Tarbaby: You Think This America

GIANT STEP ARTS 11 (RECORDED AUGUST 2022)

Pianist Orrin Evans, bassist Eric Revis and drummer Nasheet Waits demonstrate their circus skills on You Think This America. The trio, known as Tarbaby, expertly balances,
juggles and contorts melodies, harmonies and rhythms through a set that includes originals and compositions from jazz legends such as Andrew Hill, David Murray and Ornette Coleman. Approaching their 25th year as trio, Tarbaby builds upon the great trios of Keith Jarrett (pre-standards), Geri Allen and Bill Evans to create a sound all their own. On tracks like Evans’ “Red Door” and Andrew Hill’s “Reconciliation” the trio juggles the more complex nature of the tunes with straight-ahead interludes. On You Think This America, Tarbaby balances the comfortable, almost comical, strolling beat of “Richard,” the solemnity of Ornette Coleman’s “Comme il Faut” and the groove of The Stylistic’s “Betcha By Golly Wow” into a recording that truly deserves the title “Art of the Trio.” Although the group’s earlier five recordings featured guest artists such as Oliver Lake, Marc Ducret and Nicholas Payton, You Think This America is the first all trio set for this group of musical jugglers, tightrope walkers, contortionists and clowns. As they say at the circus, “come on, come all to this amazing, astounding and edge-of-your-seat performance.”

BOTTOM LINE: Tarbaby redefines the “art of the trio” with On You Think This America, a release that showcases the talents of pianist Orrin Evans, bassist Eric Revis and drummer Nasheet Waits as individuals as well as a cohesive trio that continues to add to the piano trio ouerve.