"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new sights,
but in looking with new eyes."
Marcel Proust

       On November 20th, 2020 Gene Perla led an expedition on just such a voyage from Miller Symphony Hall in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Gene has taken this voyage many times over the years with fellow travelers Nina Simone, Sarah Vaughan, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, Sonny Rollins and decades long collaborations with percussionist Don Alias and iconic drum master Elvin Jones.

       As you can see by the last 2 names on Gene’s list, he sets a very high bar when it comes to drummers. None better to join Gene in the engine room on this trip than Adam Nussbaum. Adam’s credits include Michael Brecker, James Moody, John Abercrombie, John Scofield, and Vic Juris to name but a few.

       The idea for this cruise was to accompany 3 pianists in a trio format on Clips they chose. Oscar Williams’ deep gospel and blues foundation underscore a reverence for melody that shine on "Vilia," "School Days," and "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows." His dynamics on "Rainbows" is nothing short of amazing.

       Leo Genovese’s expansive style on "Wayfaring Stranger," "The House of the Rising Sun" and "Go Down Moses" bursts new light on these timeless folk classics. A cinematic rendering of the melodies followed by soaring, joyful solos create an atmosphere of endless possibilities.

       This was Davis Whitfield's first play with Gene and Adam who brought a hard, swinging version of "The Japanese Sandman." On "Deep River" Davis seamlessly weaves the moods from the dramatic to the hypnotic and back again. "John Arthur" is a Davis original, an up-tempo tribute to pianist Jaki Byard. The band digs into what can only be described as a celebration of swinging for the fences.

       Alto saxophonist Dan Twaddell and tenor saxophonist Dan Wilkens join the Trios for Gene's original "For All The Other Times." The two horns capture the haunting vibe of this blues that made its debut on Elvin Jones 1971 release "Genesis." It's a fitting coda to an evening’s exploration of visions from the past seen with new eyes.

— James Gilheany, February 2021

            Veteran bassist Gene Perla planned 3 Trios as a good excuse to play with his old friend drummer Adam Nussbaum, and to feature three different pianists in trios. The project was recorded at the height of the pandemic (Nov. 20, 2020) at Miller Symphony Hall in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Perla had the pianists choose their tunes and, as it turned out, their playing and their song selections are quite complementary to each other.

            In his four songs, Davis Whitfield created a particularly stimulating miniset that contains a few surprises. “The Japanese Sandman”, a sentimental ballad recorded in the 1920s by Paul Whiteman and Isham Jones, is taken at a blazing tempo that Oscar Peterson might have utilized although the pianist sounds closer to Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell on this piece. It has probably never been recorded previously in this setting and really cooks. Whitfield also performs his tribute to the late pianist Jaki Byard (“John Arthur”) without making an attempt to sound like Byard, “Deep River” which begins in an abstract fashion before getting quite heated, and Perla’s “For All The Other Times”. The latter, a minor blues, is a change of pace for it has altoist Dan Twaddell and tenor-saxophonist Dan Wilkins sitting in with the trio and displaying original tones during their post bop explorations. Incidentally, the back cover incorrectly states that the two saxophonists are on “Villa” rather than this selection.

            Leo Genovese, the best-known of the pianists, stretches out on three folk songs. Sounding very much like McCoy Tyner, he utilizes a similar approach on each of his performances, taking “The Wayfaring Stranger”, “Go Down Moses”, and “House Of The Rising Sun” at much faster tempos than one would expect, generating a great deal of heat and passion along the way.

            Oscar Williams II. performs the 1950s r&b hit “School Days” (which Dizzy Gillespie enjoyed playing in the early 1950s) as a medium-tempo blues, gives “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows” a very slow and heartfelt treatment before it swings at a medium-tempo, and revives “Villa”. The latter is a fairly obscure standard that John Coltrane once recorded.

            Perla and Nussbaum take occasional short solos but the focus is on the pianists, each of whom fare well and deserve greater recognition.