Johnathan Blake’s Trion

This evening, the Vermont Jazz Center is pleased to present Johnathan Blake’s Trion, a chord-less ensemble featuring three of the leading players of their generation: Chris Potter on tenor saxophone, Linda May Han Oh on acoustic bass and band leader Johnathan Blake on drums.

This group doesn’t hold back. All three are virtuosos on their instruments, they use their prowess to swing hard, think hard and communicate at a level that’s unrestrained by the confines of technique, knowledge and ability. They know when to burn and when to leave space, when to swing and when to play a ballad, when to sit in the pocket and when to go wild. After years of playing with the top musicians of the world, this trio of leaders has refined their ability to convey their ideas, thoughts and emotions into instantaneous poetry using notes as a proxy for words. Their ears guide them to a universe unfettered by the demands of their instruments and unobstructed by the constraints of harmony. Their musical conversations evolve into well-informed compositions, and we, as listeners, are privileged to eavesdrop and follow each thread as it morphs from a germ of an idea into a fully developed construct. This is music for deep listening and the rewards are great.

Johnathan Blake’s website clarifies his use of the word “trion” as the band’s name by noting that Trion “is taken from a physics term that refers to three atoms combining to form a single unit, a concept that is deeply meaningful in the context of this highly attuned trio.” No matter who is soloing, the whole group is united in their accompaniment and even free to participate or interject. In Trion there exists a sense of democracy where each of the three voices carries equal weight. Blake might be the organizer, but each member is both a leader and a follower; there are no apparent ego-centric obstacles that block their creative alliance. Instead, there is a sense of freedom in the form and a mutual trust in their collective journey. Listeners can tune into the respect that each person brings to the collaboration, the willingness to be both powerful and vulnerable, their unwavering commitment to the music, and the clear intention to be receptive.

Johnathan Blake is the son of famed jazz violinist John Blake Jr.. As a youth, Johnathan studied violin, piano and drums in Philadelphia where he was privy to one of the most fertile jazz education scenes in the world. Blake was welcomed to sit in at gigs with noted jazz educators and legends including Robert Landham, his own father, Shirley Scott and Mickey Roker. He was constantly challenged by excellent role models and teachers and took to heart the need to work diligently to develop his craft. Blake went on to William Paterson College to study in a program lead by yet another mentor, Rufus Reid. Once he moved to the New York area, Blake began getting calls for gigs, including as the drum chair with the Mingus Big Band and touring and recording stints with Dr. Lonnie Smith, Ravi Coltrane, Roy Hargrove, Kenny Barron, Tom Harrell, Oliver Lake, Roy Hargrove, Russell Malone, David Sanchez and many others. Blake evolved as a sideman who was able to fulfill the objectives of leaders of a variety of styles: masters of the tradition like Kenny Barron and Russell Malone and those whose personalized, creative visions were very specific, like Tom Harrell, Maria Schneider (with whom he earned a Grammy) and Oliver Lake. He appears on over 150 recordings with the above-named artists as well as Bill Frisell, Jason Palmer, Alex Sipiagin, Ronnie Cuber, Marianne Solivan, Donny McCaslin, Eric Alexander, Kurt Elling, Black Art Jazz Collective and many others. Blake is also a composer and band leader whose six albums have earned stellar reviews. His work attracted the attention of the legendary Blue Note label for whom he now records.

Chris Potter is the saxophonist of the group. Down Beat called him “One of the most studied (and copied) saxophonists on the planet” while Jazz Times identified him as “a figure of international renown.” Potter’s discography includes over 30 albums as a leader and sideman appearances on over 700 recordings. He was nominated for a Grammy Award for his improvisational forays on Joanne Brackeen’s Pink Elephant and was featured on Steely Dan’s Grammy-winning album Two Against Nature. Potter has performed or recorded with many of the leading names in jazz, including Herbie Hancock, John Scofield, the Mingus Big Band, Ray Brown, Red Rodney, Dave Holland, Paul Motian, Dave Douglas, and Jim Hall. Potter’s recordings as a leader illustrate his facility with the tradition, a willingness to embrace the present, and an eagerness to look to the future.

Bassist Linda May Han Oh has been recognized as one of the finest bassists of her generation. The Wall Street Journal notes that “her innovative range and stellar improvisations have made [her] one of the most dynamic rising stars in jazz today.” Pat Metheny, with whom she performed and recorded, said Oh “has all the things you want: great time, a really big and yet dynamic sound, a fantastic harmonic sense and real facility on the instrument…She has an indescribable presence in the music that is really hard to find. She owns the space around the notes she plays in ways that really add up to something more than the notes and sounds. There is a transcendent thing happening there that is really what makes music music.” Oh has released eight albums as a leader and has performed as a side-woman on over 100 recordings. She has served as a member of the Pat Metheny Group, the Dave Douglas Quintet, Vijay Iyer Trio, Fabian Almazan Trio and numerous projects with drummer Terri Lyne Carrington and Kris Davis, with whom she collaborates in Berklee School of Music’s Jazz and Gender Justice Program..   –Eugene Uman