Joe Zainul Trio

Trio Fascination: Edition One (1998). Whether embracing Gunther Schuller's arrangements or paying tribute to Frank Sinatra, Joe Lovano was as consistent as he was unpredictable in the 1990s. Most of his Blue Note output was excellent, and Trio Fascination, Edition One is no exception. This impressive inside/outside date finds Lovano forming a pianoless trio with bassist Dave Holland and drummer Elvin Jones, and the three are very much in sync on originals that range from the dusky "Sanctuary Park" and the haunting "Studio Rivbea" to the very angular "New York Fascination" and the difficult "Cymbalism." Meanwhile, "Impressionistic" is an eerie number with Middle Eastern overtones. The only song on the CD that isn't an original is a very personal interpretation of the standard "(I Don't Stand A) Ghost of a Chance"…

The debut album of Joe Lovano’s Trio Tapestry was one of 2019’s most talked-about releases. The trio’s musical concept – the Boston Globe spoke of “utterances of hushed assurance, lyricism and suspense” - is taken to the next level on its second album, Garden of Expression, a recording distinguished by its intense focus. Lovano, a saxophonist whose reach extends across the history of modern jazz and beyond, plays with exceptional sensitivity in Trio Tapestry. And the music he writes for this group - tenderly melodic or declamatory, harmonically open, rhythmically free, and spiritually involving - encourages subtle and differentiated responses from his creative partners. Joe describes their interaction as “magical”. Carmen Castaldi’s space-conscious approach to drumming further refines an improvisational understanding that he and Lovano have shared since the 1970s.

Music journalism defines him as a "Legend". It may be a word overused but there isn't truly a more appropriate way to describe keyboardist/composer Joe Zawinul. Austrian born, Joe Zawinul emigrated to the US in 1959 where he played with Maynard Ferguson and the great Dinah Washington before joining alto saxophonist great Cannonball Adderley in 1961 for nine years. Zawinul then moved on to a brief but fateful encounter and collaboration with Miles Davis, just at the time Miles was moving into the electric arena. In 1970, Zawinul and saxophonist Wayne Shorter put together what was to become the most important jazz group of the 70s and beyond, Weather Report.
Bandmembers came and went, including Miroslav Vitous, Alphonso Johnson, Jaco Pastorius, Victor Bailey, Peter Erskine and Omar Hakim…

This unusual LP was the result of a collaboration of Joe Pass with Tommy Gumina, the creator of Polytone amps and inventor of the Polyccorus (a souped-up accordion), along with veteran drummer Jimmie Smith. Although Gumina states in his notes that he hadn't played regularly for some 15 years preceding this session, he and Smith gel instantly with the matchless playing of Pass. There's a heavy concentration on familiar standards, including a glistening run through "My Shining Hour," but a surprising original blues by Pass and Gumina features the guitarist switching briefing to a sound more familiar to heavy metal fans, though his ability to swing never diminishes. While it may not be a top priority to acquire, it's worth buying, if you can find it.

The third album from Joe Lovano’s Trio Tapestry finds the group continuing to extend its spacious and lyrical approach, with deep listening and intense focus. “Our Daily Bread is fueled by the rhythm spirit of expression that projects the mysterious world of music that lies ahead,” says master saxophonist Lovano in his liner note and these elegantly fluid pieces and free-floating ballads indeed feel like songs of the soul. “The intensity comes not from ferocity but from depth of feeling,” wrote the BBC Music Magazine of the group’s debut. “ Lovano’s themes and harmonies provide rich potential which the trio realises beautifully, exploring texture and mood as fruitfully as it develops melody and harmony.”

On Oct. 12th 1971, the music for this album has been recorded at Horst Jankowski's studio, Stuttgart, Germany. In those days, it was the pianist Joe Haider's biggest desire to record a trio-album. Consequently, this musical portrait has been realized and recorded by his good friend and producer Otto B. Hartmann.
During several years, Haider stayed at a house bearing that awkward name of 'Katzenvilla'. Nevertheless, the pianist recalls to have spent good and significant times there. Each title of this album relates to a story of this man's human and musical development during an important period of his life. To assure a truly spontaneous recording of his material, Haider called upon his friends from Switzerland, bassist Isla Eckinger and drummer Pierre Favre…