Top 10 reed-bass-drums trios

[Pete C]

Roughly chronological (1-4, at least)

1. Rollins-Ware-Roach
2. Ornette-Izenson-Moffett
3. Rivers-Holland-Altschul
4. Air
5. Lyons-Lindberg-Murray
6. Lacy-Avenel-Betsch
7. Chapin-Pavone-Sarin
8. Anderson-Aoki-Drake
9. Sclavis-Texier-Romano
10. Ehrlich-Dresser-Cyrille

I could have named other Rollins combinations, but I wanted to keep it to 1. If not for the technicality of the cello, Clusone 3 would have made the list. If I had specified sax instead of reed, I suppose 2 contenders to replace Sclavis would be Trio 3 (Lake-Workman-Cyrille) or, less likely, DKV.

[Enforcer]

Lovano-Holland-Blackwell was really nice, I thought.

[Uli]

Excellent joices so far

Joe Henderson, Ron Carter, Al Foster
Ari Brown, Malachi Thompson, Kahil El Zabar
Dewey Redman, Cameroon Brown, Ed Blackwell

[Joey X]

I heard Joe Henderson, George Mraz, Al Foster at the Jazz Bakery in Culver City, CA. That trio beat any-
thing I had ever heard.
Joey X

[Pete C]

Originally Posted by Uli

Joe Henderson, Ron Carter, Al Foster
Ari Brown, Malachi Thompson, Kahil El Zabar
Dewey Redman, Cameroon Brown, Ed Blackwell

Good additions, except the one in the middle doesn't fit the instrumentation.

[Uli]

Originally Posted by Pete C

Good additions, except the one in the middle doesn't fit the instrumentation.

seems to. what's the problem?

live is a whole nother story. one of the *greatest* trio sets that was probably never recorded was a Dewey Redman, Harrisson Bankhead, Hamid Drake set.

[Pete C]

Originally Posted by Uli

seems to. what's the problem?

Does Malachi Thompson play bass? Or did you mean Favors.

Which reminds me:

Redman-Favors-Blackwell

[Uli]

Originally Posted by Pete C

Does Malachi Thompson play bass?

Oh shit, did I say Thompson? Yes, I did. My bad.

Talking about Malachi I also like the trio verson of the AEC "Tribute To Lester" quite a lot.

[relyles]

Great choices so far. A few others to consider that I do not think have been mentioned that I really enjoyed.

Joe Lovano/Dave Holland/Elvin Jones
David Murray/Fred Hopkins/Andrew Cyrille or Kahil El'Zabar
Thomas Chapin/Mario Pavone/Michael Sarin
Joe Farrell/Jimmy Garrison/Elvin Jones
Warne Marsh/Niels-Henning Orsted Peterson/Alan Levitt
The Fringe - George Garzone/John Lockwood/Bob Gullotti
John Surman/Barre Phillips/Stu Martin
Joe Lovano/Cameron Brown/Idris Muhammad
Branford Marsalis/Robert Hurst/Jeff "Tain"Watts
Fredrik Nordstrom/Palle Danielsson/Fredrik Rundqvist

[relyles]

I don't think they have recorded together, but I have heard some interesting things by Ernest Dawkins, Harrison Bankhead and Hamid Drake.

[Uli]

Originally Posted by relyles

I don't think they have recorded together, but I have heard some interesting things by Ernest Dawkins, Harrison Bankhead and Hamid Drake.

Me too.

Where did you hear the Redmann, Favors, Blackwell trio, Pete?

Murray, Favors, Murray.

[Pete C]

Originally Posted by Uli

Where did you hear the Redmann, Favors, Blackwell trio, Pete?

Tarik, on BYG. Great album.



Relyles, thanks for mentioning Surman-Phillips-Martin. Slipped my mind. I did mention the Chapin trio above.

[stonemonkts]

Some recent ones not already mentioned:

Bradfield/Kupersmith/Sirota
Haley/Reed/Storrs
Malaby/Helias/Rainey
Brotzmann/Parker/Drake

[Dan G]

Pete's list hit some of my favorites with his 2 through 5, and really glad to that Texier/Sclavis/Romano trio get recognized. Those 2 discs on Label Bleu that came with the Guy Le Clerc books are stunning.

Here's a few other faves, some of whom are/were working groups, others one offs:

Mike Osborne, Harry Miller and Louis Moholo
Peter Brotzmann, Harry Miller and Louis Moholo
Andre Jaume, Barre Phillips and Barry Altschul
Anthony Braxton, Adelhard Roidinger and Tony Oxley
Albert Ayler, Gary Peacock and Sunny Murray
Detail - Frode Gjerstad, John Stevens and either Johnny Dyani or Kent Carter
Trevor Watts, John Stevens, and Jeff Clyne or Barry Guy (aka Amalgam sometimes)
Paul Motian, Charles Brackeen and David Izenzon or J.F. Jenny Clark
Evan Parker, Barry Guy and Paul Lytton

[Uli]

Originally Posted by Pete C

Tarik, on BYG. Great album.

Thanks. Have heard it years ago and now about the only one or two records of Redman's I dont have.

Live heard a set of Lovano, Cameroon Brown, and Irdis Muhammad that was very cool.

[Pete C]

I had forgotten that Spiritual Unity was a trio. That might have to bump something from my original 10.

[Sergio Zamora]

Borgmann/Morris/Charles

Perelman/Duval/Rosen. I know Rosen isn't a favorite 'round these parts, but this trio whole works really well, imo.

