Dave Bass Trio: Trio Nuevo Vol 2

With Trio Nuevo Vol. 2, pianist Dave Bass continues to chart his unique course through the jazz landscape, delivering an album that is both grounded in tradition and fearlessly progressive. Joined by the superb Tyler Miles on bass and the ever- responsive Steve Helfand on drums, Bass offers a multifaceted recording that celebrates the breadth of jazz expression. From bebop burners to Latin explorations and classical-infused musings, the trio navigates the shift in terrain with precision and soul.

The album opens with the intricately conceived "Legrand/Lester Left Town." Bass's original number functions as a dialogue between two musical spirits: Michel Legrand, the French composer known for his musical lyricism, and tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter, whose "Lester Left Town" is an iconic nod to the departure of Lester Young. It is a masterstroke of intertextual composition brimming with invention and emotional depth. The first of the covers is Egberto Gismonti's "Frevo," a tour de force. The trio captures the Brazilian composer's kaleidoscopic energy with precision and flair. Bass dances over Helfand's dazzling polyrhythms with acuity and melodic daring, and Miles's bass solo offers authenticity to his big tone. Dave Bass's composition "Melquíades" has a Latin pulse and is a mysterious and rhythmically intricate number that unfolds like a dream sequence. Bass displays his fondness for modal textures and subtle dynamic shifts, floating over the Latin beat established by Helfand. Bass continues this musical narrative with "Latin Journey," which is based on excerpts from Isaac Albéniz's "Asturias" and Ernesto Lecuona's "La Comparsa," as well as his composition, "Mi Montuno." The number sparkles with infectious syncopations that conjure up memories of Eddie Palmieri and Chucho Valdes. Bass's playing is percussive yet melodic, his phrases cascading like water over Helfand's crisp patterns and Miles's bass lines.

The take on Thelonious Monk's "Trinkle Tinkle" is wonderfully off-kilter and irrepressibly joyful. Bass does not shy away from Monk's thorny harmonies and rhythmic dislocations, but adds his own spin and phrasing style. Helfand and Miles match Bass's jagged lines with their counter-punching style. Dave Bass has always had a fondness for the music of bebop piano master Bud Powell, and has continued his tradition of recording his compositions, with the classic "Dance Of The Infidels." The interpretation is treated with a reverence that does not sacrifice energy. Bass channels Powell's sprinting lines while adding bluesy grace notes and unexpected detours. The rhythm section provides support with a bop-infused pocket.

The closer is Lennie Tristano's "Lennie's Pennies," a contrafact based on the chord changes of the popular song "Pennies From Heaven" written by Arthur Johnson and Johnny Burke. Bass's agile lines and daring substitutions honour Tristano's cerebral approach while injecting visceral swinging. Miles and Helfand are right there with him, navigating the tune's harmonic complexity with aplomb.

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