Joel Frahm Trio – Lumination
Joel Frahm – Tenor Saxophone
Dan Loomis – Bass
Ernesto Cervini – Drums
The Joel Frahm Trio is thrilled to announce the release of their second album, Lumination, available now on Anzic Records. Following extensive global touring, the trio, featuring Joel Frahm on tenor saxophone, Dan Loomis on acoustic bass, and Ernesto Cervini on drums, brings their unique sound and dynamic original compositions to this exciting new release.
Joel Frahm is celebrated as a modern icon of the tenor saxophone, known for his emotional projection and technical prowess. His career spans collaborations with leading jazz musicians such as Brad Mehldau, Matt Wilson, Jane Monheit, and Ari Hoenig, solidifying his status as one of the most important and exciting players of our time. The New York Times praises his “deft and assertive command,” while the Ottawa Citizen highlights his “effusive creativity, rollicking positive spirit, technical fluency, and versatility.” Brad Mehldau, a longtime collaborator, describes Frahm’s sound as “big and generous, very warm and comfortable,” emphasizing the “unapologetic emotional outpouring” in his playing.
The Joel Frahm Trio, featuring bassist Dan Loomis and Canadian drummer Ernesto Cervini, has been performing together for nearly a decade. Their synergy and musical camaraderie are evident in every track of Lumination. This chordless trio format, with no piano or guitar, allows for a unique and open musical dialogue between the saxophone, bass, and drums.
With Lumination Joel and his trio set out to compose a body of work that features the group’s unique democratic dialogue and interplay. Joel’s indefatigable humour leads off in his playful tribute to the band’s drummer, Ernesto Cervini with the retro banger, Disco Nern. He turns his pen to feature Dan Loomis’ exceptional melodic voice on the bass with Loomie Nation. Cervini, also a gifted composer, contributes The Nurse Is In as a rhythmic conversation-starter for the group’s three-way improvisations (and also a tribute to former head coach of Cervini’s beloved Toronto Raptors). Joel features his love of melody with the poignant ballad, Moonface Lament, composed during a sleepless night on tour. The contrafact Kern You Dig It?, based on the iconic All The Things You Are (get it?) and the infectiously swinging Catch 22 both capture the group’s energetic and cohesive interplay. Lumination reveals the next evolution of Joel’s transformation of the trio format into a new vehicle for collective imagination.
Release Date: Friday, October 4th, 2024 on Anzic Records.
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