Brad Shepik Trio - Places You Go

[GA Russell]

I received Dec. 11 an advance copy of a group I've never heard of before called the Brad Shepik Trio entitled Places You Go. This is an SACD 2+5 CD. I decided to hold off until Christmas Day, and give it to myself as a present, since none of my family ever gives me music for Christmas.

I've been listening to this a lot in the three weeks since, and I really enjoy it. Shepik is an electric guitarist, with Gary Versace on the Hammond B-3 and Tom Rainey on drums. All three musicians are quite good. Shepik takes the lead role as a soloist, but Versace on organ gets plenty of solo time too.

I suppose with any organ combo there is at least a hint of soul jazz, but here the primary influences are two sounds of the 70s: the quiet ECM sound blended with the Canterbury prog rock style.

There are ten songs (all written by Shepik) totalling 57 minutes. All songs are good; but none of them are hummable, so I don't expect that any will become jazz standards.

The CD is on the Songlines label, which is out of Vancouver. I found its website which is impressive. It appears that the company was founded about ten years ago to release "cutting edge" jazz. You can read an interview with Shepik and download an mp3 of one of the songs here: http://www.songlines.com/

A google search shows that Songlines CDs have been available from CD Universe in the past, but it's not clear to me that any are available from them now.

If 2005 was the year I discovered Adventure Music, and 2006 Cryptogramophone, 2007 may be the year of Songlines for me.

The website says that the US release date is Feb. 13; but it appears that the CD can be ordered now from the website for $15.99 (Canadian dollars?).

2007 is starting off as a good year!

[Chuck Nessa]

Promos be good.

[Aggie87]

Imagine an organ combo on ECM.

Like the John Abercrombie/Dan Wall/Adam Nussbaum recordings on ECM? Or Trio Beyond for that matter?

I have Shepik's "Drip", which is a nice recording (and includes Rainey as well), and have seen Versace supporting Scofield on his Ray Charles project. And Rainey is good on the Thirsty Ear etc stuff that I've heard him on. Could be a nice group.

Shepik was also good on the Dave Douglas Tiny Bell Trio stuff.

Edited January 18, 2007 by Aggie87

[Jim Alfredson]

Gary Versace is a seriously bad mofo on the organ. And Shepik is no slouch. I'm really looking forward to this.

Shepik released a couple of CDs under his own name with really interesting Middle Eastern-influenced jazz. He also had a trio with organist Nate Shaw called Mr Lucky that Joe saw in Grand Rapids (wish I did, but I probably had a gig).

All songs are good; but none of them are hummable, so I don't expect that any will become jazz standards.

Maybe you just need to work on your humming.

And there have been quite a few trio CDs featuring organ on ECM. John Abercrombie with Dan Wall and also Abercrombie with Jan Hammer back in the 70s (called Timeless... cool record).

[Joe G]

I've been waiting for this one since I heard about it last September or so.

[.:.impossible]

Image an organ combo on ECM:

[GA Russell]

I see that this is now available for pre-order from CD Universe:

List Price $17.98; Their Price $15.79. Apparently no pre-order discount.

[mikeweil]

Just ordered this from jpc - will report after listening.

[Jim Alfredson]

I keep forgetting about this. Need to grab it.

[GA Russell]

I keep forgetting about this.

I do too! I enjoy it whenever I pull it out, but that hasn't been very often. I'll have to listen to it again today.

[Sundog]

IMO, one of the better releases of the year so far.