Album Review: Are You Sure You Three Guys Know What You‘re Doing?

Are You Sure You Three Guys Know What You‘re Doing?, with Penn Jillette on Bass.

We often identify people by their occupation and are surprised when we discover there is more to them than just one facet of their lives. Penn Jillette is a world-renowned magician and entertainer who along with his partner Teller has been performing in Las Vegas since 1975. They have been at The Rio since 2001 making them the longest-running headliners to play in the same Las Vegas hotel.

A fact that many don’t know is that Penn is also an accomplished bassist. We reviewed his album “The Show Before the Show” back in 2018 where he played with Mike Jones.

Now, Penn has teamed up with pianist Mike Jones and drummer Jeff Hamilton to bring us a very tasty collection of eleven Jazz standards. This trio plays nice and tight together and there are ample opportunities to enjoy the moments where they break out and really strut their stuff. The music and arrangements are rock solid and are nicely recorded and engineered to allow us access to every musical detail.

This is a great Jazz album and a reminder that we are all greater than the sum of our parts. I don’t know if this trio plays live venues but I myself would turn out to catch a show if they were playing based on what I have heard here.

Available on August 18, 2023

For more information, visit online at fave.co/449pq2r