Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Jeff Hamilton Trio: From Studio 4, Cologne, Germany

696

Jeff Hamilton Trio: From Studio 4, Cologne, Germany

Jeff Hamilton Trio: From Studio 4, Cologne, Germany
This disc was recorded in a hurry. Wolfgang Hirschmann, the legendary recording engineer of the WDR Big Band in Cologne, expressed a wish to record the Jeff Hamilton Trio before his imminent retirement. This meant the group had about two months to come up with a final set list and arrangements in the midst of a packed gigging schedule—a challenge these three pros brilliantly met, as the recording demonstrates. And it was clearly worth the rush, since the recording has a wonderfully warm and balanced feel.

It's difficult to identify the high points on this consistently excellent disc, but personal favorites include Luty's witty, bass-centered arrangement of "I've Never Been in Love Before" and Hendelman's classy take on "A Felicidade"—the most elegant I've ever heard, as well as a showcase for Hamilton's celebrated hand drumming technique. "Too Close for Comfort" is an irresistible, flat-out burner, and Luty's eloquent bowing sings the luscious melody of "So Many Stars." The group has fun with "Epistrophy," which features a solo by Hamilton and some of the pitch-bending he's famous for, allowing his drum to transcend percussion and become a melodic instrument (see also "Lullaby of the Leaves").

Add some fresh arrangements of old standards like "Moonglow" and "Autumn Nocturne," wrap things up with a swinging original (Hamilton's rousing "2nd Street Samba"), and you have a thoroughly pleasing package, varied and tasteful and expertly played. Trio jazz just doesn't get any better than this.

Visit Jeff Hamilton on the web.

Track Listing

Yano; I've Never Been in Love Before; A Felicidade; Lullaby of the Leaves; Too Close for Comfort; So Many Stars; Epistrophy; Autumn Nocturne; Moonglow; 2nd Street Samba.

Personnel

Jeff Hamilton: drums; Tamir Hendelman: piano; Christoph Luty: bass.

Album information

Title: From Studio 4, Cologne, Germany | Year Released: 2006 | Record Label: Azica 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

Tramonto
John Taylor
Ki
Natsuki Tamura / Satoko Fujii
Duality Pt: 02
Dom Franks' Strayhorn
The Sound of Raspberry
Tatsuya Yoshida / Martín Escalante

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.