The trio format is frequently cited as one of the hardest for a jazz saxophonist because there’s nothing to hide behind—no chordal instrument, no other frontline partners. But that view tends to give short shrift to the folks playing bass and drums. Two of my favorite jazz records of 2015 are by saxophone trios, but neither one feels like a mere showcase for the horn players; they’re both deeply interactive band efforts in which the rhythm section carries as much weight and generates as much interest as the saxophonist. Despite identical instrumentation there’s not much similarity between Graffiti (Savant), the sixth album by J.D. Allen‘s trio with bassist Gregg August and drummer Rudy Royston, and Northern Spy (Stereoscopic), the debut recording by bassist Michael Bates’s trio with saxophonist Michael Blake and drummer Jeremy Clemons—but they’re both terrific efforts.
Today’s playlist:
