Gordon Grdina Trio

Gordon Grdina Trio “…If Accident Will”
Description: Featuring Gordon Grdina on guitar, oud & compositions, Tommy Babin on bass and Kenton Loewen on drums. This is the fifth disc from Vancouver-based guitarist and oud player Gordon Grdina, if you count his ethnic/improv quartet called Sangha. What amazes me about Gordon is that he approaches each project differently, reinventing himself with each project. Commencing with "The Monk" this trio is soaring in a John McLaughlin/Bruce Eisenbeil sort-of way. Very intense, free yet completely focused. When the trio breaks into an incredible jazz/rockin' groove during the last minute of the opening piece, you just want to shout, "Holy sh*t!". This music blurs the line between fusion and freedom, it is fast and furious and tight at the same time.Contrabassist Tommy Babin, whom I remember from playing at the Guelph Fest is also a splendid bassist and is an integral part of this trio. Gordon is also a fine oud player and gets a chance to stretch out on a few of these pieces. Gordon takes him time on "Cobble Hill/Renunciation" with stark oud, minimal bass and delicate hands-on-drums. "Peripheral" keeps shifting between a quick tempo and a twisted, complex shape-shifting structure that is hard to believe. Sometimes it is difficult to believe that music as great as this is not so well distributed or even noticed by the unwashed masses. Anyway, this is the guitar trio jazz/rock disc of the year so far! Maybe you thought that John McLaughlin was going to win for a change, well think again!Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery April 09 - Downton Music Gallery