Jazz Articles about The Great Jazz Trio

The Great Jazz Trio: At the Village Vanguard Again

by John Kelman
August 22, 2005

For the third and final reissue of performances culled from the Great Jazz Trio's three-night Village Vanguard run in '77--previously only available as expensive vinyl imports on the Japanese East Wind label--pianist Hank Jones, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Tony Williams prove once again that standard material needn't imply standard delivery.

The first two volumes--At the Village Vanguard and At the Village Vanguard Vol. 2, both released earlier this year--augmented well-known material, ranging in style from overt bebop to more ...

The Great Jazz Trio: At the Village Vanguard Vol. 2

by John Kelman
July 24, 2005

With Test of Time continuing its archival reissue series of '70s Inner City and East Wind label recordings previously only available as expensive Japanese imports, this is a great time to be thinking about taking out a second mortgage on the home. Previous releases, including titles by Andrew Hill, Sheila Jordan, and Art Farmer have been uniformly strong, with Test of Time's DSD Mastering Process bringing out all the subtleties of the original masters, making them arguably the definitive issues. ...

The Great Jazz Trio: 'S Wonderful

by Jim Santella
July 8, 2005

Generations keep things rolling, passing on information, and intangible qualities are soon absorbed. Hank Jones will turn 87 on July 31. Jack DeJohnette is 62. John Patitucci is 46. Each has a different frame of reference from which to draw upon when interpreting standards, such as those appearing here on 'S Wonderful. The swing and sway of each memorable piece comes with its own texture. The elder Jones makes sure that we get it right.

“Moanin'" comes with ...

The Great Jazz Trio: 'S Wonderful

by Paul Olson
June 26, 2005

There's certainly no dearth of Hank Jones on CD this year. Whether as a leader on his new trio release, For My Father, or in central roles on the Thad Jones tribute album One More: Music of Thad Jones and Joe Lovano's Joyous Encounter, Jones has been cluttering up the record store jazz section. More power to him, because there's not a bad one in that list. Jones' longstanding Great Jazz Trio's new album S'Wonderful--the first recording from the sixth ...

The Great Jazz Trio: At the Village Vanguard

by John Kelman
March 23, 2005

Pianist Hank Jones has been the only constant in the nearly thirty-year run of the Great Jazz Trio, but a stellar range of players have come and gone--including Jones' brother Elvin, Al Foster, and Jimmy Cobb on drums; and bassists Eddie Gomez, George Mraz, and Richard Davis. One of the most potent yet short-lived versions of the trio was its second incarnation featuring bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams. Perhaps it's because, with their shared background as members of ...

The Great Jazz Trio: Someday My Prince Will Come

by Mark Sabbatini
September 7, 2004

When three guys with 130 years of experience collaborate on a set of oft-recorded tunes, certain things are expected.

They'll be rock-solid and, if not the freshest sound going, still capable of some surprises. There won't be any nonsense or players who don't “get" what their colleagues are up to. Traditionalists will find something to make it worth hailing as an important statement.

This trio can actually get away saying “mission accomplished."

Someday ...

The Great Jazz Trio: Someday My Prince Will Come

by Jim Santella
August 3, 2004

Founded in 1976 by Hank Jones, the Great Jazz Trio produced several recordings and changed bassists and drummers frequently. This album marks the final studio recording for brothers Hank and Elvin Jones together. Elvin, who is heard here in his prime, soloing frequently and coloring everything admirably, passed away in May at age 76.

The trio interprets these chestnuts with authority. As Richard Davis reiterates “Moose the Mooche" with bowed bass, he applies his personal zeal to the ...