Dave Stryker Trio, Groove Street Review

The Dave Stryker Trio is back with another contemporary jazz album, Groove Street. The nine-song narrative is performed by the Dave Stryker Trio and the legendary tenor saxophonist Bob Mintzer. Recorded in the heart of summer 2023 and subsequently hitting the airwaves in January 2024, this collection of compositions and arrangements is a set of music built upon a seamless blend of friendship, collaboration, and musical exploration.

From the opening bars of Dave Stryker’s “Groove Street,” it’s clear that this album celebrates jazz in its most communicative and intuitive form. The track’s classic organ shuffle, courtesy of Jared Gold, and McClenty Hunter’s disciplined rhythm propulsion for the drum kit set a precedent for the album’s soulful and swinging essence. Stryker’s guitar solo is well-designed in its balance of technical fluidity and emotive expressions. Mintzer’s robust tenor contribution is swinging in the jazz tradition, venturing from bebop to modern jazz.

“Overlap,” a Mintzer original, introduces a complex chordal pattern that unfolds with a melody rich in development and creativity. Mintzer’s solo narrative is melodic and fiery due to his mastery of building climactic musical stories. Stryker responds with a fluidity that speaks volumes of his connection with Gold and Hunter, highlighting an interplay that feels effortless with deep listening.

“Summit” further showcases Stryker’s dual role as a guitarist and composer. His ability to navigate through intricate changes with elegance and the conversational chemistry within the quartet particularly shines here. Stryker’s solos, with their motivic roots and dynamic jazz vernacular development, complement the group’s modern jazz inclinations, offering a refreshing development of ideas through the album’s soul-jazz undercurrents.

The inclusion of pieces like “Soulstice” and covers such as Wayne Shorter’s “Infant Eyes” and Eddie Harris’ “Cold Duck Time” diversifies the album’s sonic palette and expands the quartet’s ability to infuse soulful melodicism with hard bop energy. Mintzer’s intricate solo work and Stryker’s soulful interpretations stand out, providing a rich layering of jazz traditions with a modern touch.

“Straight Ahead” encapsulates the album’s ethos, a space where each musician is free to express themselves fully, underscored by a buoyant swing feel. Mintzer’s and Stryker’s solos demonstrate a bluesy quality that meshes seamlessly with the rhythm section’s dynamism.

Groove Street brings us a set of conversational jazz between four masters of their craft. The album exemplifies jazz as a communicative form where spontaneity and meticulous planning coexist. The Dave Stryker Trio and Bob Mintzer are for those who seek to understand the profound dialogue that jazz offers musicians and listeners alike. In essence, Groove Street is all about the ever-evolving groove of our journey as creators. That’s the short of it!

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