They’re simply too well matched. Simpatico is the word. You can hear it in the applause, but even more in the music itself.
Capri Records
Mike Jones – piano; Graham Dechter – guitar; Alex Frank – bass
Mike Jones brings together a piano trio where nobody seems interested in staying politely in the background. Mike Jones With Strings captures three musicians who understand the Great American Songbook so completely that the tunes seem to reveal new corners of themselves. It feels like a room full of people rediscovering songs they already love.
Recorded live at Vic’s Supper Club in Las Vegas, the absence of a drummer becomes almost beside the point. Alex Frank’s bass is constantly in motion, laying down a thick, thumping pulse one minute, climbing into the upper register the next, sometimes sounding as if he’s playing bass and drums at the same time. At times it sounds as if he’s tapping the body of the bass, the rhythm carrying so much weight you never miss a drum kit.
Jones responds to Frank’s driving pulse with playing that’s full of confidence. Sometimes he leans hard into the keyboard, driving thick chords through the lower register before bouncing back with fluid runs. Just as quickly, he’ll ease off, leaving space for the bass and guitar to reshape the conversation.
Graham Dechter’s guitar is all bright, tightly picked notes that hang in the air. Some are twisted ever so slightly, others are left alone to shine on their own. Even his strumming contributes to the groove, at times sounding more like brushes on a snare drum than a guitar.
On “Gone With The Wind,” gorgeous phrases get tossed back and forth from one player to the next. One starts a lick, the other finishes before the next one starts. “Destination Moon” feels like you’re driving with the windows down on a bright, sunny afternoon. The steady bass line almost purrs beneath the piano like a Corvette convertible idling along a two-lane highway. Jones and Dechter trade fast lines on “Deed I Do,” occasionally sounding like two old friends showing off.
The trio takes a different approach on “The Very Thought Of You,” bringing a fresh perspective to a song most listeners have heard countless times. It’s the kind of old-fashioned ballad that can easily become predictable, but Jones slows everything down, caressing the melody and making individual notes stand out. Dechter approaches the song the same way, choosing his moments carefully and resisting the temptation to fill every space.
“Exactly Like You” is a perfect way to close the set. There’s a hint of stride in Jones’ left hand, plenty of old big-band swagger, and a sense that piano and guitar are trying to outdo each other. They never do. They’re simply too well matched. Simpatico is the word. You can hear it in the applause, but even more in the music itself.
