Gordon Johnson and The Art of Three, Round Four
GJ4 (Tonalities, 2008)
© 2008, Andrea Canter

The piano trio is arguably one of the most popular formats in modern jazz. Without horns--usually piano, bass and drums, the piano trio is both intimate and accessible, paring the music to its essential elements of melody and a transparent framework of time and rhythm. Some of the most highly praised and longest running ensembles in jazz are piano trios, from Nat King Cole, Bill Evans and Oscar Peterson to Ahmad Jamal, McCoy Tyner, Keith Jarrett, Brad Mehldau, Fred Hersch and Lynne Arriale.  Proving that the format never goes out of style, regardless of the addition of electronics or rock covers, two of the most lauded ensembles of the 21st century are piano trios--The Bad Plus and EST. Over her seven decades of performance, pianist Marian McPartland has seldom veered away from the piano trio, while the youngest generation of up-and-comers includes piano trio leaders Taylor Eigsti and Eldar Djanirov.

Leadership of the piano trio is not limited to the pianist; bassists from Charles Mingus to Ron Carter issued some sterling examples. Here in the Twin Cities, we have our own bass advocate of the piano trio format, Gordon Johnson. In 1996, he released his first recording, dubbed simply Trios, featuring varying combinations of 7 pianists and 4 drummers, all anchored by Gordy on acoustic bass. Two more editions followed in 2002 and 2005, always with multiple pairings of pianists and drummers, a mix of national touring artists and local talent. On the latest edition, GJ4, Johnson enlists the keyboard skills of Bill Carrothers, Laura Caviani, Frank Kimbrough, Bryan Nichols and Tanner Taylor, along with trapset masters Phil Hey, Dave King, Steve Smith, Todd Strait and Matt Wilson.

Gordon Johnson, photo composite © Andrea Canter

Gordon Johnson
Son of pianist Thelma and late Minnesota Orchestra bassist Cliff Johnson, and brother of guitarist Jimmy Johnson (founder of Flim and the BBs), Gordy grew up in the Twin Cities, surrounded by music. His first instrument was the piano, followed by flute, which he continued to study through college at the Eastman School of Music. Exposed to jazz early through his parents’ record collection, Gordy more seriously explored the genre at Eastman, where Chuck Mangione needed his services as a Fender bassist. Following graduation, Gordy signed on for a three-year stint with trumpeter Maynard Ferguson. His main instrument with Ferguson, as with Mangione, was electric bass. He also toured with Doc Severinsen and the Paul Winter Consort. Gordy’s return to the Twin Cities in 1989 ultimately led to acoustic work with Bruce Allard. “I credit him (and Jeanne Arland Peterson) for teaching me hundreds, if not thousands of tunes during those times,” says Gordy. “Also, the non-amp situation made me develop a big tone on the instrument. I do still play the electric with Mary Jane Alm and some others. I enjoy both instruments, but I think I do my best expressive work on upright.”

Over the past two decades as a free-lance musician in the Twin Cities, Gordy has continued to play with an eclectic list of musicians and bands, currently appearing regularly with the Chris Lomheim Trio, Laura Caviani Trio, Travis Anderson Trio, Connie Evingson, Debbie Duncan, Mulligan Stew, Pete Whitman’s X-Tet, Benny Weinbeck, Tommy O’Donnell and more. This spring he has toured with vocalist Stacey Kent. When not supporting the piano with his energetic basslines, you can often find Gordy tuning it up at the top clubs and concert halls in the Twin Cities.

The Trios Project
From childhood when he heard Bill Evans and Oscar Peterson on the family stereo to modern masters like Keith Jarrett and Brad Mehldau, Gordy Johnson has been attracted to the piano trio format. Yet it seems like a leap from his days with Maynard Ferguson on electric bass to local stages and studios with all-acoustic piano trios. And as Gordy recounts the story, the Trios projects came about through serendipity.  “The way this all got started is kind of a wild chain of events,” he recalls. “I actually credit [drummer] Joe Pulice for getting me started. Maria Muldaur was playing the Dakota in '94 and Joe and I joined her pianist, John R. Burr, on the gig. Joe booked a session at Wild Sound just for kicks and to record some of his tunes with me and John R. We all got a cassette (!) copy of the date. The last thing we recorded was a spontaneous blues in F major. A few months later Bill Carrothers booked a date at Wild Sound to do some vocal tunes. Yes, he was singing standards with me and Jay Epstein! I asked Matthew [Zimmerman] to record one tune on my account before we packed up, and we did ‘Just A Closer Walk With Thee’…[it] became the opening track and the F major blues became ‘Face Lift,’ the last track on GJ Trios in 1996.”

