Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Tobias Gebb & Trio West: An Upper West Side Story

Tobias Gebb & Trio West: An Upper West Side Story

By Michael P. Gladstone
June 28, 2008
View read count

Showing that its debut album Trio West Plays Holiday Songs (Yummy House, 2007) was no fluke, leader Tobias Gebb begins this album with a direct homage to Ahmad Jamal on his medley of "Poinciana/What Time Is It?" Not only does pianist Eldad Zvulun employ Jamal's idiosyncratic use of spacing but drummer Gebb is all a-chatter with Vernell Fournier-like flourishes, notably at the start and finish of this tune but also throughout the presentation. Zvulun is given another chance to shine on the bossa nova original from Gebb that follows, "Brasil Bela."

This album provides not only healthy dollops of the trio, but in addition, Gebb arranges for tenor saxophonist Joel Frahm and vocalist Champian Fulton to make several guest appearances. The net effect of their presence gives a richness and variety to the album. Frahm first appears on Gebb's "The Barnyard" with a swaggering solo and Fulton's first appearance is a vocal on Peter DeRose's "Autumn Serenade" that hasn't been heard much since the 1963 version by Johnny Hartman and John Coltrane. Frahm also provides some nice fills on this track.

One of Tobias Gebb's best assets is his use of the brushes which he aptly demonstrates throughout the album, notably on the Neal Hefti composition "Cute," which has served as a tour de force for many percussionists.

The trio continues to entertain with its versions of several standards and additional tunes from Gebb. Lennon/McCartney's concluding "And I Love Her" is presented in a "Quiet Village"-type lounge setting, leaving the intention unclear. The hidden untitled track is an inexplicable catharsis of barnyard noises with no apparent meaning in the context of this fine album.

Track Listing

Poinciana, What Time Is It?; Brasil Bela; The Barnyard; Star-Crossed Lovers; Autumn Serenade; Cute; Wil O'the Wisp; What a Little Moonlight Can Do; Two by Two; How Deep Is the Ocean; The Monument (Soldiers and Sailors); And I Love Her.

Personnel

Trio West

band / ensemble / orchestra

Tobias Gebb: drummer, composer, arranger; Neal Miner: bass; Eldad Zvulun: piano; Joel Frahm: tenor saxophone (3, 5, 8, 12); Champian Fulton: vocals (3, 8).

Album information

Title: An Upper West Side Story | Year Released: 2008 | Record Label: Yummyhouse Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Sylvie Courvoisier Trio: Abaton
< Previous

Soul and Science 2: Electric Boogalo...
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make 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.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves 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.