Who Trio

Ever hear the joke "jazz isn’t dead, it just smells funny”? This is fundamentally a jazz album. That being said, it’s one of the few current jazz albums that give me faith in the future of jazz itself. It’s a classic ensemble: piano, drums and bass, but this is where the preconceptions end and the truth of the matter emerges. Gerry Hemingway on drums, Banz Oester on piano and Michel Wintsch on double bass; three individuals making seamless, adventurous, emotive and inspired music. Something the neo-cons of the jazz world have seemingly forgotten in their assertions about the "true” spirit of jazz. The level of communication and interplay these musicians employ is pretty amazing and makes me think of the best live moments of the Evans, Motian, LaFaro trio. It’s the way an ensemble manages to call and respond to each other’s phrases, stay out of each others way yet carry on an intense and clear musical conversation. That, combined with the almost offhand use of phenomenal technique, makes The Current Underneath a truly satisfying jazz experience. This one smells great!