Supergroups are so common in jazz there’s really no such thing. Instead what you get are skilled veterans who find a kindred creative spirit. So it is with the new chordless jazz combo Phoenix Trio, which consists of saxophonist Mark Turner, bassist Joe Martin, and drummer Marcus Gilmore, who decided the best way to test out this new relationship was to record it live.
The triad opens the record (and presumably the show) with a pair of Martin tunes. Unsurprisingly, both “The Fencer” and “Lioness” ride rock-solid bass grooves, with Gilmore adding his distinctive touch in support and Turner dropping his melodies atop with the confidence of someone who knows the ground on which he walks will always remain firm. The horn man’s own “1946” brings more swing to the party, as Turner twists and turns a blues scale like a kid with a new toy and an instinctive knowledge of how to use it properly. Gilmore contributes “Harvest,” taking the fingerpopping shuffle rhythm and giving it a moodier, brooding spin, eliciting probing, exploratory solos from his colleagues.
The band closes out the album with another Martin two-fer: the polymorphous title epic, which digs into every nook and cranny not only of the tune but the band’s chemistry, and “Safe,” a whimsical boogie reminding us that the Trio is not only making art in real time, but having fun doing it.
