he Rick Zunigar Trio embodied on this disc heralds the state of the jazz organ trio genre at the dawn of the 21st Century. The archetype of this venerated form emerged in the mid '50s and was championed by such major proponents as Jimmy Smith, Brother Jack McDuff, Jimmy McGriff, Shirley Scott, Big John Patton, along with guitarists, Wes Montgomery, George Benson, Kenny Burrell, and drummers Grady Tate, Bernard Purdie. Blues-based and always swinging, the organ trio was usually a forum for blowing and was characterized by long solos and exploration of varied moods and soulful expression. From the early '60s, it seems as though just about every local tavern in the Black neighborhoods of the cities of this country had a Hammond B3-based group -- sometimes duos, sometimes trios, sometimes quartets with tenor saxophone or singer. These groups provided a proving ground for young musicians of the day, as well as a satisfying outlet for people who wanted to hear live music which they could relate to. The body of work by the leaders in the organ trio idiom in its heyday has been well-documented, owing to the fact during that era, based on record sales, the organ groups -- most significantly those led by Jimmy Smith -- represented perhaps the most popular genre of jazz.
In the late '60s Larry Young and others ventured into more remote territory, expanding the harmonic palette of the form, but gradually, through the natural evolution of jazz -- particularly because of the advent of jazz fusion which also featured guitar and electronic keyboards, but with a decidedly different style, the organ trio as a recording medium for jazz faded into the background. In recent years, jazz has seen a movement towards a renewed interest in its historical styles and consequently, the recent past has seen a resurgence of interest in the form, spearheaded by new recordings by Jimmy Smith and Joey DeFrancesco, among others. Guitarist Rick Zunigar's conception of the organ trio gives us a present-day look at the genre, filtered through all of the tradition of the past, but also infused with other influences and trends that have their roots in the major jazz movements of the last 30 years.
John Koenig - CD linernotes |
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