Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Paul Wertico Trio: Don't Be Scared Anymore

150

Paul Wertico Trio: Don't Be Scared Anymore

By

View read count
Paul Wertico Trio: Don't Be Scared Anymore
Following the untimely demise of the Igmod label, the Paul Wertico Trio made an enlivening shift to Premonition to produce their first studio disc. The trio format seems to offer Wertico a better chance to really stretch out and shine than the Pat Metheny Group or his own prior groups permitted. He selected near-perfect foils in guitarist John Moulder and bassist Eric Hochberg, who share both the leader’s quirky eclecticism and his understanding of the diverse elements that constitute good fusion.

The opening "Clybourn Strut" kicks off the affair in high gear, sounding like a herd of rhinos have commandeered a New Orleans second line. Next Moulder serves up musky late-night blues. Hochberg is thankfully up-front in the mix instead of playing second fiddle as is a bassist’s usual fate. His swooping runs lead the safari behind drum surges on "African Sunset." His overdubbed arco and pizzicato basses drive "The Visit," which is flavored by rainstick and cymbal shimmers. "Long Journey’s End" sounds more like an invigorated beginning as it bounds hell-bent for leather. "Justa Little Tuna" reminds me, of all things, of some of the folky little compositions proffered by the Art Ensemble of Chicago in their middle ECM period.

This album is like the soundtrack to the world’s coolest vacation; let it take you along for the ride.

Track Listing

Clybourn Strut; The Underground; African Sunset; The Visit; Liftoff; Long Journey's End; Taliaville; Justa Little Tuna; Testament

Personnel

Paul Wertico - drums, percussion; John Moulder - guitar; Eric Hochberg - basses, guitars, trumpet

Album information

Title: Don't Be Scared Anymore | Year Released: 2000 | Record Label: Premonition Records

Tags

Comments


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.