Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Brad Shepik Trio: Short Trip

Brad Shepik Trio: Short Trip

By Glenn Astarita
May 1, 2001
View read count

Much more than your standard state-of-the-art guitar driven jazz trio, Short Trip signifies New York City-based guitarist Brad Shepik's inaugural stab at straight-ahead or what might be considered mainstream fare. Here, Shepik deviates a bit from his Balkan and North African derived statements, witnessed on his fine 'Songlines' solo recordings and long term involvement with the band, 'Pachora' and trumpeter Dave Douglas' now historic 'Tiny Bell Trio' outfit.

While Brad Shepik looms as one of the future stars of modern jazz, his equally impressive rhythm section consisting of bassist Scott Colley and drummer Tom Rainey help accelerate this outing to lofty heights as they frequently push and prod the guitarist throughout these nine vibrant pieces. Basically, the rhythm section injects fervent shuffle beats, brisk swing vamps and oscillating cross currents in concert with Shepik's cleanly executed licks. On pieces such as 'Tuck On In' and 'The Tiger', the band mixes it up in quietly energetic fashion as Shepik renders animated choruses, intermingled with satiny single note flurries and melodious intervals, while Rainey and Colley surge onward in propulsive fashion. With 'Squall', the leader fuses a sneaky, succinctly developed melody into an arrangement featuring Colley's rapid, walking bass lines and Rainey's instigating polyrhythms, as Shepik also utilizes space and depth to great advantage. Overall, Short Trip is a splendid and articulately produced exposition! Highly Recommended!

Track Listing

Lupe, Non, Si Si, Tuck On In, Short Trip Back, The Tiger, Pilgrimage, Tony Tune, Squall, Karedok Luenca

Personnel

Brad Shepik

guitar

Brad Shepik; guitar: Tom Rainey; drums: Scott Colley; bass

Album information

Title: Short Trip | Year Released: 2001 | Record Label: Knitting Factory

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Cynthia Sayer
< Previous

Larry Fuller: It's a Dream to Play w...
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.