Osby's Sharp Edges, Sharpened Further
A tight, muscular trio record where Osby pushes his angular saxophone against Watts's restless drumming.
Channel Three arrived in 2005, and it finds Greg Osby working in a lean trio format with bassist Matt Brewer and drummer Jeffrey "Tain" Watts. By this point in his career Osby had built a reputation for angular, rhythmically dense playing that sat somewhere between hard bop and the more abstract currents of the late nineties, and this record leans into that identity without apology.
The trio setting strips away anything extra. Osby's alto has room to move, and he takes advantage of it, phrasing across the beat and bending lines in ways that keep the listener slightly off balance. Watts is the engine here. His playing is busy and propulsive, pushing the leader rather than cushioning him, and Brewer holds the center with a steady, flexible pulse. The interplay is the main attraction. It rarely settles into comfortable grooves for long.
As an entry point into Osby's catalog, this is a solid choice for listeners who already like their jazz on the edge. It is not the place to start if you want his most accessible material, and it is not a sprawling statement. It is a focused, well-played record that shows what he does best when the band is small and the tension is high. Committed fans will find it rewarding, and newcomers willing to lean in will get a clear picture of his style.
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