Dave Bass Trio: Trio Nuevo Vol 2

Pianist and composer Dave Bass continues to chart his singular path with Trio Nuevo No. 2, a follow-up to his self-produced Trio Nuevo released in 2024. This second outing pulses with rhythmic vitality and harmonic nuance, blending compositional innovation with expressive depth.

Rooted in Latin jazz traditions but never bound by them, this trio session is an invigorating blend of deep grooves, lyrical invention and sophisticated interplay. Bass, long known for his command of the keyboard and his compositional voice, proves once again that he is a musician of rare intelligence and emotional range.

From the opening track, the album announces its aesthetic: rhythm-forward, harmonically rich and full of subtle surprises. Joined by bassist Tyler Miles and drummer Steve Helfand, Bass leads the trio through a set of both originals and classics marked by vibrant interplay and an unmistakable sense of joy.

As the title suggests, many compositions have a Latin feel, but the style resists any defining characteristic. Trio Nuevo No. 2 features everything from bebop to Bartók to Mercer and Monk. That openness is felt throughout, as the trio moves easily between modal explorations, Latin grooves, classical flourishes and swinging bop. And through it all, the spirit of Lennie Tristano's linear precision paired with Wayne Shorter's searching lyricism haunts the more reflective corners of the album.

Each of the selections is like its own short story. "Heart Above My Head," inspired by a Johnny Mercer lyric but drawing its mood from Bartók, is dreamlike and expansive, while "Melquíades," named for the gypsy character in Gabriel García Márquez's novel One Hundred Years of Solitude, unfolds like a magical realist tone poem with Afro-Caribbean inflections. "Latin Journey" is another standout, deftly weaving together threads of Albéniz, Lecuona and Bass's montuno-rooted sensibility into a seamless tapestry.

The trio also dives headlong into Thelonious Monk's "Trinkle Tinkle," reimagining it with disco-tinged detours and elastic tempo shifts. A samba-charged version of "Fools Rush In" adds a wink to a standard more commonly associated with Ricky Nelson, while Egberto Gismonti's "Frevo" is tackled with high-wire precision. The set closes with Tristano's "Lennie's Pennies," a nod to Bass's bop loyalties and an ideal sendoff, which loops back to the playful, intellectual spirit at the album's core.

Trio Nuevo No. 2 is a reminder that Latin jazz is not a fixed category but a dynamic language, capable of endless reinvention. Bass, more than just a seasoned player, is a resilient artist who speaks the language of jazz fluently and, on this record, he makes it sing.