Odean Pope's 'Ebioto' with Tyrone Brown and Craig McIlver is one of my favorite reed/bass/drum trios. I'm not familiar with the drummer, and I don't know if this was a regular group.

[Rob C]

Just heard Please Advise by Berne/Gress/Rainey, and I lurv it.

[Derek Taylor]

Pete, did the Rollins/Ware/Roach unit ever record? Or did you mean Elvin in the drum slot?

Some others outside those mentioned (I think):

Trio X (McPhee, Duval & Rosen)
Braxton, Holland & Altschul
Konitz, Dallas, Jones
Anderson, Kowald, Drake
Gayle, Parker & Ali
Eneidi, Ellis & Robinson
Finn, Duval & Smith
Rempis, Ajemian & Daisy
Brown, Parker & Charles
Moondoc, Hopkins & Blackwell

[Pete C]

Originally Posted by Derek Taylor

Pete, did the Rollins/Ware/Roach unit ever record? Or did you mean Elvin in the drum slot?

Oops, I meant Pettiford. I was thinking of Freedom Suite.

[stonemonkts]

Originally Posted by Pete C

I had forgotten that Spiritual Unity was a trio. That might have to bump something from my original 10.

Digesting the recent Ayler box of late has led me to discover that his trio recordings are heads above his others. Night and day differences in terms of creative heights, imho. As much as I enjoy the stuff with his brother, it pales in comparison to his work within a trio setting.

[Pete C]

Originally Posted by stonemonkts

Digesting the recent Ayler box of late has led me to discover that his trio recordings are heads above his others. Night and day differences in terms of creative heights, imho. As much as I enjoy the stuff with his brother, it pales in comparison to his work within a trio setting.

But do you know Vibrations, with Cherry?

[stonemonkts]

No, I don't know Vibrations.

The box contains a live 1964 set of that quartet (Cafe Montmartre in Copenhagen) which is excellent.

[Jesse]

Ornette/Izenson/Moffett

Rollins/Brown/Manne

Brackeen/Jenny-Clark/Motian

Lacy/Carter/Togashi

Lacy/Boykins/Charles

Rivers/Holland/Altschul

Watts/Guy/Stevens No Fear

Air

Honorable date:

Jeanneau/Texier/Humair Update

The Fringe

Relyles:
Cheered to see you mention Garzone & this underrated trio!

[jazzfiend]

Great lists, Derek & Pete!


Eskelin/Gress/Haynes
Malaby/Gress/Motian
Wettre/Flaten/Vespestad
Brotz/Uuskyla/Nielsen
Blythe/Stewart/Brooks
Fefer/Revis/Foni
Carrier/Cote/Lambert
Marcus/Mateen/Rosen
Tsahar/Kowald/Ali
Rob Brown/Parker/Smith

[crawjo]

Interesting thread. I'll go with my favorite albums/performances by reed/bass/drum trios.

1. Spiritual Unity (Albert Ayler, Gary Peacock, Sunny Murray)
2. Painter's Spring (Daniel Carter, William Parker, Hamid Drake)
3. The Freedom Suite (Sonny Rollins, Oscar Pettiford, Max Roach)
4. Trio (Oh Susanna) (Roscoe Mitchell, Malachi Favors, Phillip Wilson)
5. Live at the Golden Circle (Ornette Coleman, David Izenzon, Charles Moffett)
6. The Call (Perry Robinson, Henry Grimes, Tom Price)
7. N.Y. Capers & Quirks (Steve Lacy, Ronnie Boykins, Dennis Charles)

[Steve Reynolds]

great topic, Pete

my favorite musical configuration - this is gonna be tough - lots of people here have great taste

one rule for me - only one trio per musician - makes it doable - makes it difficult

1) Threadgill-Hopkins-McCall (Air)
2) Parker-Guy-Lytton
3) Anderson-Kowald-Drake
4) Borgmann-Morris-Charles
5) Dunmall-Rogers-Norton (for the live show @ the knot that Pete & Jon hated)
6) Rivers-Holland-Altschul
7) Rollins-Ware-Jones
8) Lacy-Avenel-Betsch
9) Lake-Workman-Cyrille (Trio 3)
10) unheard: Osbourne-Miller-Moholo - need to hear All Night Long more than any other recording - Osbourne is one of the mighty ones

hardest to leave off:

Ornette-Izenson-Moffett & Ayler-Peacock-Murray

also I second Sergio's mention of Perelman-Duval-Rosen as featured on Seeds, Visions & Counterpoint

another one that hasn't recorded (saw them live):

Lovano-Dresser-Hemingway

also love Lovano-Holland-Blackwell - probably as much as the trio with Rivers (including Holland) - had to pick one

not saying Borgmann is near the musicians they are but the 2 recordings I have feature Morris & Charles in such powerful form that they deserve props

[Pete C]

You learn something new here every day. Two people have mentioned Borgmann, and I have no idea who he is.

[Nate Dorward]

Sorry, which album is Lovano/Holland/Blackwell? I know of a Lovano/Cox/Blackwell disc, a Lovano/Petrucciani/Holland/Blackwell disc, and Lovano/Holland/Jones but not that specific trio.

[JaSt]

Nice listening:

Archie Shepp / Cameron Brown / Beaver Harris
Claude Lawrence / Wilber Morris / Denis Charles
John Coltrane / Jimmy Garison / Elvin Jones (The Sowboat session)
L-G Ulander / Palle Danielson / Paal Nilssen-Love
C Sharp / Dave Hofstra / Denis Charles
Fred Anderson / Harrison Bankhead / Hamid Drake
David Murray / Henry Grimes / Hamid Drake