ONE TRIP OUT Valarteri Records No. 009
John A Lewis is a composer with a different perspective. His compositions are fresh with an air of unpredictability. If you like jazz that is slightly off the beaten path, "One Trip Out" is a good choice. - James Stapleton, The Sounds of Jazz KNON radio
Dallas, TX (PRWEB) June 24, 2014
The John A Lewis trio announces the release or their third recording on the Valartei Records label.
The trio consists of pianist/composer John A Lewis, bassist Lincoln Apeland, and drummer Merik Gillett. The trio has been performing together for over five years. The music on this recording displays a uniqueness in concept that can only be achieved by original compositions with individual and group interpretations. Sometimes the trio is playing as one, sometimes as two, and other times as three.
"One Trip Out is a unique collaboration of like minded musicians who each march to a beat of their own rhythm, and yet the trio remains in sync at all times," said Susan Frances Yahoo.com. "John's writing style is not something that you would learn in a school of music. Non-traditional chord changes taken as a whole function around the improviser's ear and then the listeners."
"While the forms are rooted in the traditional jazz song format, the harmonic and melodic approaches are quite original. The fresh and sometimes unconventional melodies set the context for variety of improvisational approaches," said Grady Harp Amazon.com." The trio's style has been described as "hypnotically pleasant" by Jazzinside magazine.
The recording consists of eleven original compositions. Eight by Pianist John A Lewis, and one each by bassist Apeland, drummer Gillett, and saxophonist/composer Jason Davis.
The first offering on the recording, "Let's Face It," is a medium tempo tune with a grooving four feel. The drums comp in step with the piano, while the bass ties the harmony together. This is followed by the title tune, "One Trip Out," a medium uptempo tune with a driving walking bass solo by Apeland. The third tune, "A Faustian Occurrence," a medium tempo, 16-bar tune with space in the head that allows the bass and drums to breath into the tune. The bass plays the head on the bop-ish, "The Grifter." This is followed by "Spang," a drum solo by Gillett that is full of melodic development. "Sixty Miles Short," this highly energetic uptempo piece stops and stutters with a driving groove all the way. "Three Shades" in 3/4 gives the listener a change in mood and feel. "Def-Blue" is a grooving, 16-bar blues with a bridge. "Nice," composed by Jason Davis, is a translation of the medium and uptempo group concept to a ballad. Here, the nontraditional chord changes linger long on the ear and take the listener along every step. The medium uptempo "Sly Steps" brings the groove back to the forefront. The recording ends with "A Sisypean Endeaver" composed by Lincoln Apeland and is a brief but intense indulgence of the bass.
"One Trip Out" has spent the past four weeks on the CMJ top forty jazz chart, peaking at no. 8.
The trio will be performing music from "One Trip Out" and their two previous recordings, plus jazz standards at Sambuca Uptown restaurant in Dallas, Texas, Tuesday June 24th, 7:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m.
You can check out the activities of the John A Lewis Trio on Facebook and Twitter, and visit the John A Lewis website at john(at)johnalewisjazz(dot)com.
To purchase the recordings of the John A Lewis Trio, visit CDbaby.com.
