BWT

By Brad Webb Trio EP

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"I Think of You"

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Brad Webb, drums; Sam Beste, keyboards; Pete Cochrane, bass guitar.

It’s deceivingly clever, “Shut It”, the opening track on drummer/LP artist Brad Webb’s new CD BWT. On one level, swirling Fender Rhodes style piano phrases create a hypnotic, languid vibe. Meanwhile, tight little rhythmic phrases sneak in and out, interrupting the quiet, settled feel. At 3:39 Brad goes into a triplet-based backbeat groove that he embellishes with cymbal bell and hi-hat interplay that could be Dennis Chambers or even early Billy Cobham. The difference is Brad’s decided looseness, a stylistic trait that points more to, say, New Orleans than New York. The song transforms into a quasi-Latin groove that becomes less “quasi” around the 6:33 mark when the piano launches into a full-blown montuno. Brad takes us out with a cascara played on his metal rims, complementing a Chick Corea-ish piano figure that reminds of The Leprechaun or perhaps Music Magic.

Keyboards are again the order of the day on the standard “Solar”, in which Brad’s swing is bubbly and infectious. Sam Beste is persistent in his prodding, all the while maintaining a delightful, bouncing piano attack. It’s interesting that when Cochrane goes for a bass solo, we are, in fact, hearing two of them. Although someone made the production decision that overdubbing a second solo might add value to the existing one, frankly either would have stood on its own merits! After trading phrases with Beste, Webb takes an extended solo, at first taking the road less trodden, coaxing delicate rolls from the edges of his toms before getting more muscular.

“I Loves You Porgy” ought to be familiar to Gershwin fans. The Webb Trio’s rendition preserves the lush Gershwin piano swells and sweet melodic lines, while adding contemporary voicings.

A band photo shows Sam Beste (piano),
Brad Webb (drums and percussion), and Pete Cochrane (bass guitar)

On the following track, “I Think of You”, Webb attacks toms with mallets, or so it sounds, creating a mood similar to that of Tony William’s “Sister Cheryl”. At roughly 1:46 he reigns in the groove with cross stick on all fours. As Beste’s solo builds, so does the rhythm section. Cochrane’s nimble bass solo is particularly effective when he begins chording against the ascending piano phrase at 5:30. The excitement builds to a climax and we’re out of there before excesses flow: Good editing at work here.

Cochrane’s part is similarly important in the intro of “Keep in Touch”, where it acts as a foil to Beste’s arpeggios. Webb’s wire brushwork is impeccable. In many instances other drummers would not have resisted the urge to go to sticks, but Webb stays with the big swish and so guards the rich texture and dynamics that distinguish this track.

The album closes with another well-known standard “How Deep is the Ocean”. Again, Webb exercises extreme restraint and patience, gently anchoring the trio on brushes while piano and bass build intensity.

The Brad Webb Trio’s EP is a well recorded collection of songs, executed with plenty of chops and ideas, but stopping short of superfluous excursions. It’s a good example of how a trio—especially one with electric bass, as opposed to upright acoustic—can avoid the dreaded “fusion” label yet stay contemporary and vital.

To learn more about Brad, please contact him on the web: www.bradleywebb.com
or www.ko-life.com.