Monterey 2009: Erskine/Pasqua Trio
Peter Erskine
In the dark, tightly packed confines of the Monterey Jazz Festival’s “Coffee House Gallery” venue, the trio of drummer Peter Erskine, pianist Alan Pasqua and bassist Darek Oles gave a fine demonstration of the axiom that sometimes less is more.
Pasqua and Erskine have been musical associates for nearly four decades, and their deep mutual understanding shone through every note of their 8:00 set. Playing standards with a light, slippery touch, the trio made old tunes sound fresh and ripe for new discoveries, like shimmering gems refracting light in tiny, surprising details.
Nothing was forced. Erskine’s playing was economical and understated, getting maximum value from quietly churning rhythms. Pasqua exuded delicate charm, toying with the melodies, caressing or tickling them with a softly glowing tone and leaving familiar phrases hanging unfinished in midair. And Oles was lyrical but spacious, prodding curiously at the underlying structure of each tune.
The band shifted to a more straightforward bop/blues concept for Jaki Byard’s tune “Chandra,” but still found ways to make the ordinary into something unexpected. Pasqua danced around the tune’s swinging beat, at times with an almost teasing quality. Erskine’s solo countered by stuttering and spinning within the pocket, balancing confident bashing with effectively placed instants of silence.
Filed Under: MJF/52 - 2009 • Monterey Jazz Festival