GJ4 (Tonalities, 2008)

“Biff Hannon and Dave Mancini came through with Doc Severinsen and I snagged them. Peter Erskine was in town doing a Yamaha Drum clinic and I threw him and Chris Lomheim together. Manfredo Fest was at Wild Sound recording a project for Dave Sletten and, again, before packing up we quickly recorded his ‘Clearwater Sunset,’ with Jay Epstein on drums. I rounded out the CD by booking two more sessions, Bobby Peterson and Gordy Knudtson, plus Benny Weinbeck and Dave Anania. So it's really Joe Pulice who almost accidentally got me started!”

Over his four Trios releases, Gordy has managed to effectively combine local artists and visiting national artists, who sometimes have never played together before entering the studio. “I do put a bit of thought into the way I match up the players. For example, Tanner Taylor and Steve Smith seemed like the two ‘most likely to succeed’ and it did work out quite well. On the other hand, for some sessions I just pick some musicians and hope for the best. If some players know each other even just a little, it can be good: Laura Caviani and Todd Strait from Karrin Allyson's band, Frank Kimbrough and Phil Hey from working with Dewey Redman, for example.” Actually, among the 10 guest artists on GJ4, five have all worked with the late Dewey Redman at one time or another.

GJ4
As with the first three volumes, GJ4 finds Gordy Johnson enjoying the interplay among a revolving cast of Twin Cities’ finest—pianists Laura Caviani, Bryan Nichols and Tanner Taylor, drummers Phil Hey and Dave King (Bad Plus)—as well as renowned visiting artists—pianists Bill Carrothers (a former Twin Citian) and Frank Kimbrough (Maria Schneider, Kendra Shank), drummers Steve Smith (Vital Information), Todd Strait (Karrin Allyson) and Matt Wilson (Arts and Crafts).  And as with each of the preceding Trios, GJ4 offers an eclectic mix of tunes, from a pair of Alec Wilder gems (“I’ll Be Around” and “Moon and Sand”) to Bud Powell’s “Bouncing With Bud” to originals from Johnson, Caviani and Taylor. Johnson salutes the musicians’ connection to Dewey Redman with the late saxophonist’s “Joie de Vivre” and rounds out the recording with two less familiar covers, Luiz Eça’s “Imagem” and Spence/Keith/Bergman’s “Sleep Warm.” The musical pairings on GJ4 include Tanner Taylor with Steve Smith (3 tracks); Frank Kimbrough with Phil Hey (2 tracks); and Bryan Nichols with Matt Wilson (2 tracks); Laura Caviani with Todd Strait and Bill Carrothers with Dave King contribute to one track each.

One characteristic that makes Gordon Johnson’s “trios” stand out in a sea of fine piano trios is the prominent role of the bass, up front in the mix, very much leading the ensemble, taking long solos but never too long. Add to that the fact that Johnson is one of the most melodic, articulate bassists around as well as a shrewd casting director, effectively matching pianists and drummers while also inserting himself elegantly into any conversation. It’s a recipe for artistic success, already demonstrated by the first three Trios, and one that seems to evolve to a higher level with each recording.

Tanner Taylor. Photo © Andrea Canter

Perhaps the most assertive pairing is Taylor and Smith, who open the recording with Johnson’s “Blues for CJ.” A swinging blues, this track provides a fine introduction to young Taylor’s facility with a rhythmically strong composition, the blues form giving him plenty of space to turn and twist, run and skip. Tanner leaves no doubt that Oscar Peterson was a role model. Smith’s cymbals maintain a steady pulse with Johnson walking around the melody. Gordy’s solo at midpoint features his deep tone, draped in blues, while Smith overflows in the final chorus. On “Bouncing With Bud,” Taylor and Johnson present the theme with a unison line. Taylor again swings hard and fast, but with a more abstract structure, while Smith provides relatively subtle support. Matching Tanner’s speed and finesse, Johnson adds some gnarly slides to his solo. Smith—no longer subtle in his solo--builds tension with extended patterns on the snare. Taylor returns with a somewhat fractured theme, his hands alternating in unison and separate routes. The final Taylor/Smith track is Tanner’s “Evanesque,” reminding us that we hear too few of the pianist’s own compositions. Reminiscent of “In Your Own Sweet Way,” the track is indeed Evanesque, with mildly swinging, acrobatic lines from Taylor that seem to bring out the gentle side of Gordy Johnson. The bassist’s emphasis on melody creates the feel of a horn or another piano, a leading voice prone to bending a few notes here and there. Smith creates some soft booming accents before Tanner creates rolls of thunder, which the drummer answers with increasing fury.

