By Bob Doerschuk | Published August 2020
Let’s have some fun, shall we? God knows we all deserve a break. But how? Glad you asked: Get a copy of 3D Jazz Trio’s I Love To See You Smile and give it a spin. It’ll take just a few minutes before the group’s wish, expressed in the name of the album, comes true.
The recording begins with the title track, which, in terms of achieving its intention, is perfect. The band lays out the tune at the top, with Sherrie Maricle focusing on the classic “one-and-a-two” hi-hat pattern. On the chorus, the trio heats up a bit, then pulls back for the next verse and keeps it on simmer until a snare roll marks the switch to backbeat and ride. Nothing revolutionary, but it’s done with such spirit that even those who seek messages in their jazz can’t help but surrender. Of course, there’s plenty to talk about in terms of performances: Maricle’s nuanced rhythm, threaded and complemented by Amy Shook’s bass on “Bésame Mucho”; and pianist Jackie Warren’s energy, melodic inventiveness and tasty blues/funk phrasing, which Shook mirrors with a playful touch in her solo on “Moonglow.”
It’s a joy to even write about this music. But you won’t really get I Love To See You Smile by dissecting or transcribing what these three do. It’s far better to scale down the analytical and open to the visceral.
I Love To See You Smile: I Love To See You Smile; Bésame Mucho; Moonglow; Back At The Chicken Shack; Angel Eyes; Recado Bossa Nova; When You And I Were Young, Maggie; L.O.V.E. (56:36)
Personnel: Jackie Warren, piano; Amy Shook, bass; Sherrie Maricle, drums.
