Recommended Listening With Damian Erskine: John Goldsby | “The Innkeeper’s Gun”

John Goldsby, “The Innkeeper’s Gun”

(www.goldsby.de)

This recording of John Goldsby (BS), Jacob Duncan (alto) & Jason Tiemann (drms) is very intentionally “carrying on the traditiion of Ornette Coleman and Sonny Rollins while expanding the trio style and adding our own voices to the music” with all original material (& one Lady Gaga cover!).  The band recorded while in the middle of a European Tour and I think you can hear the trios comfort with the music and resulting freedom to stretch.  The music is fairly straight forward, but very freely approached.  There is a level of musical integrity, interaction and collective consciousness that can only come from world class musicians who not only are familiar with each other’s styles, but really gel together.  These guys are REALLY playing with, off of and around each other in a way that really happens pretty rarely.

There are plenty of world class musicians who have come together for music but never really get to it, because there lacks a certain magic.  NOT here!

I found this CD to be as rewarding with head-phones on and 100% of my attention given as it was left on in the background (with me occasionally popping my head around the corner saying, “wow…  very cool”).

John Goldbsy is quite possibly one of my favorite upright players.  He has some of the best recorded tone out there and can say more with just a few notes in just the right spots than many will say in a lifetime.  He’s got pocket, swings hard and can converse on the highest level.

This is definitely a must-have for jazz lovers and especially upright bassists!  We could all learn a lot listening to John Goldsby.

Beautiful work John!