The pairing of Frank Kimbrough and Phil Hey is magic. Kimbrough is an inventive improviser, not flashy, but more abstract and introspective—apt description of Hey as well; both share experience with Dewey Redman. “Imagem” is a perfect vehicle for this well-meshed trio, Kimbrough ever lyrical, Hey’s brushwork ever present but not intrusive. Here Johnson is the more assertive pacesetter, providing a deep-seated counterpoint that swings more and more as the track progresses; his melodic solo leaves one wondering if the next recording should just be “Uno” rather than “Trio.”  Alec Wilder’s “Moon and Sand” opens with a subtle yet forceful drum solo, with Johnson joining in with some deep sliding tones. Kimbrough’s approach is more sparse than the other pianists represented on GJ4, but his elegantly inventive approach makes the most of a single line of notes. Phil Hey milks a wide range of sound and tingle patterns from his brushes, while Gordy’s solo is majestically dark. Kimbrough adds more texture to the last segment of the track with rich chordal statements folding into Hey’s funereal pattern of deep, distant booms.

Another rising star on the local scene, pianist Bryan Nichols shines in the company of drummer Matt Wilson, familiar to Twin Cities’ audiences for his appearances with his Arts and Crafts Quartet. Wilson’s characteristically busy antics fit perfectly with Nichols’ swinging, sometimes quirky sense of time and creative expression. Dewey Redman’s “Joie de Vivre” is given a bouncy beat, and Nichols wastes little time before adding some abstract twists. Johnson’s prominent and sympathetic basslines give way to a fast-paced solo, as hornlike as a bass can be as he bounces around the chord structure like a ball on a long tether. Perhaps bass and flute are not so far apart after all! Wilson trades phrases with Nichols and Johnson with his deeply resonating toms, glistening cymbals and varying cadences. How many sounds are there in one drumkit? The conversation between the musicians is respectful and playful, suggesting a long-standing camaraderie rather than a first encounter.  The lyrical side of Bryan Nichols rises to meet Alec Wilder’s “I’ll Be Around,” while Gordy Johnson’s deep-end phrases conjure a vocal component, like the singer supported by the band. After an extended bass solo, Nichols dismantles the theme, while Wilson’s brushwork provides just enough pulse. Nichols develops a seamless improvisation, falling back into the melody as if he never stayed, slipping in a snippet of “It Could Happen to You.”

Matt Wilson. Photo © Andrea Canter

The two remaining tracks offer brief glimpses of two simpatico pairs. Laura Caviani, certainly one of the most acclaimed pianists in the Midwest, joins forces with a frequent cohort, Portland-based drummer Todd Strait, who appears on Laura’s latest release (Going There) and with whom she has often shared the stage backing vocalist Karrin Allyson. Going There helped establish Laura as one of the area’s most skilled composers, and those chops are well represented here with a relatively new composition, “The Return.” One of the most melodic compositions I’ve heard from Caviani’s eclectic songbook, the trio presentation features a counterpoint exchange between piano and bass, particularly beautiful lines from Johnson supported by Strait’s elegant comping. Johnson solos with well placed, haunting glissando in perfect harmony with the piano. Hopefully there are a few more tracks of this threesome awaiting the next installment.

The short (under three minutes) closing track also leaves us wanting more of Johnson in cahoots with Bill Carrothers and Dave King. Although transplanted to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and largely performing in Europe, Bill is still considered a local phenomenon who manages to come into the Twin Cities for a gig or two each year. King of course is the battering ram for the Bad Plus and Happy Apple. This is not the first effort for this trio, whose album of free improvisation, Shine Ball, was released in 2005 under Carrothers’ leadership. This cover of “Sleep Warm” presents a very different mode of interaction, however—percussion delivered as gently as I have ever heard from Dave King; a slight quirk to the rhythm as is typical of Carrothers; and exquisite interplay between piano and bass. It’s a classy coda to a highly satisfying set.

Gordy Johnson. Photo © Andrea Canter

Trios, Future Tense?
While preparing to celebrate GJ4’s release on May 25th, Gordon Johnson is also looking ahead to what he’s already captured in the studio and possibilities for future collaborations. “I have stuff in the can for a wild ‘Trios 5’ release,” he mentions. “I think I'll put a bunch of more progressive material on this one.  It may include the stuff I recorded with [Casey] Scheuerell/[Javier] Santiago, [Peter] Erskine/ [Brian] Ziemniak, and some other takes from Wilson/Nichols and Hey/Kimbrough sessions.  I did take advantage of our friend Dave Frishberg while he was here recently.  I threw him into the studio with Phil Hey, since they know each other from Connie Evingson's project [Little Did I Dream, released earlier this year].  Looking forward to Trios #6 for that one.” And Gordy hopes he can sometime record with the likes of “Keith Jarrett, Joe LaBarbara, Ahmad Jamal, Adam Nussbaum, Brad Mehldau, Billy Martin, Monty Alexander, Benny Green, Bill Stewart, etc. The list is endless.”

Meanwhile, anyone who appreciates the many delights of the piano/bass/drum format will be well served by any (and all!) of the disks in Gordon Johnson’s Trios series. Start with GJ4.