Monday, August 11, 2014

New Jazz Trio Discovery - Larry Goldings/Peter Bernstein/Bill Stewart - Ramshackle Serenade


As I have shared here before, I am not a jazz critic. However, I sure do appreciate good jazz, and when the opportunity arises, I'm happy to share new recordings with WYMA's readers. It's been my experience that piano trios or quartets tend to make my favorite records (excepting Coltrane, of course), but occasionally we come across a group led by a Hammond B3 player like Larry Goldings, and you are going to want to check out this trio: Golding on organ, Peter Bernstein on guitar and Bill Stewart on drums. They've recorded together for years and together have produced some world-class music. Their latest is Ramshackle Serenade.

Here's a short video featuring some discussion and some clips of the players - it gives a good idea of their approach and the album's sound, which is pristine:



This is not just a good,solid jazz album by some very good veteran players -- there is greatness here. From the inspired covers like Jobim's "Luiza" and Horace Silver's "Peace", plus the standard "Sweet and Lovely", to the sweet originals: album opener "Roach", a Goldings composition which gives Stewart ample opportunities to show off his chops, and Bernstein's "Simple as That", which is pretty straight ahead. Actually, it's mostly originals and they stand up very well.

Here's the album closer, "Peace" - just beautiful:



The album's out now (released in late June) on Pirouet Records.

Ramshackle Serenade at Pirouet Records website

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