The John Funkhouser Trio
Time
Jazsyzygy Records
www.johnfunkhouser.com
by George W. Harris

Pianist John Funkhouser leads a remarkably organic trio (with Mike
Connors/b and Greg Loughman/b) that oozes fresh ideas from each
composition and performance. This is not a theme-solo-theme trio, but
one that coalesces, expands, stretches out, and intertwines together on
each tune. “Eclipse” spotlights some wondrous bowed bass while the
underlying rhythm patterns shift meters like the San Andreas Fault.
“Prelude & Fugue in A Minor” has some wondrous piano and percussion
interplay on the loosely based Back theme. Standards like “Green
Dolphin Street’ and “Alone Together” have each musician veering in and
out of each other’s way like pedestrians on The Miracle Mile, while
“Eleventy One” has a tricky little beat that swings amazingly well. A
good sign of a band like this is that it’s hard to tell by listening
just who the leader is. An excellent example of democracy in action!