“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.”
–Bob Blumenthal / 2-time Grammy winner
LATIN JAZZ NETWORK SAYS:
“NOT ONLY IS MR. BASS IN FINE FORM, HE ALSO CONTRIBUTES WONDERFUL CHARTS TO THE PROCEEDINGS. AND THE MUSIC IN ALL ITS DIVERSITY AND PASSION APPEARS TO HAVE AN UNSTOPPABLE MOMENTUM UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP. THIS IS A HIGHLY ENTERTAINING AND GRIPPING RECORDING, CRISPLY EXECUTED BY THE ENSEMBLE … AND HAS AN ENERGY, DRIVE AND POLISH ENTIRELY APT FOR THE COMPELLING ADMIXTURE OF MR. BASS’ EXPRESSIVE MUSICAL LANGUAGE…”
–Raul Da Gama
Latin Jazz Network, February 8, 2015
DOWNBEAT SAYS:
“PIANIST DAVE BASS’ NEW CD…PROVES DEEPLY SATISFYING…BECAUSE IT DOES SO MANY THINGS SO WELL. THAT SUCCESS IS DUE IN PART TO BASS’ SAVVY AS AN ARRANGER, …HIS TOP-NOTCH CREW, [AND] HIS OWN SPARKLING KEYBOARD WORK. THE ICONIC ALTOIST PHIL WOODS…SOUNDS BIG AND BOLD, …AND BASS PLAYS WITH VERVE THROUGHOUT.” FOUR STARS.
–Jon Garelick
DownBeat, May 2015
ALLABOUTJAZZ SAYS:
“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.”
–Dan Bilawsky,
AllAboutJazz, March 2015
THE CELEBRITY CAFE SAYS:“
THE RESULT IS AN ECLECTIC ARRAY OF STYLES DELIVERED WITH A PASSION AND POLISH THAT WILL CAPTIVATE ANY LISTENER. HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE “LOST MAMBO,” “LA COMPARASA/ MI MONTUNO” AND “DARK EYES.” “LOST MAMBO” IS A FUN AND SPIRITED NUMBER WITH AN INFECTIOUS MELODY THAT WON’T ALLOW YOU TO SIT STILL WHILE LISTENING. “LA COMPARSA/ MI MONTUNO” IS A BREATHTAKING PIECE THAT CHANGES PACE OFTEN. IT TAKES CUBAN COMPOSER/PIANIST ERNESTO LECUONA’S “LA COMPARSA” AND INFUSES IT WITH A SECTION FROM BASS’ OWN COMPOSITION, “MI MONTUNO.” THE SPELLBINDING PIANO RUNS AND TANGO-LIKE MELODY EASILY TRANSPORTS LISTENERS TO A SOUTH AMERICAN CAFÉ WHERE A CAT-AND-MOUSE GAME IS UNDERWAY.”
–Maria Miaoulis
The Celebrity Cafe, March 2015
IMPROVJAZZNATION SAYS:
“DAVE’S JAZZ PIANO IS EXCELLENT, AND HIS PLAYERS ON THESE SESSIONS (PHIL WOODS, IGNACIO BERROA, CONRAD HERWIG AND HARIVE S) ARE TOP OF THE LINE! TASTY TUNES LIKE “DARK EYES” SHOW TRUE TALENT IN ALL ASPECTS OF JAZZ, AND SOPHISTICATED LINES CRAFTED TO TUG AT YOUR HEARTSTRINGS. THE 4:35 “LOST MAMBO” WILL HAVE YOU UP ON THE FLOOR IN ONLY MOMENTS… COOL RHYTHMS & GREAT INTERPLAY. AS THE CD TITLE INDICATES, THIS WORK HAS A DECIDEDLY “EAST COAST” FLAVOR, ESPECIALLY ON ULTRA-COOL TUNES LIKE “BALTIC BOLERO“… STARTS OFF WITH A LAID-BACK INTRO, THEN SEGUES EVER SO GENTLY INTO SOMETHING YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD BACK IN YOUR BALLROOM DAYS. IT WAS THE SWINGIN’ VIBE ON THE HIGH-ENERGY OPENER, “THE SIXTIES“, THAT GOT MY VOTE FOR PERSONAL FAVORITE OF THE ELEVEN TUNES OFFERED UP FOR YOUR AURAL PLEASURE… THIS ONE JUMPS, FOLKS! I GIVE DAVE & HIS PLAYERS A MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, AS WELL AS AN “EQ” (ENERGY QUOTIENT) RATING OF 4.99.”
