Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Jim McNeely / Kelly Sill / Joel Spencer: Boneyard

231

Jim McNeely / Kelly Sill / Joel Spencer: Boneyard

By

Sign in to view read count
Jim McNeely / Kelly Sill / Joel Spencer: Boneyard
I'd take the bet that a good percentage of jazz fans—those of my generation, at least—got their start in jazz via Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Art Blakey and Dave Brubeck, mainly piano/bass/drum rhythm sections behind one or more horns. And I can remember wondering why Miles, Cannonball Adderley and John Coltrane sat out on "Billy Boy" on Miles' classic album, Milestones, (Columbia, 1958), letting pianist Red Garland, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Philly Joe Jones have their way with the tune. The limited dynamic range of a piano trio—as addressed so succinctly in Francis Davis' liner notes to the reissue of the Legendary Bill Evans album You Must Believe in Spring (Warner Brothers, 1981/2003)—seems a problem for many early-in-the-evolution listeners.

Then somewhere along the line comes an "aha!" moment, some piano trio outing that stops them cold. For me it was Bill Evans' Sunday at the Village Vanguard (Riverside Records, 1961) with his classic trio alongside bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian. For others it might be Keith Jarrett's Standards Trio, or, to update things a bit, Brad Mehdau's trio.

That's a bit of a wordy introduction, perhaps, to this excellent piano trio set by pianist Jim McNeely, bassist Kelly Sill and drummer Joel Spencer, a modern recording full of vibrant interplay that stays anchored to the tradition. These trio members are all veteran players, with impressive resumes of recorded-with/played with-names: Joe Henderson, Phil Woods, Stan Getz, Renee Rosnes, Clark Terry, Wynton Marsalis, etc.

It all comes together on Boneyard, from the high-octane opener, Kurt Weill's "Speak Low," through an energetic take on Dizzy Gillespie's "Con Alma," into Dave Brubeck's "In Your Own Sweet Way," with McNeely's cascading intro giving way to the sweet familiar melody, juiced up more than your normally hear it, insistently gregarious, the three musicians locked into a bouncy, lubricated cohesion.

The set is marvelously sequenced, with classic tunes and a couple of originals each from the pens of pianist McNeely and bassist Sills, full of seamless interplay that comes from years of playing together, and some gorgeous Sills bass solos in front of McNeely's sparkling comping, closing with the ever wistful classic "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning."

This superb piano trio outing could just serve as somebody's "aha!" moment.

Track Listing

Speak Low; Con Alma; In Your Own Sweet Way; For Manny; Fe Fi Fo Fum; A Sense of Fairness; Naomi; Ernie Banks; In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning.

Personnel

Jim McNeely: piano; Kelly Sill: bass; Joel Spencer: drums.

Album information

Title: Boneyard | Year Released: 2007 | Record Label: Origin Records

Comments

Tags


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

Sensual
Rachel Z
Over and Over
Tony Monaco Trio
Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

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