The sax-bass-drums trio, ever since Sonny Rollins' Live at the Village Vanguard and Ornette Coleman's trio of the early sixties, has been a popular configuration for players who look for the harmonic freedom of a chordless instrumentation and the intimacy of interaction that this sort of wide open context can provide.
Bassist John Goldsby heads a contemporary trio that fits right in with the tradition on his new CD The Innkeepers Gunn (Bass Lion BLM008), Goldsby's nimble and imaginative pizzicato (and a little solid arco too) blends well with the sharply projecting alto of Jacob Duncan and the flexible and very capable drumming of Jason Tiemann. There are seven originals by Duncan and Goldsby that have the lively quality of the contemporary at its best, and for a bit of a laugh, Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi" done as a sort of reggae.
It's the kind of record that shows off Goldsby the bassist while also showcasing the trio as a quite substantial unit. There's nothing half-hearted here. I'd say that the record makes a great case for hearing these fellows live. But it stands on its own in a very straightforwardly modern way. They will get your attention and keep it with some nicely looping, bouncing and fast-forward moving after-bop. Nice!
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