Trombone Dance in the Deep Seattle Night
Priester's trombone leads a young Seattle trio through a sharp, playful set of originals and collaborative pieces.
Dawn Clement's piano gives this album much of its character. Recorded in April 2002 at Studio Litho in Seattle, In Deep End Dance places trombonist Julian Priester in a piano trio with Clement, bassist Geoff Harper, and drummer Byron Vannoy. Clement is a young pianist working in a context that gives her room to push, and her comping and solos keep the group moving with energy rather than deference to the leader's reputation.
The program divides neatly: five Priester originals plus one composition from each band member. That structure means the record reads as a group effort rather than a showcase, and Priester's playing sounds engaged with his younger colleagues. He is not coasting. He pushes into open, improvisational territory, the kind he helped develop in the 1970s, but keeps things tied to a tight, swinging pulse.
Marshall Bowden of PopMatters included the album in his list of the top 10 albums of 2002, calling it a disc that demands something of the listener. The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings noted a spiritual cast to the music and called it a highly expressive set. It is not a late-career summation or a famous milestone for Priester, and it is not where most people should start with his work. It is a solid, lively record for listeners already interested in Priester or in contemporary trombone-led trio playing.
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