From the opening seconds of Threefold, the listener senses that this is music built on tension: between propulsion and rupture, between swing and something more angular, between tradition and reinvention.
—Thierry de Clemensat, Paris Move
Saxophonist and composer Chris Madsen returns with Threefold, a compelling showcase of original music written specifically for his chordless trio featuring GRAMMY-award winning bassist Clark Sommers and drummer Dana Hall. Following their 2023 debut The Trio Book, which explored classic jazz repertoire and lesser-known standards, Threefold marks a bold creative shift as Madsen and Sommers contribute eight original compositions that honor the jazz tradition while carving out their own distinctive voice in contemporary creative music.
The trio's origin story is decidedly modern. What began as a series of social media videos exploring jazz repertoire in the chordless trio format gradually evolved into something more substantial. “Originally, as was the case with our first album, I imagined this trio's role to be more one of addressing canonical material—exploring lesser-known jazz pieces and standards, putting our minds together to collectively interpret other people's music in our own way," reflects Madsen. “When I began thinking about the possibility of writing music for the trio, the floodgates opened and Clark and I began brainstorming how to do that."
The three musicians are fixtures on Chicago's vibrant jazz scene, having established their chemistry through countless performances and collaborations. Madsen's 2019 album Bonfire featured these same players plus piano, but the chordless trio format reveals new dimensions in their musical relationship. Without the harmonic cushion of a chording instrument, every detail becomes audible—the subtle click of saxophone pads in quiet passages, the nuanced brushwork of Hall, the rich resonance of Sommers' acoustic bass. Recorded by Ken Christianson at Chicago's Pro Musica studio, Threefold captures an intimacy that is the next best thing to being there.
“We all love the rhythmic feeling of swing as much as other types of grooves, so we made sure not to stray from that," says Madsen. “I really love the challenge of bringing our collective knowledge of the jazz tradition together and using those inclinations to interpret our original pieces in a way that's unique." The balance between reverence for the masters and contemporary expression is evident throughout, from the hypnotic 6/4 groove of “Shadow People" (which borrows ideas from Bob Mintzer's big band piece “Black Sand") to the Ornette Coleman-ish angularity of “Revolving Door."
The album opens with “Digital Harvest," an exploration of sonic texture that sets the tone for the trio's wide-ranging aesthetic approach. Madsen's vocal, poignant soprano sound is immediately apparent, while Sommers and Hall establish the flexible, interactive foundation that characterizes the entire session. “Shadow People" follows with a hypnotic 6/4 groove loosely related to Ahmad Jamal's “Poinciana." Sommers maintains the pulse under Hall's compelling drum solo, and Madsen's tenor sound is expressive and focused throughout.
Sommers' contributions as a composer are equally impressive. “Mads," a through-composed piece with hints of classical music influence, opens with Hall on mallets duo with Madsen's tenor before building to a climactic solo from the leader. The emphasis throughout is on group interaction in both composed and improvised sections, with the trio functioning as genuine equals. “Hidden Message" showcases this democratic approach beautifully, with Hall's developmental opening drum solo exploring a wide palette of dynamics and colors before settling into a slow, sinuous groove. The group plays so quietly at the beginning of Madsen's solo that the sound of the saxophone keys is audible, adding a delightful intimacy to the proceedings and emphasizing the dynamic range of the trio.
The trio demonstrates its stylistic breadth on “Dream Music," where subtle rhythm and blues vibes emerge with Hall on brushes and soulful commentary from Madsen and Sommers. “Revolving Door" offers contrast with its taut melodic exchanges between saxophone and rhythm section, ending with a crisp, Ornette-ish unison gesture that launches into a freewheeling solo from Madsen. Hall and Sommers downshift to half-time for a sympathetic dialogue before a brief but virtuosic drum solo.
Some pieces are largely conceptual—"Man of Action" plays with formal concepts and structure—while others function more as traditional vehicles for improvisation. “Songs like 'Buyer's Remorse' act more as a standard lead sheet, a format which will never become tired in the world of jazz," notes Madsen. The album closes with this burner, showcasing the trio's remarkable relaxation and flexibility even at fast tempos. The three musicians explore a variety of rhythmic and harmonic options with the kind of ease that only comes from deep mutual understanding.
