tadd Dameron's "If You Could See Me Now, Bailey and Parrott superbly accompany Weisz before taking their own effective solos. Two Thelonious Monk tunes show off the ensemble's creative arrangements. "Pannonica takes on a melancholy air, while "Bemshaw Swing emerges as a fugue, with Weisz' muted trombone trading bars with Bailey in counterpoint, before Parrott takes over.

A playfully bop-ish treatment of Jerome Kern's "Nobody Else But Me interjects humor, while Johnson and Coslow's "Moon Song gives the three a chance for masterful improvisation.

Weisz cleverly breaks up her composition "Trio into three parts, averaging a couple minutes each. The piece opens the disc, coming in again after every three songs. The effect is that of a musical discussion amongst the trio, as if kibitzing about what they've done and what to play next, with the start-stop cadence of regular conversation suggested .

Two bossa nova compositions—Ivan Lins' romantic "Love Dance and Antonio Jobim's "Zingaro —are given quiet, meditative treatments, the latter being the highlight of the album. Here, Weisz starts with a brooding cadenza, punctuated by Parrott before Bailey adds her ethereal guitar. It's a most moving interlude before the classic romp of "Bemshaw closes the disc.

Track Listing: TRIO--Once; If You Could See Me Now; Pannonica; Moon Song; TRIO--Twice; Nobody Else but Me; When My Love Has Gone; Love Dance; TRIO--3rd Time's the Charm; Certainty; Zingaro; Bemsha Swing.

Personnel: Deborah Weisz: trombone; Sheryl Bailey: guitar; Nicki Parrott: bass.

Record Label: Va Wah
Style: Straight-ahead/Mainstream