Mystery Reviewer of Ken Aldcroft Trio Featuring...

The Ken Aldcroft Trio w/ Rod Murry and Tom Foster. The instrumentation for this Canadian trio is guitar, trombone and drums. The bassless trio reflects mostly the traditions of jazz and, to a somewhat lesser degree, improvised music. They site their influences as Wayne Shorter, Keith Jarrett, Paul Motian and Dave Douglas. Ken Aldcroft (guitar) studied with Rod Ellias and Steve Fisk after receiving a B.M. in Jazz Studies from St. F.X. University in 1993. He's played the Vancouver International Jazz Festival w Claude Ranger quartet and the Pt. Townsend Jazz Festival as well. Trombonist Rod Murry also graduated from St. F.X. University in 1992. He has played with Hard Rubber Orchestra, Fred Stride Big Band, Now Orchestra and the acid jazz group Shazzam. He has also played with George Lewis, Cambell Ryga and Kate Hammett-Vaughn. Tom Foster has played drums in theatre, television, radio, studio, film scores and jingles. He toured Japan and Mainland China in 1983 w/ Tommy Banks Quintet and Canada and Europe w/ EDJE (the winners of the Alcan Jazz competition). He has performed with Pepper Adams, Sonny Stitt, Art Farmer, Kenny Wheeler and Herb Ellis. The music on this cassette is all recorded live and direct to stereo in 1997. To me, it sounds like early John Abercrombie (Gateway) with perhaps Jack DeJohnette joining Jullian Priester or something like that. Very nice sparse fusion jazz from the early 1970's. These are very accomplished players in this jazz idiom, however they do not stray very far from their traditional structures. I really liked this kind of music when it was new, but for some reason it took me a while to warm up to this tape. Once I did though, there was a lot of very subtle interplay going on between the players. The thread of creativity constantly flows throughout these jazz improvisations. A very good strong tape. - K p.s. As far as the Festival is concerned, I would not consider them REALLY experimental in any way. Improvisation yes, experimental no. Great Jazz though! With just enough chances thrown in to spice it up with spontaneity. To see music being created right before your eyes.