Each of the three previous outings from next-level drummer Dan Weiss’ long-running piano trio proved to be consistently inventive and engrossing, stretching the fabric of jazz’s most lived-in format. This latest entry, continuing to highlight the fathomless connection between the leader, pianist Jacob Sacks, and bassist Thomas Morgan, is equally compelling. Working his way through a series of tributes to family members, artistic influences, and a figure of importance in the broader sphere, Weiss opens up more than ever before. The enigmatic allure of his music remains fully intact, but you certainly leave this album knowing more about the man and his muses.
Opening with “For Tim Smith,” Weiss nods to the founder of prog-punk band Cardiacs through direct harmonic engagement and imaginative twists. Later, he plays the praises of other musical inspirations. In a serpentine commendation for Conlon Nancarrow (and his Studies for Player Piano), overlaid time cycles create a dizzying foundational design. Bowing to Burt Bacharach, the trio deals in deceptively simple soundcraft. Drawing from Elvin Jones’ deft drumming (beside John Coltrane on the saxophonist’s “One Down, One Up” from Live at the Half Note), Weiss offers a seminar in building percussive bridges with phraseology. And, finding an honoree within the ranks, he spotlights Sacks with an angular panorama of the pianist’s wide-ranging skills.
Eyeing the silver screen, Weiss taps into spiritual and celestial veins in saluting director Andrei Tarkovsky. Making a rare political statement, the drummer addresses the murder of George Floyd and all that surrounded it. And looking closer to home, he creates circles of warmth, love, and tenderness in separate dedications to his six-year-old daughter Vivienne and late grandmother May. With Dedication, Dan Weiss paints expansive portraits that say as much about the gravity of his art as they do about the people he recognizes.
Learn more about Dedication on Bandcamp!
