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Trio DEF: Trio DEF

By Dave Wayne
September 22, 2015
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Based in Canada, with members resident in Ottawa, Montreal and New York City,

trio DEF

band / ensemble / orchestra
b.2012

" data-original-title="" title="">trio DEF overcomes logistical hurdles to create some mighty fine guitar trio jazz and jazz-rock on their eponymous debut. Bassist Marc-Andre Drouin, a completely unfamiliar name to me, plays the plugged-in variant with the elasticity and warmth of an acoustic bassist. He is quite a find. Drouin's playing during a masterclass at Carleton University's School for Studies in Art and Culture, where guitarist

Wayne Eagles

guitar
b.1964

" data-original-title="" title="">Wayne Eagles teaches and directs the institution's Fusion ensemble, catalyzed the formation of Trio DEF in 2012. When original drummer

Lee Fish

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Lee Fish had to be replaced—apparently by another drummer whose surname started with the letter "F"—Eagles put in a call to

Ian Froman

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Ian Froman, a top-drawer player on the New York scene who's toured and recorded with

Tommy Smith

saxophone, tenor
b.1967

" data-original-title="" title="">Tommy Smith,

Metalwood

" data-original-title="" title="">Metalwood, and

Laszlo Gardony

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Laszlo Gardony. Eagles had worked previously with Froman in the group Regals, and their simpatico was quite well-established on that band's debut recording The Double Duo Sessions (Tetra Artist, 2011).

From the git-go, it is readily evident that Trio DEF has put in some heavy listening time with the ECM Records catalog. They specialize in the sort of loose-but-tight ensemble playing that's the stock in trade of similarly instrumented trios led by

Terje Rypdal

guitar
b.1947

" data-original-title="" title="">Terje Rypdal (e.g., To Be Continued, ECM Records, 1981), and

John Abercrombie

guitar
1944 - 2017

" data-original-title="" title="">John Abercrombie (Gateway, ECM Records, 1976). Froman's drumming style is highly influenced by

Jack DeJohnette

drums
b.1942

" data-original-title="" title="">Jack DeJohnette's, which makes the ECM parallels that much stronger. Themes and melodies are brief, yet substantial; appearing and dissipating at will at any given moment within a particular track. All Trio DEF-ers get time in the musical foreground, yet there are passages of trio and duo improvising, as well, with the third person taking a back seat.

Not content to play in one bag, the trio has a harder-edged, bluesy side that comes to the fore on "BC-ing-ya," "Or Not!" and "At Most, Spheric." Here, Trio DEF seems to be mining a musical vein tangentially related to

Steve Khan

guitar
b.1947

" data-original-title="" title="">Steve Khan's wonderful trio and quartet recordings from the mid-80s and 90s (some of which also featured Jack DeJohnette). Like Khan and

Wayne Krantz

guitar, electric

" data-original-title="" title="">Wayne Krantz, Eagles is an understated player whose solos emphasize harmonic development and the use of space as an improvisational device. Eagles' economic playing seems to have a beneficial effect on both Drouin and Froman, who appear to be perpetually holding their monster chops in check. Thus, each piece is bathed in a sort of mutually-agreed-upon tension that makes the album, as a whole, quite a worthwhile way to spend 45 minutes or so.

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Track Listing

OmniMouse; BC-ing-ya; NEME (for Natasha); Vas-y; At Most, Spheric; JDJ (for Jake); Or Not.

Personnel

trio DEF

band / ensemble / orchestra

Marc-Andre Drouin: bass; Wayne Eagles: guitar; Ian Froman: drums.

Album information

Title: Trio DEF | Year Released: 2015 | Record Label: TetraArtist

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