Customer Reviews

Symbiosis

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Just saw this trio in San Diego last week. If you like precision in jazz (and that's not for everyone), you'll love these guys. And if you enjoy blues-based jazz with a Ray Brown feel, this is for you as well. Jeff Hamilton is THE master of the brushes (as well as the entire kit!) and this trio loves new arranging twists on classic songs. Symbiosis is a lovely piece by Claus Ogerman and they do a wonderful job on it.

I ordered "Symbiosis" as soon as I heard a cut from it on the radio. I first saw the Jeff Hamilton Trio shortly after Tamir joined Jeff and was blown away by the perfection of their sound. All of that has been captured in this new CD. There isn't a weak cut on it.

This is Jeff's best work yet. I have been listening to Jeff for years and he just keeps on getting better and better
like a fine wine. This is his best trio yet. He has taken the trio format to a higher level. The arrangements and
dynamics are executed so well I was blown away! I can't wait to see what he does next.

Tom Tomas

Totally agree with the review by 'Blues Skies'. I expected something with more spark. Maybe check the new CD by Graham Dechter, also with Hamilton and Clayton, which is far better, at least for me.

This is an amazing trio!! The talent displayed is as good as it can be!

It is mellow sometimes but very intriguing and beautiful when it is. When it's kicking, it just SWINGS!!

Jeff's drums sound incredible on this CD. Every nuance is clearly heard. There is terrific definition of all his brush work and his hand work! The recording quality is superb. All three instruments are mixed beautifully. It is a genuine audio treat.

I know everyone has an opinion but I cannot figure how anyone can attribute boredom to this recording. The talent and musicianship is so outstanding.

This is reminiscent of the recording from 1988 with Ray Brown. I think this is some of Jeff's most incredibly good playing that has been recorded!! Yes sir!!

Just wonderful stuff!!

I always expect something good from Jeff Hamilton.This one is a keeper. I think Jeff is one of the top living drummers around

We just had the wonderful experience of seeing the Jeff Hamilton Trio live at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois recently. They are EXTRAORDINARY musicians and they provided a truly marvelous musical evening. What a treat! I'm here on Amazon.com to buy all of their CDs that they have available, in addition to the one purchased at the concert. Yes, they ARE that good! Their workshops for the EIU music students were fabulous, too, as was their inclusion of the terrific EIU Jazz Ensemble as part of the concert. If you get a chance to see/hear them in person, I highly recommend that experience - if you love great musicianship and great jazz. Whether you see them in person or not, buy their CDs! After watching the Grammy's last night, I kept wondering: why don't the really great musicians - like the Jeff Hamilton Trio - sell all the CDs and get all the awards?? In a perfect world, that would happen. In the meantime, buy their CDs and see their concerts and applaud really hard - they deserve it!

I had high expectations for this release based on a positive critical review I read in the December 2009 issue of "Jazz Times". I listened to this CD several times upon receiving it and found it to be well...rather boring. The arrangements are lackluster. The playing is fine but there were too few creative sparks and no significant risks taken. If you want to spend your time listening to an average jazz trio, this is for you. If you're looking for some superb jazz trio work, I'd suggest checking out the new Ramsey Lewis Songs from the Heart: Ramsey Plays Ramsey or some stuff by the Dan Nimmer Trio. Nimmer's Yours Is My Heart Alone [CD on Demand]is too hot to put down (Lewis Nash and Peter Washington work their magic). I became interested in Dan Nimmer after hearing him live with Wynton Marsalis at the Lincoln Center in Fort Collins, CO. He's very creative! One interesting idea after another flowing from the keyboard. Also, Standards by the Alan Pasqua, Dave Carpenter, Peter Erskine Trio is a little known diamond in the rough well worth seeking out. P.S. I've got 60 plus recordings by the Oscar Peterson trio and 30 more with Ray Brown as a leader and I didn't pick up on the similarity of this bass players sound to Ray Brown (perhaps on another recording but not this one). Also see: Yours Is My Heart Alone for a well written accurate review of this album by Matthew Watters.