Trilogy with Scott Hamilton: a beautiful meeting in Canada on "Slow Road"

 

Trilogy with Scott Hamilton-The Slow Road-Cellar Records

The saxophonist Scott Hamilton has always been one of my favorite players. His  impeccable tone, his taste in music, and the inherent, natural swing in his delivery is a fall back to a style that can be traced back to some of his idols; Johnny Hodges, Ben Webster, Zoot Sims and Coleman Hawkins. What's not to love?

Hamilton was born in Providence, Rhode Island in 1954 so he is part of my generation. Where many of us drawn of that age were drawn to rock, fusion, hard bop, modal, free and avant-garde, Hamilton was enamored by swing. He came to New York in 1976 and was recommended to join Benny Goodman's Septet shortly thereafter by the great trumpet icon Roy Eldridge, who he had played previously with in Boston. Hamilton made his mark with Goodman and played in the US and Europe with the clarinetist on and off through 1982. Hamilton started his own his quartet in 1977 and made his debut album Scott Hamilton Is a Good Wind Who Is Blowing Us No Ill on Concord Jazz the same year. I recall hearing this saxophonist on WBGO or WRVR jazz radio back in the late seventies, and I was impressed by his sound and fluidity.

I got to see him in that time period at the now defunct jazz club at, Fat Tuesdays (190 Third Ave at 17th Street in NYC), a downstairs club that was famous for bringing in serious jazz artists to perform in that intimate venue. Needless to say I was smitten. The ease with which he was able to enrapture his audience with his sound and fluency made it clear to me that this was one special artist.

Apparently, Hamilton has had the same effect on other artists that he has collaborated with. He accompanied vocalist Rosemary Clooney for ten years. His mellifluous saxophone can also be heard on work that he did with Tony Bennett, Anita O' Day, Dave McKenna, Ruby Braff, Hank Jones, Warren Vache and Bucky Pizzareli to name just a few. I have enjoyed his saxophone deliciously playing ethnically folk-inspired music to great effect, like the album that he did with Danish artists titled Swedish Ballads...& More from 2013.

Scott Hamilton (photo credit unknown)

The most recent album, from Corey Weeds label Cellar Music Group, matches Hamilton with a Canadian jazz trio from Vancouver British Columbia called Trilogy. The album was recorded in B.C. on June 30, 2024 and released this past April titled Slow Road and Hamilton and this sympathetic trio make some beautiful music. 

Trilogy, a drum-less trio,  is comprised of pianist Miles Black, guitarist Bill Coon and upright bassist Jodi Proznick. With Trilogy's format, it is easy to see that not having a drummer driving the trio relies on Proznick's steadfast bass lines to propel the music and this talented bassist certainly does so with aplomb.

Miles Black, Jodi Proznick and Bill Coon of Trilogy (photo credit unknown)

The album is well recorded and includes nine compositions that show the diversity of the music this trio approaches. Having Hamilton's beautifully sensuous sound just adds to the groups appeal.

The opener is Proznick's "Luna," a strolling waltz that features the melodic piano of Black, the floating guitar work of Coon and Proznick's plucky bass. When Hamilton enters the music with his spare, warm, inviting sound and covers you like a warm blanket on a chilled autumn evening. These musicians are well-suited to playing with creation, easy swing and style as they dance in unison and in solo on this one. 

The album continues with "Pompton Turnpike," a rag tag, bouncy song made famous by the Charlie Barnet's Orchestra back in the nineteen forties. The group[ opens with some stride-inspired piano work by Black , some warm and tactile  guitar accompaniment by Coon, and buoyant bass work by Proznick, before Hamilton enters with his own swinging statement. If there is music that is supposed to billow up your spirits it's certainly music like this.

Antonio Carlos Jobim's tender "Luiza" is the perfect vehicle to allow Hamilton to simply sweep you away with his emotionally evoking saxophone. Black opens this one with an impressionable piano intro before Hamilton's tonally expressive tenor plays the evocative melody that plucks against the strings of your heart. Coon's guitar swells with glowing expression before Hamilton returns with one more pass at the theme that just adds a moving exclamation to the coda.

The title cut of the album "Slow Road" is a composition by the guitarist Bill Coon, who wrote the song during a residency in Italy. Coon opens the bouncy tune with repeating single note lines that is played in sync with Hamilton's subdued tenor. The saxophonist opens it up into a slow swinger with his sweet, flowing sound. Coon, Black, and Proznick all counter with their own solo verses before the tune returns to the four musicians playing the melody in unison.

