You can easily read “Twio” as “Trio.” You won’t be wrong. Yet, the obtuse word, in Smith’s witty way, implies fun. Saxophonist Walter Smith III introduced his chordless saxophone trio concept in 2018 with the release of Twio (Whirlwind Recordings), featuring the core unit of bassist Harish Raghavan and drummer Eric Harland with special guests Christian McBride and Joshua Redman. Now, on his third Blue Note recording, Twio, Vol. 2, Smith encores the concept with the core unit of his working trio, bassist Joe Sanders and drummer Kendrick Scott, along with special guests Ron Carter (five tracks) and Branford Marsalis (two tracks).
The concept, as with the original, is to play jazz standards, some a bit off the beaten path, tunes that are familiar to all these musicians. Yet, Smith inserts a contrafact into the repertoire, too. Therefore, no rehearsals are necessary. Invite the musicians to the studio and let it unwind spontaneously. This is not a blowing session per se, or a saxophonist unleashing a series of lengthy Sonny-Rollins-like solos, but rather an exploration of harmonic ideas and some of the better conversational tenor saxophone -upright bass-drum dialogues on record, just as the previous session was hailed. Simply said, there’s no shortage of ideas exchanged among these players. Most were laid down in just a couple of takes.
The three rather ‘usual’ standards are the opener “My Ideal” and “Circus,” rendered with Sanders, and “If I Should Care” with Carter. They represent melodies and changes that appealed to Smith. Note that on the first two, Sanders is in lock step with the tenorist, his rhythm pushing him along. Scott, who has known Smith since high school, is telepathic, both anticipating and reacting to the saxophonist’s every twist in improvisation. “I Should Care” is a tender ballad with Carter given more soloing room, thereby introducing newer ideas that inspire Smith when he re-enters. The balance between all three instruments is superb. Even when Smith is leading, the bass and drums clearly establish their own turf. Smith is articulate, flowing, and potent without resorting to any histrionics.
Monk’s “Light Blue” (w/ Sanders) and Wayne Shorter’s “Fall” (w/Carter) honor two of Smith’s (and most jazz artists’) favorite composers. “Light Blue” begins with Scott’s drum rolls, and Smith spins the melody deliberately, free of the angularity we associate with Monk, as Sanders’ bass often serves contrapuntally. Smith blows fluidly and rapidly, decelerating gently to author a smooth close. The saxophonist had to have been thrilled to have Carter join him on “Fall,” given that he tracked the tune with Shorter as part of Miles Davis’ Second Great Quintet.
Branford Marsalis steps in for the two most swinging tunes in the set, with Carter as well. Smith’s contrafact, “Casual – Lee,” sets a new melody atop the harmony of the standard “East of the Sun (and West of the Moon).” The two horns play in unison on the head, solo separately, and trade lines in this up-tempo gem. The closer, “Swingin’ at the Haven,” by Ellis Marsalis, was sourced from Branford’s 1986 Royal Garden Blues (Sony/BMG), a longtime favorite of Smith’s. The two render it much like the previous, keeping it controlled enough to emit plenty of energy but short of a flat-out ‘blowing’ or “cutting” take. The synergy among the four players is remarkable on both. Scott prominently exhibits his famed cymbal work on the latter.
The core trio brings a loose, free-ranging approach to Carla Bley’s “Lawns,” inspired by his fellow Berklee educator Terri Lyne Carrington, who chose it as part of her project New Standards: 101 Lead Sheets by Women Composers. This same trio also honors one of Smith’s initially inspired saxophonists, Joe Henderson, by covering Kenny Dorham’s mid-tempo ballad “Escapade,” from Henderson’s 1964 Blue Note Our Thing. Similarly, Smith, with Carter, channels Henderson’s version of Billy Strayhorn’s “Isfahan” from Henderson’s 1992 tribute to the composer, Lush Life. Loyal readers and Blue Note fans will recognize that this same piece appeared on Bill Frisell’s In My Dreams, released just last week. The interplay between Smith and Carter here represents perhaps the best saxophone-bass conversation in the set.
Smith tends to be acknowledged as much for his composer and producer roles, yet this is his potent ‘saxophone” voice speaking confidently and creatively.
