Search - Cory Combs Trio :: Valencia

Valencia, featuring John Hollenbeck on drums and Dan Willis on sax and clarinet, features twelve new compositions and five improvisations by the trio. Each new composition spans far reaching musical territories. Two compositions emulate the classic Brazilian bossa nova and choro styles, yet with a modern bent. The choro features Bay Area mandolin legend Mike Marshall as a guest artist. At other times the CD hints at the masters that inspired me, from Thelonious Monk and Ornette Coleman, to Keith Jarrett and Astor Piazzolla. Along with its conscious tributes to the greats, I wrote music that is less easily relegated to one style. There are hints of tango, carnival music, avant-garde walls of noise, film-music textures and ragtime. There is even a short interlude where I accompany my five-year-old niece as she talks about a dream. Through this wide range, I hope listeners get the larger picture that I tried to create, that of mood, ambience and emotion. Through harmony, melody and improvisation, I wanted a picture of a surreal inner world: dark, personal and slightly skewered, yet accessible and full of twists and turns. The composed music was written with the other members of the trio in mind. John Hollenbecks drumming is world renowned, having performed with a wide variety of artists, from Fred Hersch to Kenny Wheeler. His playing is always inspired and original, full of taste and spontaneity, drawing from a rich background of styles and sounds. His own compositions and ensembles lead the cutting edge of new jazz. Dan Willis is a bandleader, saxophonist and woodwind doubler in the New York City area. He has played with Michael Breckers Quindectet, John Abercrombie, Ben Monder along with many others. He has a forceful, melodic and sensitive approach to any instrument he plays. Capable of a wide range of sounds and styles, his playing always serves the music in surprising and inspiring ways.