Certain Times
Self-Titled, 2015
8/10
The veteran musician Chris Trinidad brings his bass guitar to these memorable melodies and riffs, where Charlie Gurke’s saxophone, Alex Conde’s piano and Aaron Kierbel’s drums are in attendance for a spirited jazz affair that also flirts with ECM.
Trinidad starts the listen with the lively jazz spirit of “Inevitable Evolution”, where the soulful brass is met with agile keys that are anchored by the strategic bass, and “Something New In The Unfamiliar” follows with flowing drums amid the low sax prowess.
Deeper yet, “Finding Somewhere Forever” trims the pace back with a very introspective flavor that’s quite intimate, while “A Reading In Retrospect” bounces and shakes with a mesmerizing quality that’s full of dynamic interplay between the quartet.
The final two tracks, called the ‘Encore’ selections, offer us the gorgeous and stylish “Jungle Street”, where the rhythm section is particularly luminous, and the diverse jazz of “Priority” that glides with a quick delivery of timeless jazz sensibilities.
Interestingly enough, Trinidad would go on to interpret this album in 2021 during the pandemic, where he put a very interesting spin on these already excellent tracks as Changing Tides. Both albums, however, are certainly worth repeated spins for the jazz inclined.
Travels well with: Chris Trinidad- Changing Tides; Wesli- Rapadou Kreyol