“When writing new music, we attempt to balance our reverence for the masters with a desire to fully express ourselves in the contemporary jazz language," explains Madsen. “We aim to provide templates for the group to be creative and have fun over." On Threefold, Chris Madsen and his exceptional collaborators achieve exactly that—a collection of original music that respects the lineage of their instruments while pushing the chordless trio format into fresh, exciting territory.
The trio's origin story is decidedly modern. What began as a series of social media videos exploring jazz repertoire in the chordless trio format gradually evolved into something more substantial. “Originally, as was the case with our first album, I imagined this trio's role to be more one of addressing canonical material—exploring lesser-known jazz pieces and standards, putting our minds together to collectively interpret other people's music in our own way," reflects Madsen. “When I began thinking about the possibility of writing music for the trio, the floodgates opened and Clark and I began brainstorming how to do that."
The three musicians are fixtures on Chicago's vibrant jazz scene, having established their chemistry through countless performances and collaborations. Madsen's 2019 album Bonfire featured these same players plus piano, but the chordless trio format reveals new dimensions in their musical relationship. Without the harmonic cushion of a chording instrument, every detail becomes audible—the subtle click of saxophone pads in quiet passages, the nuanced brushwork of Hall, the rich resonance of Sommers' acoustic bass. Recorded by Ken Christianson at Chicago's Pro Musica studio, Threefold captures an intimacy that is the next best thing to being there.
“We all love the rhythmic feeling of swing as much as other types of grooves, so we made sure not to stray from that," says Madsen. “I really love the challenge of bringing our collective knowledge of the jazz tradition together and using those inclinations to interpret our original pieces in a way that's unique." The balance between reverence for the masters and contemporary expression is evident throughout, from the hypnotic 6/4 groove of “Shadow People" (which borrows ideas from Bob Mintzer's big band piece “Black Sand") to the Ornette Coleman-ish angularity of “Revolving Door."
The album opens with “Digital Harvest," an exploration of sonic texture that sets the tone for the trio's wide-ranging aesthetic approach. Madsen's vocal, poignant soprano sound is immediately apparent, while Sommers and Hall establish the flexible, interactive foundation that characterizes the entire session. “Shadow People" follows with a hypnotic 6/4 groove loosely related to Ahmad Jamal's “Poinciana." Sommers maintains the pulse under Hall's compelling drum solo, and Madsen's tenor sound is expressive and focused throughout.
Sommers' contributions as a composer are equally impressive. “Mads," a through-composed piece with hints of classical music influence, opens with Hall on mallets duo with Madsen's tenor before building to a climactic solo from the leader. The emphasis throughout is on group interaction in both composed and improvised sections, with the trio functioning as genuine equals. “Hidden Message" showcases this democratic approach beautifully, with Hall's developmental opening drum solo exploring a wide palette of dynamics and colors before settling into a slow, sinuous groove. The group plays so quietly at the beginning of Madsen's solo that the sound of the saxophone keys is audible, adding a delightful intimacy to the proceedings and emphasizing the dynamic range of the trio.
The trio demonstrates its stylistic breadth on “Dream Music," where subtle rhythm and blues vibes emerge with Hall on brushes and soulful commentary from Madsen and Sommers. “Revolving Door" offers contrast with its taut melodic exchanges between saxophone and rhythm section, ending with a crisp, Ornette-ish unison gesture that launches into a freewheeling solo from Madsen. Hall and Sommers downshift to half-time for a sympathetic dialogue before a brief but virtuosic drum solo.
Some pieces are largely conceptual—"Man of Action" plays with formal concepts and structure—while others function more as traditional vehicles for improvisation. “Songs like 'Buyer's Remorse' act more as a standard lead sheet, a format which will never become tired in the world of jazz," notes Madsen. The album closes with this burner, showcasing the trio's remarkable relaxation and flexibility even at fast tempos. The three musicians explore a variety of rhythmic and harmonic options with the kind of ease that only comes from deep mutual understanding.
“When writing new music, we attempt to balance our reverence for the masters with a desire to fully express ourselves in the contemporary jazz language," explains Madsen. “We aim to provide templates for the group to be creative and have fun over." On Threefold, Chris Madsen and his exceptional collaborators achieve exactly that—a collection of original music that respects the lineage of their instruments while pushing the chordless trio format into fresh, exciting territory.
