For "Trio," I decided to formulate the sound of the album around the original idea for the cover art, which came to me before recording the album. I wanted a minimalist concept utilizing varying textures (hence, the white album cover with different brushstrokes and textures). I then commissioned guitarist/artist Ryan Hernandez to paint a piece of which a small portion was later photographed and made into the album cover. As for the music, the track list features some more obscure numbers from a wide range of composers. “Blue Rose” was written by Duke Ellington for Rosemary Clooney and makes for some interesting harmonic moments despite its simple melody. First recorded in 1956, the tune is structured around a cycle of modulations in thirds, much like what can be found in the bridge to "Have You Met Miss Jones?" as well as some of the compositions of John Coltrane. “Four in One” is one of my favorite Thelonious Monk compositions, first introduced to me by Wynton Marsalis. I opted to alter the melody in a few spots to create a harmony line instead of playing the exact melody to add to the absurdity of the tune. The ballad “My Ideal” by Newell Chase, Leo Robin, and Richard A. Whiting features the seldom-heard verse to the popular standard played with no accompaniment. This number always struck me as such a beautiful and elegant song; although only sixteen measures long, it manages to tell a narrative without ever feeling rushed. “Rapid Shave,” written by trumpeter Dave Burns, is an elongated and harmonically dense blues. I first heard it played by Shirley Scott and Stanley Turrentine. Most previous recordings of this tune--albeit, not many exist--feature a more dense sound, so I sought to bring it into the saxophone trio context to give it a more "stripped down" sound. Finally, Harold Battiste’s “Nevermore” was featured as an homage to my second hometown of New Orleans. Battiste was one of the foremost advocates for jazz education in New Orleans in addition to being a wonderful musician and composer. The melody has a beautiful shape to it and is eternally memorable.

-Tyler Greengard

Credits:

• Tyler Greengard - Tenor Saxophone

• Matt Holmes - Bass

• Joe McCaffrey - Drums

• Josh Russell - Engineering, Mixing, and Mastering

• Ryan Hernandez - Cover Art

• Mollie Friedman - Assistant Cover Art

• Anthony Salimbene - Photography