The Trio is a CD of free-form improv music -- mixed “spontaneous compositions” by this New Haven trio of Bob Gorry (guitar), Diane Buettner (bass clarinet, flute & clarinet) and Stan Nishimura (trombone). The tracks are:

Discussions and Declarations 12:53
Abiding 09:46
Stanchion 10:43
Rolling One 09:27
Ghost Action 12:29

Their divergent sounds are captured in live performances of trombone, guitar, clarinet and flute that come together in a cacophony that is very disparate and atonal to these earsl. It is not the kind of music I normally listen to. I had taken a listen and was at a loss of what the music is about. Yet one realizes there is a logic at work here.

I arranged a call with trombonist (and visual artist) Stan Nishimura who is one-third of this collection. He explained that the group came together from different musical pathways. Led by a guitarist coming from heavy metal and other rock formats, Bob Gorry had been leading experimental improv workshops for over 20 years with the New Haven Improvisers Collective; Diane Buettner (who is also a visual artist) used to play sax with a blues band; and Stan Nishimura himself played with various jazz big bands of different formats many years ago.

Stan outlined the importance of their improvisations being grounded in jazz rhythms, and blues. He also discussed the influences of past jazz greats on their compositions and the role of improvisation in their music. He explains, “For the three of us, I think we're all influenced in one way or another with what was going on in jazz in the 60s into the 70s. And especially what was going on with [John] Coltrane, Ornette [Coleman], Pharoah Sanders, Archie Shepp -- It's developed further generations to generations later...I think it's really just improvisations.”

Stan continued, “In the 90s and 2000s with guys in New York like David S. Ware [saxophonist], Matthew Shipp [pianist and composer] and William Parker [bassist] -- part of what I think was a really exciting scene. Very young guys, but also very, very intense improvisation, and heavily grounded in jazz. In terms of deriving from rhythm and blues, and rock going off into improvisations. And then also from classical music too.”

The Trio is an admixture of veteran musicians embracing their musical ideas in other non-traditional ways. So there is a logic to the intersecting soft, smooth, guttural sonics, and as it is said, curiosity killed the cat and satisfaction brought it back.

You can explore further by downloading this music from Bandcamp, Amazon, Apple Music/iTunes and many streaming platforms.