MARCUS GILMORE, CRAIG TABORN, NELS CLINE

TRIO OF BLOOM

Pyroclastic Records

Craig Taborn, keyboards; Marcus Gilmore, drums/percussion; Nels Cline, 6-string & 12-string guitars; lap steel guitar; bass.

The CD jacket and the CD itself is covered by the awesome floral paintings of Sharon Core. Her beautiful painting of flower petals made me pick up this album from a stack of others.  Her paintings are also included in the lovely brochure that’s part of this album package.

“Trio of Bloom” sprouted from three giant names in the jazz community: Craig Taborn on keyboards (from Minneapolis, Minnesota); Nels Cline (born in Los Angeles) on guitar and NYC drummer, Marcus Gilmore.  Together they bring a rich, inspired, sixty-plus minutes of experimental music.

“Trio of Bloom” opens with “Night Whistlers” that’s composed by Ronald Shannon Jackson. Jackson’s jazz/rock, Texas shuffle is transformed. Marcus Gilmore introduces it on his drums, setting the tempo and sparking the energy from the first snap of his drumsticks.  The keyboard whines out some sounds that defy description, as do the Cline guitar contributions. I fastened my seatbelt.

This free and spirited opening tune paints a musical picture of the cacophony you find in computer rooms, game rooms, and on crowded big-city streets. It’s hardly representative of the album’s beautiful floral design. Still, this tune is an attention-getter, with some parts sounding like traffic horns and subway rails, or a combination of both.

The music settles down on track #2 called, “Unreal Light” that was penned by the keyboardist, Craig Taborn.  It’s quieter, with pretty chord changes and guitar strings that ring like distant bells. Although it’s also electronically charged, it’s calmer. I can lay among the tulips on this tune or sunbathe by the lips of the sea.  This song sounds like a sunrise and is rather intoxicating with a Latin flair.

“We all share the broadest range of possible influences.  I wanted to lean into those rather than delimit a certain space.  I was very aware of how everybody played, so the real question became what that signature would be overall.  I tried to leave the possibilities open and to engage each piece on its own terms,” says Taborn, attempting to describe the process this trio of musicians used to come together.

“Breath” sounds like the peaceful background music you hear when you’re on a massage table. It calms and settles down the spirit.  Gilmore wrote this piece.

Producer and Poet, David Breskin, challenged each of these fine musicians to bring in a selection of original compositions, new and/or repurposed.  The result is a blend of talents and composer dynamics that challenge your musical palate. While listening to “Trio of Bloom,” I felt like I was standing before a smorgasbord table that displayed a wild assortment of flavors, spices and dishes to tantalize my imagination.  Each song was like an intoxicating dish to tease my tastebuds.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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