Label: Whirlwind Recordings, 2020
Personnel - Will Vinson: tenor and soprano saxophones; Gilad Hekselman: guitar; Antonio Sanchez: drums.
Virtuosic things are expected to be found when we hear Trio Grande, a collaborative bass-less trio of high-caliber bandleaders with different backgrounds and influences. In fact, the New York-based group co-led by British saxophonist Will Vinson, Israeli guitarist Gilad Hekselman and powerhouse Mexican drummer Antonio Sanchez, doesn’t disappoint, setting out an aesthetic stall that suits their rare flexibility and vision.
Their eponymous album kicks in with Sanchez’s “Northbound”, a marvel of a piece that slickly walks groovy avenues while blending jazz and rock physiognomies into a distinct contemporary character. Expect enthralling sax/guitar parallelism, an adventurous soprano solo and roiling drum work in due time.
The drummer also brings “Firenze”, a composition that was previously recorded with the sax player Joe Lovano and bassist John Patitucci, and in this version, ends up in a trance-like circumnavigation that invites us to dance; and “Gocta”, a rhythmic spectacle in seven that manages to knit sluggish and energetic threads together. The immensity of ‘lost’ chords infuses a spatial volubility that contrasts with the quicksilver forcefulness of the pulse and texture. Here, the group seems to explore possibilities within the rock, post-bop, dance music, and avant-garde spheres.
Hekselman’s punctilious “Elli Yeled Tov” champions Israeli folklore, yet, in a way, it brings Lionel Loueke-vibes to mind as it flourishes with a celebratory rhythm, clapping, and expressive staccato melody.
Vinson contributes two pieces to the program. Whereas “Oberkampf” soars with melancholic crispness and evocative riffs, “Upside”, retrieved from his 2016 album Perfectly Out Of Place, is gracefully grounded, shaping up as an odd-metered blues.
Both the guitarist and the drummer are responsible for the rocky backbones of each tune, and on the vibrating “Scoville”, a tribute to master guitarist John Scofield, they really funk things up, capturing the latter’s jazz-funk vibe by bombarding fuzzy sounds and preserving elasticity in the dynamics. The shifts in ambiance operated by Sanchez feel great here, and his drum fills are momentous. He and his associates have fun during the conclusive vamp, assuredly built to keep things rockin’.
The eight pieces on this record are representative of these musicians’ artistic credibility.
Grade A-
Favorite Tracks:
01 - Northbound ► 05 - Scoville ► 06 - Gocta