Search - M 'N' M Trio :: Half Way to Heaven

Tiny ensemble packs a big punch

Suzbluafyuz | Minnesota | 09/19/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"You'd think that a group consisting only of tuba, tenor banjo, and clarinet would sound incomplete, but it doesn't. These three guys are all virtuosos, and boy, do they know what they're doing.

They pass around solos and scats like a football. Eli, the tuba player, has amazing facility, and never overpowers the group. The liner notes use the imagery of "an elephant on a balance beam" and if you hear him, you'll know what that means. He can really make the bass step lightly and intricately. Jimmy, the banjo guy, does lots of the vocals, and if you like his particular style (listen to the samples) you'll love this album. Personally he grows on me more and more. His banjo solos are masterful and imaginative. Joe, the clarinetist, sings too, although for some reason I don't warm up to his voice as much. But his clarinet playing...watch out. He played with Louis Armstrong's all-stars, and he can play anything from Klezmer-like riffs to the nuttiest dixieland stuff you ever heard.

This is a fine collection of true old-time jazz by three masters.

Please don't pass it up!"