Search - Bradfield, Kupersmith, Sirota :: Rule of Three

A phenomenal debut

N. Dorward | Toronto, ON Canada | 09/17/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This one popped out of the mail last year & knocked me out: a tenor-bass-drums trio that was a joy to listen to, with a nice bag of originals & a thoughtful trawl through the jazz songbook. I spent the next few months mentioning it to just about everyone I got within ten feet of (or the electronic equivalent). I'm pleased to note that it's gotten some good word of mouth (not just from me!), as well as the odd positive review (notably a brief but very positive writeup by Ben Ratliff in the NY Times), but still I get the feeling it's been slightly overlooked. Which is a pity: if it had been on a major label, or even a label like Fresh Sound New Talent or Criss Cross, the raves would be rolling in.... Ah well: that's the jazz scene for you.



What do you get? The disc is co-credited to all three musicians--saxophonist Geof Bradfield, bassist Noel Kupersmith, drummer Ted Sirota--but I tend to think of it as Bradfield's disc because he's the composer of all but one of the originals & because he's a very striking presence. It's a disc that is very open about its influences & allegiances--besides the choice of tunes by Sonny Rollins, Andrew Hill, Randy Weston & Ellington/Strayhorn, there's an opening sequence of tributes to John Gilmore, Steve Lacy (& Lacy's mentor Monk), & Herbie Nichols, plus a closer which owes a strong debt to Coltrane's Atlantic period. Usually I find selfconscious bows to "the tradition" boring: but this is different--the tunes are breathed full of air & life by Bradfield's light, limber tenor, & he has a real knack for getting to the core of a tune, making even Andrew Hill's knotty "Reconciliation" sound as simple & direct as a song. Perhaps this is where the debt to Lacy is clearest--the love of pure melody rather than changes-running, & the ability to edit down a solo on the fly (there are no wasted notes on this album).



I'm perhaps making this sound too much like a jazz buff's disc, which couldn't be farther from the truth: it's a very appealing disc that is immediately enjoyable by anyone interested in mainstream jazz. Give an ear to the lovely opening to "Daydream" or the sly "Nichols Plated" (with a recurrent doubletime passage reminiscent of Monk "Brilliant Corners") & you'll be hooked."

The most auspicious debut of last year.

greg taylor | Portland, Oregon United States | 06/16/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The fate of a CD like this is enough to make me despair. This fine Liberated Zone recording was released last year and, judging from the Amazon listing, is already a rarity.
That is a shame for not only is this a very fine sax trio but it also represents the first time that Geof Bradfield (tenor and soprano saxes) has recorded as a leader. Five of the songs are by him with Billy Strayhorn, Sonny Rollins, Andrew Hill and Randy Weston represented by one song each.
Bradfield is joined by his erstwhile employer, drummer Ted Sirota (Bradfield is a member of Sirota's Rebel Souls group and can also be heard on Sirota's fine Delmark release, Breeding Resistance) and by Noel Kuppersmith on the stand up bass. Kuppersmith has apparently played on some of the Chicago Underground Trio recordings.
So what's so special about this CD? Mostly, it can be summed up by saying that Bradfield plays like a man who feels he has nothing to prove. He doesn't play flashy or fast or complicated. He is not investigating some theoretical construct that will revolutionize music forever. Don't get me wrong. I love people that can really do that. But Bradfield reminds me of a young Sonny Rollins. This is a man who trusts in the power of his tone and his melodic invention to carry the song into our souls. And what a tone- like something between Rollins and Shorter. The overall effect is enough to make you wish King Pleasure was around to take one of Bradfield's solos and write words to it.
His bandmates play to the same level. This sounds like a trio that has played together for years.
There are many great sax trios out there today. Trio X (McPhee, Duval and Rosen) and The Fringe (Garzone, Lockwood and Gulotti) come to mind. The music on this CD is very different from what those trios persue. But Bradfield, Kuppersmith and Sirota are their peers. I can't wait to hear what they do next.
Take my advice- buy this one while it is still available. You will be glad you do."