an album that finds Dave Bass moving comfortably among a wide range of musical influences, always with a strong sense of where he wants to go.
Tiger Turn Records
Dave Bass – piano; Tyler Miles – bass; Steve Helfand – drums
Dave Bass has traveled an unusual route to the piano trio. The Cincinnati native was playing in bands that opened for Captain Beefheart and Alice Cooper shortly after high school, later studied composition with George Russell, and even spent time playing piano for Brenda Lee. On Trio Nuevo, Vol. 3, Bass moves easily between Bach, Monk, Cuban rhythms, gospel and pop without making any of them feel like a detour. It’s the third installment in a trilogy that began in 2024, with bassist Tyler Miles and drummer Steve Helfand returning for another round.
Bass has said that Bach’s compositions are some of the most beautiful music he’s ever heard, and you hear that in “Toccata.” There’s a slow introduction of Bass’s own before Bach gets gently nudged in another direction. The tempo keeps shifting, and the jazzy bounce in the piano notes gives the piece a good bit of swing. Miles’ bowed bass takes up the baroque feel and finds something beautiful in it. Helfand adds little drum fills that might have surprised Bach, but they sure fit here.
Cuban rhythms kick off “Fingerprints/Gantry,” but the piano doesn’t stick to them. Its left hand works the low register with percussive notes while the right picks out fluid single-note lines, with both hands slipping in countermelodies and finding different ways through the rhythm. Miles takes a terrific solo, with Bass jumping in and throwing ideas back at him.
Bass loved “When You Wish Upon a Star” as a kid, and that dramatic, almost floral opening feels like him saying, “Remember this?” He pulls at the melody, stretching certain phrases and making the lyrics seem to stand out even without a singer. You can almost hear Cliff Edwards, the voice of Jiminy Cricket, singing it in Pinocchio.
Monk recorded “Work” only once, and Bass gives it a lively reading. His higher notes bounce off the lower ones, the left hand pulling back against the beat as the right pushes forward. The piano slips into ascending and descending lines while Miles takes a solo, picking out quick notes that die away almost immediately. Helfand never shows off, but his drumming propels the piece along. Bass has a good feel for dynamics, swinging hard at times and then easing back when the music calls for a quieter touch.
By the time “Lost Mambo” arrives, the trio is ready to get people dancing. The drums get things started, then the piano trades phrases over a steady Cuban rhythm, with repeated lines keeping the tune rolling along. It’s a lively finish to an album that finds Dave Bass moving comfortably among a wide range of musical influences, always with a strong sense of where he wants to go.
