Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Code 3: Code 3

129

Code 3: Code 3

By

View read count
Code 3: Code 3
Code 3, a fusion trio from Los Angles, includes local veterans Jeff Miley on guitar, Doug Shreeve on bass, and Eric Wells on drums. Their self-titled debut CD also features guest Jeff Babko on keyboards.

Code 3 showcases a smooth, relaxed style of fusion in mid-tempo songs with developed heads and solo sections, mostly written by Miley. Clever melodies ring with a refreshing originality in timbre and phrase, and space within the grooves allows all four musicians to improvise not only individual solos, but also ideas within their rhythm parts. Code 3 was recorded live in a concert hall, an environment designed to inspire their top playing, and the best version of each song was selected from two or three takes. The feel of interaction between the musicians comes through well on tape, in places like the triplet fill in "Reunion," adding to the dynamic jazz vibe of the music.

Miley plays well crafted lines with a dark, smooth distorted tone or a crisp, traditionally clean jazz guitar sound. Shreeve adds a purring bass that drives the music with intensity, and Wells' mellow drumming and feather light cymbals hold up the rhythmic framework. Babko's keyboards contribute subtle but important touches, such as piano doubling of some of Miley's clean guitar lines, and a flowing solo in "Reunion." The faint background mix of Miley's clean chording behind Shreeve's bass solos in "Dark Tower" and "Imagine That" shows the egalitarian band concept behind Code 3, where the music takes precedence over individual roles.

In this current age of numerous independent fusion bands, and numerous guitar-centered, instrumental bands claiming to play fusion, Code 3 stands out from the pack with clear jazz roots and a pure vibe that displays influences without coping anyone else's style. Their cozy groove on Code 3 recalls modern and traditional takes on jazz fusion, combined with an original voice.

More Info: www.code3music.com

Personnel

Jeff Miley - guitar
Doug Shreeve - bass
Eric Wells - drums
Jeff Babko - keyboards (guest)

Album information

Title: Code 3 | Year Released: 2001 | Record Label: Independent Records

Tags

Comments

About Code 3

Articles | Concerts | Albums | Photos | Similar

PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About 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 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.

More

Eternal Moments
Yoko Yates
From "The Hellhole"
Marshall Crenshaw
Tramonto
John Taylor

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

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

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.