Evento

Merrimans' Playhouse Jazz Performance Series presents Rooms Trio

Since the Fall of 2012, Rooms has been building a distinctive voice as an improvising ensemble. Comprised of Dan Pierson on keyboards, Charlie Kirchen on bass, and Matt Carroll on drums, the band has developed a large repertoire of original music that draws on a range of influences while at the same time expressing an aesthetic that is specific and personal. This aesthetic can be heard on the group's debut album, "Rooms", and at frequent performances in Chicago and beyond.

http://www.roomstrio.com

Review by Peter Margasak:

"This tight, concise local piano trio,belongs to a vibrant mainstream scene that's cropped up recently at venues outside the Umbrella Music circuit,.... The players are fluent in the vocabulary of postbop and unlike many free-jazz musicians they're not afraid to sound aware of current trends in pop. On the trio's self-released debut, 'Rooms' tightly coiled grooves flex and release around melodic, fat-free keyboard parts that bridge the gap between the hyperactive mobility of the Bad Plus and the chill, soulful fusion of vintage Bob James. Occasionally Carroll's drumming approaches New Your-style complexity and flash, and on the meditative mid tempo piece 'Silence' he braids his beats into an array of stuttery programmed percussion. Carroll and Kirchen provide malleable, sturdy support, but the focus belongs on Pierson's warm lines, played alternately on acoustic piano and Fender Rhodes. I'm impressed by Rooms Trio's focus, taste, and melodic generosity, and I"m eager to hear these guys stretch out a bit onstage."