A Second Denson-Pilon-Blade Ridgeway Album

Cover of the album being discussed

One week from today is scheduled for the release of Finding Light, the second album of jazz tracks performed by the trio of Jeff Denson on bass, Romain Pilon on guitar, and Brian Blade on drums. Some readers may recall that, on February 6, 2020, I posted an article about the debut album of this trio, entitled Between Two Worlds. It turned out that, the following week on February 11, the trio performed at Freight & Salvage in Berkeley. However, of greater significance was that, less than a month later, everything would change with the onset of COVID-19. As of this writing, the new album will be released on Amazon.com only for MP3 download. Unfortunately, also as of this writing, the MP3 download does not include the accompanying booklet.

The “two worlds” were those of Denson and Pilon, each of whom composed five of that first album’s tracks. The new album again has ten tracks. This time six of them are composed by Denson, with Pilon accounting for the remaining four. This is very much a “post-pandemic” album, celebrating (as the press release for this album put it) “the unbridled joy of gathering together again and the small pleasures (particularly the fur-bearing variety) that eased the surreal passage of pandemic time.”

That fur-bearing reference accounts for the opening track composed by Denson, “Daily Jubilee of Dancing Herbie D.” The name is apparently that of Denson’s miniature schnauzer, described as “a smart little dog with a big personality.” The music itself exploits an odd number of beats to a measure, suggesting that Herbie is not one for symmetrical rhythms!

The title track is also a Denson composition, which begins with subtle interplay between his bass work and Blade’s use of brushes. Once this background is established,  Pilon can enter with his own melodic line. This is basically a continuation of the interplay that I had encountered on Between Two Worlds. Pilon has a keen skill at weaving in a foreground line once the background has been established, which is why, in my previous article, I compared him with “a vocalist in a pre-Classical opera!”

Like its predecessor, Finding Light is clearly a trio album on which all three musicians share the playing field equally. Citing the press release again, the music is described as a “glorious trialogue.” As a result, I find myself passing on that opera simile, suggesting that these selections come across more as chamber music on a level playing field at its most intimate.