For those unaware, ever since Nat King Cole pioneered the drummerless trio with guitarist Oscar Moore and bassist Wesley Prince in the 1930’s it’s become the chamber music of jazz.

Oscar Peterson famously revived this format in the early 1950’s with Ray Brown on bass and Herb Ellis or Barney Kessel on guitar. The guitar and bass take on the task of timekeeping and establishing the groove while the pianist flows with the wave they create. The format allows for more conversational interplay between the musicians as well as an intimate aesthetic.

Mike Jones has been a traditionalist of the roots of jazz and swing has always been his priority. Teaming up with Graham Dechter and Alex Frank was no accident but a well- planned fulfillment of a dream to resurrect the drummerless trio. Dechter and Frank work together often and have their own trio with Ryan Shaw called the Lineage Trio in which they channel the original Poll Winners group of Ray Brown, Barney Kessel and Shelly Manne.

A live recording setting was chosen to encourage the liberality of interaction. Even though they have only played together a couple times, the set has the feeling of old friends who can listen and anticipate each other’s direction of movement within a tune like they’ve played together for years. There’s genuine joy in their playing and their sense of swing is second to none.

Mike Jones has performed live for over four million people over decades as music director and opening act with legendary magicians Penn & Teller (since 2002).

Numerous television appearances on Penn & Teller’s BS, Penn & Teller Tell A Lie and currently on Penn & Teller Fool Us have given Mike a much wider audience, and yearly headlining appearances at Chicago’s famed Green Mill Jazz Club and others, have kept him in the jazz world.

1. Oh, Lady Be Good!
2. Gone With The Wind
3. Autumn Leaves
4. Kelly’s Blues
5. Destination Moon
6. Deed I Do
7. The Very Thought Of You
8. Exactly Like You

Teaming up with Graham Dechter on guitar and Alex Frank on bass to resurrect the classic drumerless jazz trio, and recorded live at Vic’s Supper Club in Las Vegas, they open on a renewed elegance within Oh, Lady Be Good! and then bring us the immersive Gone With The Wind, the emotively engaging Autumn Leaves and the wholly all-embracing Kelly’s Blues.

Along next is a melodiously impassioned Destination Moon which is itself backed supremely by the rhythmically phased Deed I Do and a simply heavenly The Very Thought Of You, the new set coming to an all-too-soon close on the confidently captured Exactly Like You.

www.jonesjazz.com

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