“Trio Nuevo has "soulful, improvisation-filled mood swingers and an imaginative, high-energy twist on 'My Melancholy Baby' (re-worked as the percussive, high-flying 'Baby Melon') and the elegant meditation “One Look. . . [But] surely the most fascinating piece is a delightful, rhythmically unpredictable exercise titled 'Three Views on Bach.'"

“The story is all about the effortlessly conversational, dynamic and adventurous vibe Bass is creating with bassist Kerry Kashiwagi and drummer Scott Gordon – with guitarist Barry Finnerty. the alternately sensitive, often whimsical and always intuitive playing (which is the foundation of what the pianist has referred to as their “wonderful telepathy”), the true joy of Vol. 3, like the previous volumes, is the rollercoaster mood swinging taking place.”

“I MUST SAY BRAVO. I’M PARTICULARLY IMPRESSED WITH THE GROWING EMPATHY OF THE TRIO; THE QUALITY AND VARIETY OF THE “COVERS,” AND BASS’ ABILITY TO AVOID BOTH SLAVISH IMITATION AND NOVELTY-FOR-NOVELTY’S SAKE IN HIS INTERPRETATIONS; THE PROGRAMMATIC BALANCE CREATED BY BASS’ ORIGINALS, OF WHICH I FIND “MAY” PARTICULARLY ATTRACTIVE; AND THE LEAN STRENGTH OF THE PIANO SOLOS.”

“THE TRIO, VOL. 1 ANNOUNCES THAT DAVE BASS IS NOT CONTENT TO REST ON THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF HIS PREVIOUS RECORDINGS. HE HAS TAKEN ON PERHAPS THE ULTIMATE CHALLENGE FOR A JAZZ PIANIST – THE TRIO – AND RESPONDS BY PLAYING, COMPOSING, ARRANGING AND LEADING WITH STRENGTH AND SINGULARITY. IN KERRY KASHIWAGI AND SCOTT GORDON, HE HAS PARTNERS WHO ARE WITH HIM EVERY NOTE OF THE WAY, AND THE SPACES IN BETWEEN.”

IT’S ALWAYS NICE TO SEE A LAWYER TURN HIS BACK ON THE SCALES AND GET BACK TO THE REAL SCALES, ESPECIALLY SINCE THEY WERE ONCE A JAZZBO PIANO MAN IN THE FIRST PLACE. SURROUNDING HIMSELF WITH GRAMMY WINNERS AND NOMINEES, THE SWINGING IMPROV MAN LETS FLY ON A PROGRAM OF MOSTLY ORIGINALS THAT HARKEN BACK TO THE REAL MUSIC DAYS. EASILY THE KIND OF STUFF THAT WOULD MAKE YOU PAY THE BABYSITTER EXTRA TO LET YOU STAY OUT LATER ON A SCHOOL NIGHT, THIS IS A FINE EXAMPLE OF HOW IT’S DONE. HOT STUFF WITH EVERYONE ON BOARD IN TOP FLIGHT.

IN NYC SESSIONS, “A PICTURE OF A CONFIDENT AND VERSATILE PIANIST-COMPOSER EMERGES. BASS CAN SHOULDER THE WEIGHT OF A SONG, DELIVER A RHAPSODIC INTRODUCTION BEFORE FADING INTO THE FABRIC OF THE MUSIC, SUPPORT AND ASSIST SINGERS AS THEY CAST THEIR SPELLS, RUN WITH THE BATON WHEN THE SOLO SPOTS ARRIVE, AND BE A TEAM PLAYER WHEN THE MUSIC CALLS FOR IT.”

ONE LISTEN TO THIS DYNAMIC DISC AND YOU’LL BE ASKING YOURSELF: “WHERE HAS DAVE BASS BEEN ALL THESE YEARS?”