1, 2, 3…

Larry Gray - double bass; John Moulder - acoustic & electric guitars; Charles Heath IV - drums. Recorded 8/18 and 8/20/2008. Produced and engineered by Nick Eipers. REVIEWS: 3 1/2 Stars! (3=Good, 4=Excellent) - Downbeat Magazine Chicago veteran bassist Larry Gray offers airy, intimate chamber trio sonics on his latest recording as a leader, a warmly recorded showcase for his smart post-bop compositions and imaginative solo work. The album is marked by sophisticated arrangements, gorgeous acoustic and electric string textures by Gray and guitarist John Moulder, and sensitive trap-set work by Charles Heath IV. The tunes are sturdy and the playing inspired... hefty set of well-conceived music... - Philip Booth, Downbeat Magazine This is more than just a trio recording put out by one of Chicago's finest bassists. It is a journey through an accomplished musician's musical life. Combining expert compositions, superb interaction and depth of creativity, 1,2,3 is a journey through the many different styles and layers of Larry Gray's playing. - Mike Jeffers, Chicago Jazz Magazine Gray's compositions are inventive and modern... His solo work is at the highest level... These pieces display staggering technique and musicality... Gray is a unique voice on the bass, full of musicality and inventive ideas... - Dave Miele, Jazz Improv Magazine '1, 2, 3...' is a masterful contemporary jazz release... John Moulder['s] playing pays tribute to the jazz tradition while at the same time striking new sonic ground with his vast harmonic and melodic vocabulary.... Charles Heath['s] strong command of groove and feel pushes the soloists to higher levels of creativity. Gray's playing ... adds further proof as to why he's often referred to as the top jazz bassist in the Midwest. His total command of the instrument is never in doubt. - Matthew Warnock, AllAboutJazz.com Intelligent, ultra-sensitive music-making from one of Chicago's pre-eminent bassists. - Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune Chicagoan Larry Gray is one of those dazzling virtuoso bassists who turns up on sessions by everyone from Larry Coryell to Ramsey Lewis... Gray composed all of the tunes on his excellent trio disc '1, 2, 3...', and his clean, Metheny-esque writing is beautifully displayed throughout... Gray showcases an exquisite tone and sensitivity, never clubbing listeners over the head with his considerable prowess. Instead, the pieces feel like intriguing three-way conversations... - Jazziz Magazine He has a big earthy sound that reminds me of a stately tree with plenty of rings... His solos sing, especially when he takes up his bow... Guitarist John Moulder shows real kinship to Gray's work. He taps into the plainspoken folk cast of many of the melodies, expanding on them with long, shapely lines articulated by a shimmering tone... - David Dupont, Cadence Magazine This trio outing... yields some provocative material like the angular, Ornette-ish 'No Doubt' and the distortion-laced romp 'E-e-e-lectricity'. Luxurious, harmonically rich ballads 'Monk and Duke' and 'Reflect' show Gray's more introspective side... Gray also delivers some expressive solo bass pieces... - Bill Milkowski, Jazz Times Magazine 'No Doubt', the album's energetic opener, offers intoxicating interwoven lines by Moulder and Gray... 'One Look', a Brazilian-influenced acoustic duet, shows off Gray's outstanding bow work... Two of the disc's longest pieces are placed near the end, but each displays the trio's imaginative interplay... - Bill Meredith, Jazziz Magazine Very impressive and thoughtful recording. - George W. Harris, JazzWeekly.com Moulder's clean, fresh lines, along with the sensitive colorations supplied by drummer Charles Heath, yield a sound both familiar and novel... The result of this collaboration is a striking snapshot of Larry Gray's career: a summation of his writing and his soloing, performed for the first time in one of his favorite formats [guitar trio] - and an impressive introduction to the ambitious new Chicago Sessions label. - Neil Tesser (from the liner notes) BIO