–Rotcodzzaj
Improvijazznation, August 2015
JAZZ LIFE (JAPAN) SAYS:
“DAVE BASS (ORIGINALLY FROM CINCINNATI, OHIO) CAME TO JAPAN IN THE 1970S AS BRENDA LEE’S PIANIST. AFTER INJURING HIS RIGHT HAND, HE BECAME A LAWYER, AND AFTER A LONG HIATUS FINALLY REEMERGED ON THE MUSIC SCENE IN 2008 WITH HIS FIRST ALBUM GONE. NYC SESSIONS MARKS HIS RETURN AS A FULL-TIME MUSICIAN. IT FEATURES AN EXCEPTIONAL BLEND OF BASS’S DELICATE TOUCH, A CONTRAST WITH HIS TOUGH APPEARANCE, AND A MODERN VIBE GROUNDED IN LATIN JAZZ. AN EXTRAORDINARY LINEUP OF GUESTS, INCLUDING PHIL WOODS, CONRAD HERWIG, AND KARRIN ALLYSON, HELP CROWN HIS BELATED RETURN TO LIFE AS A TALENTED PIANIST.”
–Tokiwa Takehiko
Jazz Life (Japan), August 2015
CRITICAL JAZZ SAYS:
“NYC SESSIONS IS NOT ONLY A WONDERFUL RECORDING BUT PROOF POSITIVE THAT PERSEVERANCE PAYS OFF…AN IMPRESSIVE AND VIBRANT OFFERING OF STYLES INCLUDING A PLETHORA OF LATIN INFLUENCES HAS NYC SESSIONS AS ONE OF THOSE STEALTH RELEASES THAT WILL WORK WELL IN ANY LIBRARY!”
–Brent Black
Critical Jazz, February 4, 2015
MIDWEST RECORD SAYS:
“HEAD’S UP FOR A TOO COOL ALERT. A PIANO MAN GIVES IT UP TO GO PRACTICE LAW. HO HUM? NOT HERE, THIS CAT BROKE HIS WRIST AND HAD A FAMILY TO SUPPORT. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE KIDS GROW UP AND YOU FIND YOUR CHOPS ARE COMING BACK? YOU HEAD EAST TO TEAR IT UP WITH PHIL WOODS, KARRIN ALLYSON AND OTHER LUMINARIES FOR A DATE THAT JUST SHINES WITH ALL THAT LIGHT POURING THROUGH IT. A WONDERFULLY SWINGING DATE THAT FEELS JUST LIKE THE OLD SCHOOL DATES THAT LIT UP YOUR JAZZBO LIGHTS IN THE FIRST PLACE. A KILLER, UNEXPECTED SET THAT COMES IN FROM LEFT FIELD WITH ALL DELIBERATE SPEED. HOT STUFF.”
–Chris Spector
Midwest Record, January 30, 2015
CAPITAL PUBLIC RADIO SAYS:
“PIANIST DAVE BASS IS PUTTING SACRAMENTO ON THE MAP WITH A BRILLIANT NEW CD FEATURING AN ALL-STAR BAND, INCLUDING PHIL WOODS, KARRIN ALLYSON, AND CONRAD HERWIG.”
–Gary Vercelli
Capital Public Radio, February, 13, 2015
JAZZ SOCIETY OF OREGON SAYS:
“NYC SESSIONS IS A “VERSATILE AND ENJOYABLE RELEASE.” BASS IS A “SOLID PIANIST-COMPOSER-LYRICIST. WELCOME BACK DAVE BASS.”
–George Fendel
Jazz Society of Oregon, March 2015
JAZZ INSIDE SAYS:
“…HE WRITES AND PLAYS IN A STYLE THAT IS EASILY IDENTIFIABLE AND RELATABLE, YET SOPHISTICATED AND OPERATES ON A VERY HIGH LEVEL. DAVE BASS IS BACK DOING WHAT HE WAS BORN TO AND, IN DOING SO, IS KEEPING THE TORCH BURNING FOR ELEGANT SONGWRITING AND CLASSIC BEBOP IN THE PROCESS.”
–Eric Harabadian
Jazz Inside, March 2015
JAZZTIMES SAYS:
“BASS’ ORIGINALS REFLECT THE AMALGAM OF INFLUENCES ON HIS PLAYING OVER THE YEARS…NYC SESSIONS IS NOTHING IF NOT FINELY WROUGHT AND WELL ROUNDED.”
–Philip Booth
Jazz Times, May 2015
