Self-released, July 2024
Seattle pianist Marc Seales knows a thing or two about the jazz piano trio tradition, having fronted the iconic New Stories trio off and on for more than two decades. Bassist Jeff Johnson can claim the same, achieving nearly legendary status as the bottom end of pianist Hal Galper’s acclaimed rubato trio. The two have an extensive history together on the bandstand as well, giving this Steve Korn-produced effort, Argentan, a running start in terms of group mind. Korn’s subtle and intricate style on drums adds another ingredient of solidarity and mystical purpose, having performed with both in a variety of musical settings.
The album features three very distinctive writing styles from this triad of Seattle stalwarts, with a pair of Wayne Shorter gems amongst the offering. The result is a recording that features some of Seales’ most introspective and deeply lyrical playing, supported by Johnson and Korn as equal partners.
Johnson has always composed pieces featuring melodies akin to small sketches on a large canvas where musical partners can easily find ways to contribute. His modal figures are prominent on “Persona” and “Miles Away.” Seales works his way through both melodies with strong cascading passages supported by scant, colorful chordal motifs. Johnson drifts from a growling undercurrent to wistful patterns octaves higher, trademarked by his elegant vibrato. It is while soloing that the listener becomes acquainted with the unique hybrid that is his distinct, non-traditional bass approach.
Korn’s many influences collide on the title track, his lone composition of the ten offered. His writing is very much like his playing, with passages that reveal a deeply visual approach, never overpowering a piece while remaining intensely active. There is a prominence of building tension and dynamic release within the group mind that this trio so easily slips into. This is evident in Seales’ “Dave” and “Untitled,” where individual performances are somehow forgotten in favor of true democracy. The introspective nature of Seales’ playing on the entirety of this album speaks to the refined nature of this trio. Their deep dive into Shorter’s “E.S.P.” and “Prince of Darkness” adds context for the listener, finding nuance and meaning to these two classics penned by perhaps the most formidable composer in jazz over the past sixty years.
Some piano trios feature a pianist with bass and drums acting as support mechanisms. Then there are those that are like three individuals rotating about a common center as equal partners. Korn, Johnson and Seales are clearly of the latter. Their individual orbits are not choreographed or rehearsed but given the freedom to journey apart and return with new ideas in the moment. Argentan is a resonant and contemplative contribution to the legacy of the post-bop trio movement in modern jazz.
