Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Eva Novoa: Novoa / Gress / Gray Trio, Vol. 1

Eva Novoa: Novoa / Gress / Gray Trio, Vol. 1

By Mike Jurkovic
February 28, 2024
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A vivid sense of drama and its intrinsic, minute shadings of light upon dark places animate pianist

Eva Novoa

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Eva Novoa's work. Barcelona bred and keening with Brooklyn bravura, Novoa swaps the fore and backgrounds with uncompromised glee. Expressionistic, Impressionistic, and forthright, she aligns and upsets the edges to her liking. That, along with the crackling, crosstown chi of bassist/modular synthesist ((Drew Gress}} and drummer

Devin Gray

drums
b.1983

" data-original-title="" title="">Devin Gray makes music like "Miss Celebrity," "Sushi at 6," in fact the whole of Novoa/Gress/Gray Trio, Vol. 1 a distinctly engaging and fascinating listen.

Dense yet transparent, Novoa, who has brought her enharmonics to a host of diverse names, among them being

Gerald Cleaver

drums
b.1963

" data-original-title="" title="">Gerald Cleaver,

Satoshi Takeishi

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Satoshi Takeishi,

Daniel Carter

saxophone
b.1996

" data-original-title="" title="">Daniel Carter, and

Ingrid Laubrock

saxophone
b.1970

" data-original-title="" title="">Ingrid Laubrock flourishes on sure footed "Indigo Blue." The track—a neo-trad throwback to piano trios everywhere—has its quirky sidesteps. Lacing in and around Gress and Gray's elastic Olympics, Novoa's innate melodic sense bares itself and sails.

"Piano Man" is another mindset completely. Pursued by Gress's electric gale, Novoa, (who at her moments echoes the quiet classicism of

Marilyn Crispell

piano
b.1947

" data-original-title="" title="">Marilyn Crispell) wrestles herself and wins by any way possible. "Lapsus" takes it from there: a pure, full bore post-bop session, the track swings to high heaven like a previously unheard jam by

McCoy Tyner

piano
1938 - 2020

" data-original-title="" title="">McCoy Tyner,

Jimmy Garrison

bass, acoustic
1934 - 1976

" data-original-title="" title="">Jimmy Garrison, and

Elvin Jones

drums
1927 - 2004

" data-original-title="" title="">Elvin Jones.

"The Drama of the Stolen Bouquet" is the soundtrack to the title so no more be said but, like a tremor though bedrock, it tells its own sure story. "Miss Celebrity" and "Sushi at 6" finds the trio having themselves a couple of

Thelonious Monk

piano
1917 - 1982

" data-original-title="" title="">Thelonious Monk style dust ups and loving every moment of them. "Indigo Blue take 2" may casually namecheck Novoa/Gress/Gray Trio, Vol. 1's opening track but take two is an entirely different analogy. Restless but laser focused, it moves without sorrow. At least for now.

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Track Listing

Rocket Man; Miss Celebrity; Sushi At 6; Indigo Blue; Lapsus; The Drama Of The Stolen Bouquet.

Personnel

Eva Novoa

piano

Drew Gress

bass

Devin Gray

drums

Additional Instrumentation

Eva Novoa: piano, Chinese gongs; Drew Gress: bass, modular synthesizer; Devin Gray: drums.

Album information

Title: Novoa / Gress / Gray Trio, Vol. 1 | Year Released: 2025 | Record Label: Self Produced

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