The Jazz Half

Cincinnati's Jazz Showcase

October 19th, 2007

Venue:  The Blue Wisp Jazz Club
Group:  The Steve Whipple Trio
            Phil DeGreg – Piano
            Art Gore – Drums
            Steve Whipple – Bass

As people entered the Blue Wisp, there was a possibility of no one being fully unaware of the magnificent show that was in store.  This event was billed “A Night of Gershwin”, featuring selections from the book of Ira Gershwin as performed by the Steve Whipple Trio.  The show was being recorded live for a Japanese magazine that contains CD performances of independent groups.

The show started at 9:00pm, as the Trio opened with “It’s Wonderful”.  Phil’s piano lead-in; carried the traditional light and upbeat tempo of the selection.  Before you knew it, Art and Steve joined in to round out the melody.  The journey of the song took a pleasant turn off-course (as most jazz numbers do) with sectioned improvs that started with Phil on Piano, then Steve on Bass, then Art on Drums.  In an instant, the Trio seamlessly picked up the melody to bring the selection home. 

The next song to follow was “Someone to watch over me”, with a very smooth tempo kept by the masterful brushwork of Art Gore.  Partway into the number, Steve Whipple started his solo which carried a soft, pianissimo tone at times hitting some pretty high notes.  Steve’s solo increased in volume as the Trio returned back to the melody.  The trio successfully accomplished the tricky task of striking a balance with controlled, increased volume without losing (or increasing) the smooth tempo given to the song.

This was followed by “Embraceable You”, a love ballad with a very sensual, romantic feel, and “Strike Up the Band”, which began with Art delivering a Militaristic-style, March-like roll off that led into a cooking melody.  It was in this piece where Steve convincingly demonstrated his skills in the walking bass pattern. 

Other Gershwin numbers included “A Time for Love”, “I’ve got a crush on you”, and “Summertime”, that was performed with a controlled, intense energy that brought to mind the record-setting tempered months of this year (particularly August).  A glass of lemonade would have accompanied this tune quite nicely.

The second set began with “But not for me”; followed by a quick-tempo “Love walked in”, and “The man I love”.  Then the Trio took sort of a “quick step” away from the Gershwin book to perform a selection called “Luiza” by the international songwriter/composer from Brazil, Antonio Carlos Jobim; who some considered the Gershwin of Brazil.  It was with nearly each song in this set where a particular technique of Art Gore was detected.  In certain parts of songs that require a cymbal hit (particularly the ballads), it seemed that Art has this skill of a 2/3 delivery of his stick (or mallet) to the cymbal quite fast and deliberate; with the last 1/3 immediately slowed down, almost in a feinting fashion, as the stick gently touches the cymbal giving a soft, resonating tone – a difficult technique delivered as fluid as the hit on a snare.

The third and last set opened with “Our love is here to say”.  Just as one would think the show couldn’t possibly get any better, in walks Brent Gallaher, the smooth-flowing Tenor Saxophonist hot off a gig of his own.  At Phil’s request, Brent sits in around 12:30, near the end of the last set.  The Trio, plus Brent, performed “Soon”, and closed the show with “Voyage” by Kenny Barren.  The sound of the horn on those last two numbers added a new dynamic to an already jamming rhythm section that evening, leaving the audience wanting more. 

Steve, Phil, Art, and Brent are jazz veterans in every sense of the expression.  They have performed many times together in the past.  The energy exchanged between these artists goes beyond anything that can be taught – for it is not taught. From the beginning of the first set, it appeared that no one was referring to any sheet music; although Phil had a “scratch list” of Gershwin selections to play.  Steve’s pleasant demeanor with eye-catching nods and smiles, along with Art’s closed eyes and rhythmic facial expressions, and Phil’s focused eye contact emphasizes an engaged, emotional connection to the music, and demonstrates the essence of a true jam session. 

The audience may not have known what they were in for going into the evening, but at the end of the night they went home with more than they expected.

atj