American Waltz - 3Play + (Ziggle Zaggle Music) - 3Play + is a Boston-based quartet organized by pianist Josh Rosen and bassist Lello Molinari. Along with Phil Grenadier (trumpet) and Marco Pellitteri (drums), the group blends many diverse elements into an often fascinating sound. The title tune opens the program and it's a pretty sweet piece influenced by folk and country music. Guest guitarist Mick Goodrick plays lovely chords in the background beneath Grenadier's muted trumpet solo. Rosen's eloquent piano lines give "How Do I Know What I Don't Know" an elegant feel, with a hint of Bruce Hornsby and Carole King in the melody and harmonies. Molinari's highly expressive bass work takes some of the spotlight on "Old Fashioned" along with short but handsome statements from trumpet and piano. The music moves "out" on pieces such as "Happy Cramping" with its hyper walking bass line and angular trumpet and piano solos. There's more action and interplay on "Be A Battery" with Garzone and Grenadier exploring the ins and outs of Rosen's quirky melody. "Buttah" is sweet but has a "sneaky-snaky" rhythm and a tenor sax solo from guest George Garzone that is both sly and fiery.
The program closes with the multi-sectioned "Bullet Train", a 20-minute piece that travels many different paths. From the soft, sonic, interplay opening few minutes, the 5 musicians (Goodrick returns for this piece) just seem to be having fun. There's a hard-bop section for Grenadier's rampaging trumpet lines, a "funky reggae" interlude with Goodrick's lines darting around Rosen's bottom-heavy piano figures leading to a short bass spot, and, after another fine trumpet spot, the guitarist gets the final few minutes to play around.
3Play + started as a group of friends "jamming" together and became a band that blends the joy of group interplay with melodic adventure. Some listeners may wonder how to categorize this recording; file under "good music." For more information, go to www.zigglezagglemusic.com.