Skipper and Crew

Reviews:

"Days Ahead" - Gary Matsumoto Trio

From LA Jazz Scene January 2009 - by Glenn A Mitchell

When Henry "Skipper" Franklin began hearing pianist, Gary Matsumoto and later using him to play at his longtime job at the Mission Inn Hotel, he also decided it would be very worthwhile to produce a trio CD calling it the Gary Matsumoto trio. Matsumoto comes from very good educational background at University of California, Irvine. I met him a few years back at Steamers weekly Sunday evening Jazz Jams. He was playing super well then and has just improved as fine wine since. There are four Matsumoto originals and four jazz standard tunes.

The CD opens with a Monk composition "Four In One" and delightfully goes through as though were right in that same time as when T. Monk made this and many tunes reflecting on the culture of the time. Franklin drives his bass work forward well and keeps drummer Austin beside him. I enjoyed this trio a lot. They expand into a Lennon/McCarthy number "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," a pretty song showing the ballad capabilities of this eloquent trio. Matsumoto's composing brings a swinging blues to the listener in "Skipper's Mission." Ellington's "Sophisticated Lady" is clear and beautiful. "Generations," here Matsumoto uses a Latin type riff to gather the substance of the piece and then solos, as well as Austin on his fine sounding drum work throughout this production. Franklin keeps the riff very alive and the tune gives some partial choruses in double time. "Days Ahead," the title track is a realistic look and mellow feel, to say the least, of how things may be or where they are going, let alone where they have been. A rousing version of "But Not for Me" closes the album and is robust in its disclosure of this long lasting stupendous standard. Henry Franklin scores, not only in his usual dynamic bass soloing, but bringing these phenomenal musicians together. A very worthwhile musical adventure will be had for all jazz enthusiasts listening to this jazzy CD.

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