Josh Berman Trio – A Dance and a Hop (Delmark)
Like his contemporary Kirk Knuffke, cornetist Josh Berman revels in the rounded resonances requisite to his horn. He brings a classicist’s control of intonation and phrasing together with a versatile openness to shrewdly-deployed extended techniques. Broad compositional acumen sits comfortably with an abiding embrace of spontaneity and when he shapes a line it’s as much about specific inflections as the assemblage of notes behind it. For A Dance and a Hop Berman pares the more expansive ensemble parameters of his earlier two Delmark offerings down to a trio completed by fellow Chicagoans bassist Jason Roebke and drummer Frank Rosaly. The simplified surroundings bring Berman’s concentrated attention to detail into even bolder relief.
Keep reading