Gerry Eastman Trio: Trust Me

Trust Me embodies more than an hour of tasteful contemporary jazz by a decisively hip guitar/organ/drums trio led by New York-bred Gerry Eastman on guitar with Greg Lewis at the Hammond B3 and Taru Alexander manning the drum set. The program consists of eight of Eastman's original compositions, each of which is polished and credible but a step or two short of memorable. The same is true of solos, which are consistently sharp and steady while at the same time comparable to what one might hear from similar groups in locales from coast to coast.

The title song, which opens the album, sets the tone for what is to come, humming easily forward behind earnest solos by Eastman and Lewis. If what follows sounds formulaic, that's because there's only so much that can be done within that format: an opening melody, buoyant statements by guitar and organ (and, occasionally, drums), and a unison closure. Tunes and tempos vary, but beyond that there are few moments of import or surprise. That's not to say that anything here is less than first-rate. Eastman and Lewis are splendid soloists, and Alexander keeps admirable time. So where's the problem? To be honest, there is none that can be easily delineated. This is a more than respectable session, performed by three seasoned musicians who are far too talented to deliver less. And yet...

Despite their best efforts, the trio are confined within the boundaries of what such a framework will allow. That leads to a degree of sameness, of uniformity that requires more than diligence or even adeptness to overcome. Having said that, it should be noted that Eastman, Lewis and Alexander never lose their focus, and Trust Me is by and large a well-ordered and effective guitar/organ/trio date.