Piano-trio dates NOT lead by the piano player.

[Rooster_Ties]

I just stumbled across a couple piano trio dates (standard piano/bass/drums config) that I wasn't previously even aware of --- probably because they weren't lead by the piano player. So, it probably stands to reason that there are other similar recordings out there that I'm simply overlooking. The two I just found out about...

Robert Hurst w/ Kenny Kirkland and Elvin Jones - "One for Namesake" (Columbia, 1993)

Tony Williams w/ Mulgrew Miller and Ira Coleman - "Young at Heart" (Columbia, 1996)

And another one two I just learned about, but haven't heard (yet)...

Roy Haynes w/ Phineas Newborn and Paul Chambers - We Three (OJC, 1958)

Roy Haynes w/ Danilo Perez and John Patitucci - "The Roy Haynes Trio" (Verve, 1999)

So what else is worth mentioning??

Edited December 10, 2004 by Rooster_Ties

[trane_fanatic]

'We Three" is sooooooo good! Forgive me for sounding like a teenybopper right now. The first track, "Reflection", is worth the price of the album alone. Phineas is just an absolute delight on the piano. You MUST get it.

[BFrank]

Rufus Reid - "Seven Minds" w/Terry Lynne Carrington and Jim McNeeley

Ray Brown - "Something for Lester" w/Cedar Walton and Elvin Jones

These are both excellent!

That's all I got for now ...

[JSngry]

I like that Ralph Peterson trio side w/Geri Allen.

[Brownian Motion]

Jo Jones Trio with Ray and Tommy Bryant.

[Michael Fitzgerald]

One of the best known trios of today - Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock, Jack DeJohnette - actually first recorded together under Peacock's name on his "Tales Of Another" album on ECM from 1977 - six years before the first Standards record.

A lot of bassists or drummers with big enough names will do this - Ron Carter, Ray Brown, Roy Haynes, Paul Motian, Ron McClure, then there's that Max Roach album with Hasaan and Art Davis that we talked about awhile back.

The real question is whether the "sound" of the group is still coming from the pianist - is the leader-bassist/drummer just the name on the marquee or is he contributing the personality of the band. Would the trio be different if the pianist's name got top billing?

I recently listened to the first James Williams "Magical Trio" album, which has Ray Brown and Art Blakey as sidemen - both of whom are better known as leaders than Williams himself. I still kept feeling that Blakey wasn't acting "deferential" enough.

Mike

[Rooster_Ties]

...then there's that Max Roach album with Hasaan and Art Davis that we talked about awhile back.

Completely forgot about the Roach/Hasaan record. This one was never got on my radar, for the longest time -- again -- probably cuz the piano player's name wasn't on the spine.

Edited December 10, 2004 by Rooster_Ties

[Alon Marcus]

Third Plane by Ron Carter with Herbie Hancock and Tony Williams. This was an emphatic group of equals so the name of the leader is not essential.

Two more albums that deserve mention are Charlie Haden's Montreal tapes with Geri Allen and Gonzalo Rubalcaba (both of them have Paul Motian on drums).

[Green Dolphin]

Buster Williams-Houdini w/Geri Allen(again) & Lenny White

[brownie]

Roy Haynes' 'Sugar Roy'. Very nice trio date with Tommy Flanagan and Roy Haynes on the Japanese Kitty label.