Just the Three of Me

My latest release, Just the Three of Me, is now available on CD Baby.

This is the commercial version of the tunes I have been posting here over the past several months.

This project indulges my fondness the guitar/bass/drums (GBD) “power” trio format as well as a broad range of my guitar influences. The GBD trio is as stripped down as can be while still maintaining the foundations and feel of a band. The primary challenge falls on the guitarist, who must carry both harmony and melody. The bassist must also on occasion be called on to provide more harmonic or rhythmic support that would be necessary in a larger group. At the same time, however, there is considerably greater freedom. The guitarist can play with harmonies and substitutions that would be impossible if playing with a keyboard. The bassist has more rhythmic and melodic latitude as well. Since I play both the guitar and bass parts here, all that freedom was mine.

The other primary characteristic of this project is that it allowed me to honor the many fine guitarists in a wide range of styles who have influenced me over the years. Not coincidentally, all have done considerable work in the GBD trio format: Johnny A, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Kenny Burrell, Pat Metheny, Billy Gibbons, Eric Johnson, and Bill Kirchen.

The tunes here include some I have recorded and released before. These are, of course, redone for the GBD format. The rest are new for this project.

This project also continues along the path I started a few years ago away from heavily produced smooth-jazz. This actually began with a multi-year non-commercial project in which I arranged for GBD trio and recorded over forty classic instrumental and other hits from the late fifties and early sixties. The next was last year’s release (could be) *LIVE* (but isn’t) in which all the arrangements were for a guitar/keys/bass/drums quartet. With this trio recording I have tried very hard to capture some of the energy and spontaneity that is associated with GBD bands.