From Dave Liebman:
Writing for a chordless trio is a specific kind of challenge because basically it is two line music, essentially simple counterpoint. OF course having Steve with his guitar-like approach does expand the possibilities as evidenced for example on my arrangement of Cole Porter’s “Get Out Of Town.” Obviously “Swallowish” is specifically written for Steve and this trio. I tried to get the bass line and melody to sound sonorous, much like so many of his compositions with the goal of establishing an harmonic sonority without specific chord changes per se. “Latin-Like” is a simple vamp that lets Adam burn in a feel that he is so proficient at. For the free improvisations, when you play in that style with musicians of this caliber there is little difference from playing set pieces. Because the way we relate to each other transfers both ways. The two free tunes included here are just what the titles say, capturing the “mood” of a ballad, the “mod” of a beguine. For sure, one thing is true about WE3-there’s a; lot of high level musicianship going on. Enjoy?
From Adam Nussbaum:
I'm so thrilled to be involved with Dave & Steve. They are a constant source of inspiration to me. I brought two tunes to this project. Both are in what is commonly know as odd time signatures. My ideal is that these should never sound odd. They should flow in a natural smooth way. "My Maia" is inspired by my dear daughter. It alternates between 6/4 and 5/4. It's a ying yang adventure, just like her. I had a melody and groove in mind and Dave helped me out with the harmony and the structure. "Sure Would Baby" is a blues in 7/4. It was inspired by the many wonderful blues musicians. Muddy Waters, Howling Wolf, Lightning Hopkins and countless others who had these very interesting names. I have vivid memories of hearing Leadbelly on a 10" inch Folkways record that was in my parent's record collection when I was very young. These artists have influenced so many.I hope that you enjoy all the music on this project as much as we enjoyed creating it.
From Steve Swallow:
Dave, Adam and I have played together for over thirty years, on and off. We've come to know each other well, and we have little left to prove to one another. We are what we are. When we play together now, I'm listening and reacting more than I'm initiating. Ironically, I think Dave and Adam might say the same. This raises some interesting questions about the sources of music. Regarding my pieces on this album: Dave has expressed a particular fondness for "Remember" and "Amazing," and that's why we're playing them. "Remember" was written in the aftermath of the dissolution of my marriage, and "Amazing" was written a while later as I began to explore new possibilities. "In F" is based on the chords of Cole Porter's "I Love You," and alludes to something Phil Woods said many years ago. Jazz musicians have long turned to Cole Porter for elegant song structures; we also play his "Get Out of Town" on this album. "Bend Over Backwards" is a gnarly little tune in 7/4; the title refers to the contortions involved in playing it.
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