Goldings/Bernstein/Stewart at SMOKE

Goldings/Bernstein/Stewart
Smoke Jazz & Supper Club
New York, NY
October 23, 2025

Hello, my name is Chris DeRosa and this is what I heard...

Tonight's festivities took place at the uptown New York City venue Smoke Jazz & Supper Club. The offering this evening was the organ trio consisting of Larry Goldings on Hammond B-3 organ (known for his Best Jazz Instrumental Album Grammy nomination with John Scofield and Jack DeJohnette for Trio Beyond—Saudades on ECM, 2006), Peter Bernstein on guitar, and Bill Stewart on drums.

These three gifted musicians have performed together in countless combinations and with many celebrated artists, but tonight's version of the trio first played at Smoke 30 years ago, making this a special homecoming of sorts. To make the evening even more auspicious, they were recording the performance for an upcoming live album on Smoke Sessions Records.

The set opened with the medium-swing tune "Hi-Fly" by Randy Weston. It was immediately clear to the audience that the interplay between these old friends remains remarkably intuitive and deep. The trio followed with Gary Bartz's "Libra," from their 2022 album Perpetual Pendulum (Smoke Sessions Records, 2022). This tune was a brisker number, with Stewart stirring the pot through polyrhythmic phrases darting between his limbs, played with a crisp attack that would make Roy Haynes do a double-take! To cool things down, they played the beautiful Burt Bacharach ballad "This Guy's in Love with You" from the trio's 2002 album Sweet Science (Palmetto Records, 2002). With lush, pastel harmonies from Goldings and rhythmic brushwork from Stewart, the trio wove a gorgeous tapestry of sound full of sonic delight.

Another Perpetual Pendulum track followed entitled "Rhombus," written by Goldings. This was the first point in the set where anyone spoke to the audience, and Goldings' humor was as effortless as his playing, punctuating his intros with quick jokes and wry asides.

Next came "Luiza" by Antonio Carlos Jobim, from the trio's 2014 album Ramshackle Serenade (Pirouet Records, 2014). The piece began and ended with a rubato melody and harmonic support from Goldings and Bernstein, while Stewart waited before adding his voice with a subdued, flowing ¾ feel.

Goldings continued with a few more jokes—mostly fictitious anecdotes about Irving Berlin, the composer of the next composition, "They Say It's Wonderful." The trio blew on the flames to build an energetic climax that had the band first trading fours and then twos to an explosive round of applause from the audience.

The group closed with the as-yet-unreleased Bernstein composition titled "Dissipation Blues," to be included in the forthcoming live album. It was the perfect vehicle to end the show, featuring an extended drum solo by Stewart.

It's a rare opportunity to see three musicians perform live at such a high level, displaying total comfort, chemistry, and control of their respective instruments. Lucky for everyone else, this night was recorded and will soon be available for all who have ears to hear.