Steve Millhouse: Looking Back to Today

In an era when athleticism, blatant egotism, and cacophony are all too common elements of jazz performance, it is refreshing to hear a record populated by players who exhibit give-and-take, musicality, and a willingness to listen and share sonic space. Six-string electric bassist Steve Millhouse's Looking Back to Today is a sterling example of a bass, saxophone, and drums trio in which each musician expresses himself to the fullest without overreaching or making a mess of things.

While Millhouse, tenor saxophonist Rich Perry, and drummer Eric Halvorson each merit close attention, the record's strong suit is how they coexist during a program primarily comprised of compositions written by jazz giants in the mid-to-late twentieth century, including Pat Metheny, Oscar Pettiford, Charlie Haden, and Chick Corea. The trio's renditions do not parrot the stylistic proclivities or induce a wave of nostalgia for the original versions. Instead, the songs' melodies, harmonies, and structures serve as a point of departure for something deeper and more meaningful, that is, an understanding between the three players that remains intact throughout the disc's seven cuts.

Encompassing low-string notes, upper register chords, and an impressive array of sounds in between, Millhouse is an effective foil for Perry's medium-weight, unforced tone and an articulate, variegated solo voice. He consistently rejuvenates the music without impinging on Perry and Halvorson or disrupting continuity. His frequent changes in timbre, texture, and rhythm, along with a broad harmonic palette, give the music a less-than-predictable flavor. Yet, the trio's overall sound remains stable and purposeful.

About halfway through Perry's solo on Metheny's "Question & Answer," distinct single-note bass lines snap at the saxophonist. During the head of Antonio Carlos Jobim's and Vinicius De Moraes's bossa "O Grande Amor," amiable chords sound like a conventional guitar. A solo on Corea's "Sea Journey" exemplifies Millhouse's ability to mix and overlap single note and chordal lines in a manner that is fluid, rhythmically incisive, and lucid.

The logic and flow of Perry's solos are impeccable. He fuses congruent elements into a coherent whole and stays within reach of Millhouse and Halvorson. His lines evolve in a manner that feels natural, without any haste or wasted effort. The emotional tone of his work ranges from a plaintive undercurrent ("O Grande Amor") to some edgy braying ("Sea Journey").

The saxophonist's lengthy, unaccompanied opening to "O Grande Amor" implies that a ballad is on the horizon before he leaps with Millhouse and Halvorson into a brisk bossa. His take on the melody of Haden's "Waltz For Ruth" tells a serene and soothing tale. Then there is his penchant for visiting Millhouse's solos ("Tricotism," "Looking Back To Today," "Waltz For Ruth," "Sea Journey") with intermittent, subdued phrases and brief melodies at a nearly inaudible volume.

Halvorson's drums are meticulously tuned; strokes are made cleanly, concisely, and at an appropriate dynamic level. There is a refreshing absence of bashed cymbal tantrums and imposingly loud hits. He consistently executes a variety of accents and short phrases on the snare and tom toms that make a vivid impression on the music while working in concert with Millhouse and Perry. The same principles apply to his solos on "Question & Answer" and "Sea Journey," where he finds numerous ways to refer to and complement riffs or brief phrases by Millhouse.

Looking Back to Today is brimming with Millhouse's, Perry's, and Halvorson's fresh and resourceful ways of rendering modern jazz practices. Highly recommended.