Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Robin Eubanks + EB3: Live Vol. 1

Robin Eubanks + EB3: Live Vol. 1

Item: Live Vol. 1
Rating: 8
Author: Jim Santella

By Jim Santella
June 18, 2007
View read count

Trombonist Robin Eubanks believes in staying up with the times. Not that electric trombone, trumpet or saxophone are anything new but relatively few jazz artists use them in concert since the looping and the pedal work can be quite complex. The opportunity to see it done live or on DVD is always something special. Eubanks' contemporary trio performance with EB3 features several electronic instruments, such as keyboard, bass, percussion pads and his unique electronic trombone, providing a thrilling concert based on funk, blues and jazz's modern mainstream. Eubanks is a fine trombonist. His pure tone and superb articulation have been valuable additions to many musical situations, from big band swing to creative avant-garde.

Five of the CD's nine tracks appear on the 45-minute DVD along with the leader's commentary. On stage, he sets up loops that repeat with a funky beat, allowing him to turn his improvisatory authority loose. Watching Eubanks' foot pedals, you can see the switches being made and appreciate the eloquent outcome. The program ranges from a Jimi Hendrix tribute to a Latin jazz homage and several popular melodies that each recall the popular Beverly Hills Cop theme. Wayne Shorter's "House of Jade receives an echoing trombone interpretation that layers one voice over another, part of the plan coming from an acoustic trombone and part coming from his electronic alterations. The effect gives the song a whole new meaning, allowing us all to step into the 21st Century. It's something that must be seen to be believed.

FOLLOW Jim Santella and get notified whenever a new article published.
Jim Santella has been contributing CD reviews, concert reviews and DVD reviews to AAJ since 1997. His work has also appeared in Southland Blues, The L.A. Jazz Scene, and Cadence Magazine.

Track Listing

CD: Me, Myself & I; Mojo Jojo; Indo; Solo Latin (for Eddie Palmieri and Chuco Valdes); Pentacourse; Blues for Jimi Hendrix; Jig Saw; House of Jade; X-Base. DVD: Introduction; Me, Myself & I; Mojo Jojo; Solo Latin (for Eddie Palmieri and Chuco Valdes); Blues for Jimi Hendrix; X-Base.

Personnel

Robin Eubanks

trombone

Robin Eubanks: trombone (1-6, 9), electric trombone (1, 3, 6-9), percussion pads (1, 3, 4), loops (1, 4); Orrin Evans: keyboards (2, 3, 5, 6, 9), keyboard bass (3, 5, 9); Kenwood Dennard: drums (2, 3, 5-7, 9), keyboard bass (2, 3, 6, 7, 9).

Album information

Title: Live Vol. 1 | Year Released: 2007 | Record Label: RKM Music

About Robin Eubanks

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Rumba Palace
< Previous

And Begin Again
Next >

Become a Sustaining Member

Since 1995, All About Jazz has championed jazz as an art form and supported the musicians who create it. Over three decades, it has grown into one of the world's leading jazz resources, serving hundreds of thousands of readers, musicians, presenters and industry professionals each month.

Help Build the Future of All About Jazz

Your support helps us continue building All About Jazz for the next generation—expanding our editorial coverage, preserving jazz history, developing new community features and creating better ways to discover the music and the people behind it.

Become a sustaining member for as little as $20 per year and you'll immediately enjoy an ad-free experience along with access to subscriber features and future articles for a full year.

Together, we're not simply sustaining All About Jazz—we're building its future. Thank you for being part of the journey.