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Reviews

Dan Weiss Trio — Dedication
(Bandcamp Cygnus Recordings CR102, 2022, CD / DL)

Dan Weiss — Even Odds
(Bandcamp Cygnus Recordings CR104, 2024, CD / 2LP / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2025-08-17

Dedication Cover artEven Odds Cover art

These two recordings see drummer Dan Weiss in trio configurations: first we have Dedication, which is credited to the Dan Weiss Trio and features Thomas Morgan (bass) and Jacob Sacks (piano); the second is Even Odds, with Miguel Zenón (alto sax) and Matt Mitchell (piano). In both cases, Weiss is the composer. Dedication includes nine pieces, each dedicated to an individual with some kind of importance to Weiss, from musical inspirations like Elvin Jones, Conlon Nancarrow, Burt Bacharach, and Tim Smith (late Cardiacs leader) to other artists like filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky to public figures like George Floyd to more personal like Jacob (referring to the pianist), Grandma May, and Vivienne (his young daughter). It’s a journey through his influences, both in music and in life, and his rapport with Morgan and Sacks brings the pieces to life, elevated by his decades long association with the pair. The breadth of the musical influences leads to a variety of stylistic flavors in the compositions. “For Tim Smith” certainly doesn’t sound like a Cardiacs song, but it also doesn’t sound like a typical jazz piece – I’m reminded of Bad Plus covers of songs outside the jazz canon here. And “For Nancarrow” has a rhythmic complexity of a kind different from the swing or funk of jazz, with references to both Nancarrow’s mathematics and Indian tabla. It’s the kind of piece that can be enjoyed on a surface level (“Wow, that’s a cool, weird rhythm!”) or subjected to any level of analysis (“What’s that? Nine overlaid by cycles of other lengths? Woah!”), but at the most basic level is just a fascinating listen. “For Elvin” builds on a bit that Elvin Jones played with John Coltrane on Live at the Half Note, altering the tempo and extrapolating harmonies. A recurring factor in Weiss’ writing is avoiding standard structures, so you’ll find pieces ending not with a recap of the main theme, but wandering off with a bass or drum solo.

Even Odds exhibits the same Weiss style of writing in a different context. The set kicks off with “It Is What It Is,” an energetic piece full of jagged rhythms and unexpected accents, with Zenón’s sax jumping all over the place. In addition to six tunes that Weiss composed for the group, there are a number of pieces that were created in a very different way: Weiss composed pieces for solo drums then sent the tracks to the others for them to improvise their own parts. The group then convened to record the result together in a couple of takes, choosing the best one for the album. These are presented in both forms, the drums-only version and the full group version. They’re all relatively brief, only one or two minutes in length, but they’re fascinating, and show Zenón and Mitchell picking up on Weiss’ parts. In one case, “Vertical Lifestyle” is the complete trio version, while “Horizontal Lifestyle” removes the drums to create a delicate, sparkling duet of piano and sax. Regardless of how these tracks were created, every one of them is a wonderful listen, a type of jazz unlike that produced by anyone else.

Filed under: New releases, 2022 releases, 2024 releases

Related artist(s): Dan Weiss

More info
http://danweisstrio.bandcamp.com/album/dedication
http://even-odds.bandcamp.com/album/even-odds

 

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