CD yeb-7721-2	Myra Melford / Mark Dresser / Matt Wilson TRIO M "GUEST HOUSE" Myra Melford - piano Mark Dresser - bass Matt Wilson - drums 1. Guest House   2. Don Knotts   3. Kind Of Nine   4. Sat Nam   5. Hope    6. The Promised Land   7.Telemojo   8. Al   9. Even Birds   10. Ekoneni

Featuring protean pianist Myra Melford, galvanizing bassist mark Dresser and supremely musical drummer Matt Wilson, Trio M brings together three visionary jazz artists with extensive track records in adventurous ensembles. Documented on the acclaimed 2007 Cryptogramophone CD “Big Picture”, the volatile ensemble explores compositions contributed by every member while maintaining a commitment to spontaneous improvisation.

Unbound by piano trio convertions, the leaderless project erases distinctions between frontline and accompanist, requiring each player to shape the music’s flow as it unfolds. The resulting sounds can be fierce and beatific, playful and rigorous, earthy or abstract, extravagantly joyous or quietly introspective. The only constant is the triumvirate’s wonderous capacity to listen deeply and respond to one another other in unexpected ways, creating state of the art jazz that’s unbound by notions of genre, form, or conventional technique.

Trio M is the collectively led ensemble of Mark Dresser, bass, Matt Wilson, drums, and Myra Melford, piano. After several years of working together in different contexts and talking about forming a trio, Trio M performed their first gig at the Athenaeum in La Jolla, California, in January 2006. Everything about the experience just clicked. A few months later they played several more gigs and then agreed to record Big Picture in December 2006. Big Picture includes compositions by each musician, several of which were originally performed by their own ensembles. However, the character that the music takes on with Trio M is unique. As pianist Myra Melford says, "We enjoy discovering the different qualities evoked and places that the music goes in this particular configuration, among these musical personalities."

It’s clear that Trio M is special to each member of the group, and unique in the sense that it is an ensemble of equals. Matt Wilson expresses this sentiment when he says, “I’ve been a huge fan of Myra and Mark’s contributions to modern music over the years, and I was thrilled when the planets aligned and we were able to assemble on the sonic playground. The love and trust of sound guides our journeys, and the results are spiritually rewarding and remarkably fun to witness. Honest music without restrictive borders or unfair classification is evident in the explorations.

"Melford has returned to her roots with bassist Mark Dresser and drummer Matt Wilson to form what is easily the best piano trio I`ve ever seen live. With all new compositions that mix structured melodic material with free improvisation and a stunning amount of blues, this was hands down the best concert of the festival. I came away from this performance in a daze of amazement, as did much of the audience under a spell that lingered well after the last note had faded away into the ether."
Devin Hurd