'Remembrance' by the John Patitucci Trio Arrives August 4

by Staff.

John Patitucci's latest recording, Remembrance, is set for release on August 4, 2009, and represents Patitucci's thirteenth as a leader and his seventh for the Concord label. Accompanying the virtuoso electric and acoustic bassist are saxophonist Joe Lovano and drummer Brian Blade, with guest performances by John's wife Sachi Patitucci on cello and percussionist Rogerio Boccato. Most of Rememberace's 11 tracks are dedicated to influential jazz musicians, which inspired the album's title.

Bassists have often struggled to come out from the rhythm section to perform and record under their own name. "It's not an easy thing for a bass player to be able to lead his own group and record today," says Patitucci, who is also a longstanding member of saxophonist Wayne Shorter's quartet (along with Blade) and performs regularly with trios led by Jack Dejohnette and Roy Haynes. Knowing the importance of being a leader, and of learning from his predecessors at the same time, Patitucci adds, "Our musical elders were the trailblazers who forged a path for us to follow."

The trio on Remembrance is described by Patitucci as his dream band, which makes this a special recording for the bassist. "I've been waiting for years to make a trio record like this," he says. "Brian is a consummate artist whose contributions go way beyond the drums. He's powerful and he has great interpretive skills, incredible ears and a breadth of musicality. Joe improvises at such a high level, and he brings a great sound, phrasing and overall feeling to everything he plays on."

Recorded live in the studio with minimal overdubs and all the musicians in the same room with no headphones, Remembrance is meant to bring to life the interaction these three musicians share. "I wanted it to sound organic and let the bass bleed into other things Joe and Brian were doing," Patitucci says. "Plus, my bass sound was able to be a little bigger, broader and warmer versus being in a small booth. I also felt more harmonic and rhythmic freedom. Even when I played the electric bass, the amp was in the studio so Joe and Brian were hearing it live, without having to use the headphones."

The musicians Patitucci has chosen to pay homage to include several of his heroes: tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins ("Sonny Side"); trumpeter Freddie Hubbard ("Blues for Freddie"); Joe Henderson ("Joe Hen"); and bass man Ray Brown ("Play Ball," that Patitucci says is "one of the slowest tempos I've ever played"). Tribute is also paid to jazz giants Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane with "Monk/Trane," based on Coltrane's famous composition "Giant Steps."

The final tune of the album, the title track that is dedicated to the late saxophonist Michael Brecker, features Patitucci in a solo bass setting in which he plays six-string electric and electric piccolo basses. "It almost sounds like a 12-string guitar," he says. "I set out to capture a feeling and try to make it as haunting and beautiful as possible."

While Remembrance serves as a heartfelt salute to the past, its heritage is treated as a foundation, not a destination. "We're paying tribute, but we're also shaping the music to reflect who we are," Patitucci says. "We're not just copying or resting on the musicians who came before us. We're playing this music as our way of contributing to the evolution of jazz."

Related Links
John Patitucci
Concord Music Group
Yamaha's John Patitucci Signature Six-String Electric Bass (TRB JP2)

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