Charlie Parker's "Moose the Mooche" is a fast tempo bebop classic that purportedly refers to Parker's one time drug dealer. Hamilton sits this one out, so this is a chance for the trio to show some of their chops. The three musicians play the quick lines in skillful synchronicity before they each take turns exploring the music's harmonic possibilities. While not played at blazing speed, the group carries the spirit with vigor and style.

Pianist Randy Weston is the composer of the next two offerings "Hi-Fly" and "I Thought About You." The cadenced rhythm of "Hi-Fly" offers some nice interplay opportunities for the four compatriots. Black's piano work is rich and cheerful. Hamilton's saxophone has such an organic feel and his timing is exquisite. There is a classic sound to Coon's lovely guitar work on this one as he navigates the changes with astute taste and feel. 

On "I Thought About You" opens with Proznick's resonant bass stating the melody as Coon deftly accompanies. Hamilton's restrained approach leaves lots of space and allows his horn to breathe between his expressive ideas. Black and Coon have a conversational section where they skillfully trade musical ideas.

A blast from the past that is rarely heard is Ralph Rainger and Leo Rabin's "Thanks for the Memories," The song made popular by becoming comedian Bob Hope's theme song. This slow walk down memory lane is played slowly, but Hamilton still finds some ideas to emphasize through this nostalgic ditty.

A medium tempo blues written by the pianist Miles Black titled "Blues for Fraz"  is dedicated by fellow Canadian jazz saxophonist Fraser MacPherson. A tight little gritless blues swings, but to me falls short for its lack of the authenticity and soul that is required to be part of the true blues DNA.

Slow Road has moments of sublimeness and its great to hear this talented trio  make such beautiful music with Hamilton. Now in his early seventies, the tenor saxophonist still has that burnished, appealing tone and swing that always makes seeing him play live or hearing him on record worth the price of admission.

 

Larry Goldings and his Piano Trio Live at Sam First : "I Will"

Larry Goldings and his trio : I Will: Live at Sam First: Sam First Records

The musician Larry Goldings recorded a piano trio performance when he played at the Los Angeles Club, Sam First , back in October of 2023. The Album, I Will, was released by Sam First Records on Valentine's Day February 14, 2025 and features Goldings on piano, Karl McComas-Reichl on upright bass and Christian Euan on drums. This "live" album was excellently recorded and a superb capture of Goldings at some of his most creative on piano. Careful listening of his piano work make clear that Goldings, despite his reign as one of the time's most revered player of electronic keyboards and particularly the B3 organ, is also one of the most eclectically inspired and harmonically imaginative piano minds of this era.

Larry Goldings, Karl McComas-Reichl, Christian Euman (photo credit unknown)  

Interestingly, I last heard Larry Goldings within days of his recording of this album in Los Angeles back in October of 2023. In the performance I attended at Portland's 1905 jazz club, Goldings was on organ and playing with his excellent  long-time organ trio mates Peter Bernstein on guitar and Bill Stewart on drums. The show was fantastic and for those who have an interest you can read that review by clicking here.

Goldings' has a sterling reputation as an innovative organ and keyboard master who has worked with such diverse artists as Rickie Lee Jones, Maceo Parker, James Taylor, Norah Jones, John Scofield and Steely Dan to name just a few. He developed his fascination with the organ from his additional interest in playing a walking, left-handed piano bass line, vis-à-vis his influence from the pianist Dave McKenna- with the man's facility to left-hand walking bass like no other.

I am familiar with Goldings' solo piano work from his excellent piano solo album from 2011, In My Room. Goldings' unique ability to mine such expressiveness from slightly obscure gems like Brian Wilson's beautifully reflective "In My Room," Rod Argent from the Zombie's haunting "A Rose for Emily," and even the well worn Beatles' "Here, There and Everywhere" among others are fertile material for the pianist to open up other musical revitalizing possibilities.

On I Will, Goldings has brought together another astute selection of songs that reinforce the artists eclectic taste in music. The album starts off with his own composition "Roach," which he reprised from his previous solo album In My Room. The song is a homage of sorts to the style of drummer icon Max Roach. In comparing the two versions, one can hear Goldings predominant left handed bass line that drives the song in the original recording. In the latest take, Goldings reintroduces this slightly skewed bluesy composition and opens with that groove, this time accentuated by what sounds like some creative abrasion of the cymbal rim by Euman for percussive effect. Goldings pianistic walking bas line is now reinforced by McComas-Reichl's probing upright bass and Euman's exploring percussion. The freedom of having this intuitive rhythm section carry the groove load seems to release the inventive Goldings to his own devices. He adds more dissonant surprises, adds interesting harmonic possibilities to his playing and adds rhythmic variations to spice things up. This version adds interesting embellishments by Goldings and creative accompaniment by his talented bandmates that make the set more adventurous, unpredictable and rewarding.

Goldings' chosen repertoire for this album is another peek into just how diverse this man's musical background has been, He takes Gershwin's "It Ain't Necessarily So" from the famous folk-opera "Porgy and Bess," and he and his trio use the melody almost like an artist uses a pencil sketch on empty canvas that is transformed into a colorful masterpiece. These guys have a symbiotic relationship and it is most clearly demonstrated on this particular performance. The communication is almost telepathic and the trio injects a modern perspective and some vital energy into this weathered classic. Goldings' Shearing-like block chording and his musical humor at the coda is a treat.

The Beatles' compositions, in this case a McCartney tune, "I Will", are often vehicles that Goldings uses to see what can be further crafted. On this one, the pianist almost broods over the fetching melody. He extracts meaning from the essence of the love song's message, always being there for someone. His piano bobs and weaves around the melody as his is conversationally accompanied by the buoyant bass of  McComas-Reichl. 

The repertoire continues to throw you a curve ball, this time with Mario Bausa's "Mambo Inn." Opening this one with Euman's syncopated drum work, the group creates a breezy flow that immediately brings your feet into the action as the Afro-Cuban rhythm unfolds. There is a joy in the pianist's hands and it is pure delight. Bassist  McComas-Reichl offers a plucky, facile bass solo that resonates with authority. Euman is equally rhythmically engaged in creating this musical vacation to the tropics. Grab an umbrella drink and enjoy.

"Embraceable You," another number from Gershwin, is a song that Goldings reprised from his Awareness album released in 1996. That album matched Goldings on piano with bassist Larry Grenadier and the iconic drum legend Paul Motian. On this latest take, Goldings meanders at the intro, probing, establishing  direction and determining the right time before introducing the recognizable melody. McComas-Reichl and Euman find equal time to explore the rhythmic and harmonic possibilities along with Larry, a little outside but never too far from the structure of the music. Goldings' pianistic approach is like a wellspring of variations that he creates on stage and in real time and he has the chops to pull off anything that his mind can percolate. His music has an inherently organic feel to it, and his audience at Sam First were rewarded by his unfettered imagination.

"Jasus Was A Cross Maker" is a composition by singer/songwriter Judee Sill from back in 1971. The song was inspired by Sill having read a fictionized novel about Jesus being a carpenter who built crosses that the Roman's used for crucifixions. Despite the preposterous storyline the music has an Americana feel to it with Goldings using a honky-tonk-like piano approach that delves into a gospel influenced sound to great effect. McComas-Reichl offers an inventive bass solo that seems to support the redemptive aspects of the music.

Goldings preferences on music can sometimes include his love of pop and showtime music. On Leonard Bernstein's uplifting "Somewhere" from the maestro's musical hit West Side Story is wonderfully portrayed by the trio. There is pathos and hope in this music. Goldings mines the emotional aspects of this fetching tale with some gorgeous ornamentation and dramatic chordal work in his playing.

The closing composition is a Goldings' original titled "Sing Song." The music has a repeating, simple, sing-song melody that evokes a child-like fairy tale theme quality. But Goldings is also a humorist, just ask his alter-ego "Hans Groiner," an Austrian musicologist that sometimes raises his head at some of Goldings' appearances. The approach to this music is a bit misleading. Like the master of hip humor Thelonious Monk, who used to add his tongue-in-cheek lines to songs like his "Boo Boo's Birthday" or his "Little Rootie Tootie," Goldings is equally adept at inserting humorous lines into complex musical compositions. First with the repeating, simple melody, then he slowly reveals his skills as he builds a dynamic, multi-layered composition that is anything but pedestrian. The audience loves being let in on this inside joke.

I Will is the kind of album that really engages the listener. If you spend the time to really listen, you will be rewarded on multiple levels by the magical pianist's incredible inventiveness and joy.